Chinese Hegemony: The Tang & Song “Golden Age”

Re-cap: Important Dates

I.

Early Dynasties

Xia?

(2200 B.C.E.) 1.

Shang

(1766-1122 B.C.E.) 2.

Zhou

(1122-221 B.C.E) 3.

Qin

(221 -206 B.C.E.) -first Emperor, coins 4.

Han

(206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) -Confucianism, scholar-gentry, paper & porcelain

II. Post-Han China

1. “Period of the Six Dynasties” (220-589 C.E.): − bureaucracy collapsed −

Buddhism gained strength

, replacing Confucianism for a time − nomads ruled much of Chinese territory

III. Sui Dynasty (589-618CE)

– lowered taxes – established granaries – reconstruction of bureaucracy – reconstruction of

Confucian scholar gentry

– extension of Grand Canal

Sui Grand Canal

IV. Tang Dynasty (618-918)

1. Capital city:

Chang’an

2. Imperial power & “moral restraint” 3. Cosmopolitan attitude towards religions “

Three Doctrines

”: Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism 4. Tang armies extend West – used Turkic nomads in military ( Uighurs ) – Great Wall is repaired – loss to Arabs at Battle of Talas (751)

A. Empress Wu (625-705)

1. ruled for 50 years (only female empress) – began as imperial

concubine

2.

Imperial civil exam system

– blow to noble class – social mobility of scholar-gentry 3. Neo-Confucianism official philosophy – increased literacy uniting China 4. BACKLASH AGAINST BUDDHISM

Tang Government Organization

B. New Technologies:

1. re-established the safety of the Silk Road (tea from S.E. Asia) 2. Inventions: – moveable typeset printing – porcelain – GUNPOWDER – mechanical clocks

C. East Asian Cultural Sphere

1. Chinese cultural diffusion throughout East Asia – “ sinification ” 2. Korea, Japan, & Vietnam assimilate Chinese culture – Confucianism – Buddhism – writing system

D. Tang Decline: Losing the Mandate

1.

Xuanzong 2. Causes for decline: – Empress Wu’s grandson – lack of morality?

– executed favorite consort during a rebellion – land distribution breaks down – poor attention to canal & irrigation systems – NOMADIC INVASIONS

Tang Xuanzong (“The Profound Emperor”) & Consort Yang

V. Song Dynasty (960-1279)

A. Beginnings

1. followed the chaos of the “Five Dynasty Period” 2. based on

Neo-Confucianism

3. civil examination system

B. Government

1.

“flying”

paper money

(increased commerce) 2. government schools 3. Imperial civil service exams 4. replaced corvée labour with paid labor from taxes 5. trained militia & supplied arms 6. paid Mongols in silk for protection

C. Increasing population

1. new developments in rice cultivation -

champa

(wet rice) production from Vietnam 2. Population grew from 60 to 100 million 3. Rice also used to brew wine

Champa “wet rice” production

D. Role of women

1. new ideal of the "willow-waisted woman“ 2. against widow remarriage 3. ability to inherit property & control of family/budgets 4. upper-class female

foot-binding

 Size 5 ½ shoe on the right

Foot-Binding in Tang & Song China

• Broken toes by 3 years of age

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=122772

E. Culture

1.

Literature

: popularization of vernacular language 2.

Poetry

: used to spark political reform 3.

Paintings

: landscapes (harmony between humans and nature)

“Poem of Farewell to Liu Man” by Yelu Chucai (1190-1244)

"Despotic officials and shyster underofficials, may they feel ashamed!"

“Travelers Among Mountains & Streams” by Fan Kuan (ca. 1000) “A Chinese scholar in a meadow”

“12 Views from a Thatched Hut” by Xia Gui, early 13th century

“ Spring Festival Along the River” by Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145)

Henan jar, Song Dynasty

Jun ware – Song Dynasty

F. Technology

1. irrigation & fertilizer 2. large ships called

junks

3. compass 4. waterwheels & canal locks 5.

gunpowder

& “crouching tiger” catapults 6. printing & paper money

Junks & the Compass

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/su ltan/media/expl_01q.html

Astronomical Clock

Paper Currency

Military Technology

First case of gun & grenade (950 C.E.)

G. Commercial Growth

1. production of

silk

& cash crops (

tea

) 2. Commerce improved farming cause: Urbanization

H. Split of North & South Song

1. Weak military dependent on bureaucrats – Song invaded by

northern nomads

(

Jurchin

) 2. Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) allied w/ Mongols for protection…

I. Collapse of Southern Song

1. Invasion by Mongols (1279) – start of

Yuan

Dynasty (Mongol Dynasty)