Tang and Song China

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Tang and Song China
Do Now Please take out DBQ graphic organizers on
Buddhism in China What missing voices/additional
documents? What would their perspective Offer?
Can you think of other documents (ex. A census
from Tang Dynasty Accounting for Buddhist
population and service)

• The Golden Age of China
• How Many Dynasties are in Post-Classical China
  600-1450?

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Sui Dynasty

• Emperor Wendi united traditional core of China
  after fall of Han
• Wendi lowered taxes / instituted land reform
• Murdered by son Yangdi

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Sui Dynasty

• Yangdi re-established civil service exams
• Advanced scholar-gentry
• Forced labor of peasants for construction of
  Grand Canal
• Unsuccessfully tried to take Korea
• Decline due to failure in war, breakaway
  provinces, pressure from northern nomads
• Yangdi assassinated by own ministers

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Tang Dynasty

• Tang established by one of Yangdis officials
• Tang armies conquered as far as Afghanistan- Tang
  largest Chinese empire
• Completed repairs on Great Wall
• Empire extended into Tibet, Vietnam, and Manchuria

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Tang Dynasty

• Korea was conquered and vassal kingdom, Silla,
  established
• Scholar-gentry used to administer vast lands
• Scholar-gentry used to offset nobles
• Civil service exam expanded
• Merit important but nobles found place in
  scholar-gentry

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Tang Dynasty

• Buddhism found home in China due to patronage by
  royal family
• Buddhism became strong social, economic, and
  political force
• Attempt made by Empress Wu to elevate Buddhism to
  state religion

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Tang Dynasty

• Rise of Buddhism in China (mid 9th century)
• Buddhism changed by Chinese society
• Buddhism seen as threat by Confucians and Daoists
• Why?

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Tang Dynasty

• Buddhists restricted and persecuted
• Buddhism survived but severely weakened
• Emperor Xanzong and concubine, Yang Guifei
• Revolts killed many of Yangs relatives- forced
  emperor to execute Yang
• Rebellions, breakaway provinces, and weak rulers
  brought end to Tang

Yang Guifei
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Song Dynasty

• Last Tang emperor forced to resign
• Emperor Taizu reunited much of China but north
  remained under control of nomadic Jin
• Song paid tribute to nomads
• Military came under control of government-
  increasing status of scholar-gentry

Emperor Taizu
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Song Dynasty

• Civil service exams became routine- every three
  years at three levels district, province, and
  imperial
• Rise of Neo-Confucianism
• Stressed morality as highest goal
• Hostile to outside influences and ideas
• Stress on traditionalism stifled technological
  innovation and creative thought
• Emphasized rank, obligation, deference, and
  gender distinctions

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Song Dynasty

• Decline due to financial stress tribute payments
  to northern nomads, cost of maintaining large
  army on border
• Increased taxes caused social unrest
• Army poorly led and equipped due to control by
  scholar-gentry
• Reforms between 1070-1090 by Chief Minister Wang
  Anshi cheap loans, taxes on landlords and
  scholar-gentry, establishment of trained
  mercenary army

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Song Dynasty

• Reforms opposed by scholar-gentry
• Reforms ended with death of emperor and influence
  of Neo-Confucianism on succeeding emperor
• North forces shrinking of Song into rump state
• Song conquered by Mongols

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Golden Age of China

• Grand Canal expanded by Tang caused shift in
  populations within China
• South saw increase in population and food
  production
• Canal increased communication within China,
  increased revenues, opened up south to commerce
• Silk Road, cut by nomads, was re-opened and
  revitalized by Tang

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The Silk Road
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Golden Age of China

• Increased sea trade under Tang and Song
• Use of Chinese Junks
• Trade and markets regulated
• Guilds established
• Deposit shops (banks)
• Paper money
• Flying money (credit vouchers)

Chinese Junk
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Golden Age of China

• Levels of urbanization not seen in West until
  Industrial Revolution
• Industry- iron production greater in Song than in
  Britain during Industrial Revolution

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Life in China

• Canal allowed peasants to market produce
  throughout empire
• Large estates broken up for peasant land-
  accompanying loss of power of nobility
• Power of males intensified. Child who struck
  parents could be beheaded. Child who struck older
  sibling could get 2 ½ years hard labor

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Life in China
Chinese women making silk

• Marriage put off until late in life- as late as
  30 for scholar-gentry
• Women could divorce
• Neo-Confucianism reinforced male dominance
• Footbinding became visible symbol of womens
  subjugation

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Life in China

• Footbinding
• Symbol of womens subjugation
• Started with upper classes
• Began around age 5-6
• Limited womens mobility
• Practice spread to peasant class
• Seen as attractive- unbound feet would severely
  limit marriage prospects

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Life in China

• Technological advances
• Most basic types of bridges developed (truss,
  suspension, etc.)
• Application of gunpowder for weaponry
• Compass first used for navigation
• Abacus
• Moveable type

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COT Post-Classical China 600-1450

• In Post-Classical China (600-1450) the mandate of
  heaven remained a way to determine dynastic
  succession providing structure through rebuilding
  of infrastructure (Great Wall and the new Grand
  Canal linking the Yangtze to the Yellow Rivers),
  the role of the civil service bureaucracy would
  facilitate sound political decision making
  through the organization of the economy based on
  Confucian principles, however, trade would
  increase expanding both Chinas size (during the
  Tang Dynasty) and their hegemony (sinification
  of Korea, Viet Nam and Japan) and extension of
  maritime (junk ship trade across the Indian
  Ocean) and caravan trade (across the silk routes)
  .
• In post-classical China the increase in trade
  (proto-industrialism/commercial expansion) would
  lead Tang-Song China to actively pursue tributary
  ties. The influence of Buddhism through trade
  routes would lead to great internal conflict
  eventually developing into neo-Confucianism. With
  all of this trading influence, however, the
  status of merchants would not be elevated based
  on Confucian principles.

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COT
Changes Continuities
Civil Service system expanded Grand Canal (liking Yellow with Yangtze) Elevated status of women then foot binding Dynasties (Sui-Tang-Song) Size of empire ( Tang the largest) Urbanization (Chang An and Guang Zhou) Woman Empress (Wu Zeitan) Banking, letters of credit, paperflyingmoney Neo-Confucianism- mixing Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism Gunpowder weaponry (Song Dynasty) Abacus Removable type printing Compass Porcelain Mechanical clock Civil service meritocracy Infrastructure rebuilt every new dynasty ( in accordance with Mandate of Heaven) Mandate of Heaven Patriarchy (deference in Confucianism) Silk Road and Indian Ocean Confucianism (role in Civil Sevice) Buddhism Gunpowder ( for fireworks) Paper production (although spreads West after Battle of Talas River with Abbasid Caliphate) Role of forced labor Role of military