Post-Classical%20China

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Post-Classical China

• Chapter 15The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia

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Three Kingdoms

• End of the Han Dynasty was followed by a long
  period of disunity and civil war
• Buddhism began to spread throughout China during
  this period
• Introduced in the first century CE
• Did not really begin to spread until after the
  Han empire collapsed
• Tea was discovered in the south during this
  period
• Porcelain was also developed during this time

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Sui Dynasty (580-618 CE)

• Restored the Chinese imperial structure
• Confucian bureaucracy, etc.
• Defeated external enemies
• Accomplishments of the Sui Dynasty
• Grand Canalcompleted during reign of Sui Yuangdi
• Confucianism also began to regain popularity
• Weakened by military spending and external
  invasions
• Dependence on high taxes and forced labor

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Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE)

• Tang Taizong2nd Emperor
• Expanded Confucian administrative system
• Reformed examination system
• Equal Field System
• Liberal attitude towards all religions

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Empress Wu (624-705)

• Only female empress in Chinese history
• Removed the rightful heir to the throne in 690 CE
• Recruited outstanding individuals to serve in
  her court
• Buddhism was the favored statereligion
• Attempted to make it a state religion
• Financed the building of many Buddhist temples

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Religion During the Tang and Song

• Nestorian Christians, Manicheans, Zoroastrians
  and Islamic merchants established communities in
  China
• Dunhuang--Community of Mahayana Buddhists
• Monastic communitiesamassed donated lands and
  wealth
• Buddhist monastic life conflicted with Chinese
  Confucian focus on family
• Chan Buddhism (in JapanZen)
• Syncretic blend of Chinese culture and Buddhist
  doctrine
• Later TangPersecution/expulsion of foreign
  religions
• Neo-ConfucianismConfucian/Buddhist blend

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Tang Developments

• Rapid increase in rice production
• Techniques such as planting out seedlings rapidly
  increased yield
• Champa rice from Vietnam
• Terrace Farming
• Population doubled
• Urbanization
• Power moved from north to south
• Revived the Silk Roads
• Contemporaries of the Umayyad and Abbasid
  Caliphates

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Song Dynasty (960-1279)

• Not politically powerful
• Conquered by Mongols
• Great advances were made in technology and
  culture
• Used gunpowder as a weapon
• Foreign trade expanded greatly due to junks
• Rise of Neo-Confucianism

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Song Pre-Industrial Era

• Specialized Production
• Government monopolies
• Private business
• Guilds
• Silk, porcelain, iron, etc.
• Expanding trade markets
• Internal expansion caused by population growth
• Grand Canal, paper money, etc.
• External expansion caused by naval technology
• Compass, junks, etc.

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Iron Smelting in Song Dynasty
Yuan dynasty waterwheel and blast furnace
Song dynasty iron smelting process
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Tang-Song Accomplishments

• Gunpowder
• New porcelain techniques
• Translucent porcelain
• Invention of the moveable type printing press in
  1045 CE
• Introduction of paper money, called flying money
  was introduced
• Metal was scarce in China

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Footbinding

• First evidence of this practice shows up in about
  950 CE
• Not sure why this practice began
• Widely practiced among both the rich and poor of
  China
• Essentially made women subordinate to their
  husbands