Aim: What were the political, economic, and social achievements of the Tang and Song Dynasties?

Do Now: List some of the achievements of China that we went over.

唐

宋

REVIEW: VOCAB.

•The Dynastic Cycle: the rise and fall of dynasties

•Mandate of Heaven: a ruler’s divine right to rule

REVIEW• Some important figures are:

- Shi Huangdi: first emperor of China; considered a

harsh ruler; led China on their classical age in 221 B.C

- Confucius: famous philosopher who was known for his teaching

- Laozi: founded Daoism

- Han Feizi: founder of legalism

REVIEW• Han Dynasty (202 B.C – 220 A.D)

- Emperor Wudi (141 B.C – 87 B.C)

• Achievements:

- Acupuncture

- Chemistry

- Jade & Ivory Carvings

- Civil Service Exam

- Silk Road

VOCABULARY • Usurp- take illegally or by force

• Tributary State- one of the two main ways in which a pre-modern state might be subordinate to a more powerful state. 

• Land Reform- involves the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership. 

• Gentry- wealthy landowning class

• Pagoda- a multistoried temple with eaves that curve up at the corner.

Tang Dynasty (618–907 A.D.)

• Came after the Sui dynasty collapsed

• Li Yuan (566-635 AD)

-first Tang emperor

- was a general under the Sui dynasty

- was urged into leading a revolt by his 16-year-old son

- established the Tang Dynasty

Tang Dynasty (618–907 A.D.) Government and the Economy

• Tang rulers conquered territories deep into Central Asia

• Chinese armies forced the lands of Vietnam, Tibet, and Korea to become tributary states

• Students from Korea and Japan traveled to the Tang capital to learn about Chinese government, law, and arts.

• The Han system of government was restored. The Tang Dynasty rebuilt bureaucracy and enlarged the civil service system

• Recruited talented officials trained in Confucian philosophy

• Schools were set up to prepare male students for the exams

• Developed a flexible new law code

Tang Dynasty (618–907 A.D.) Government and the Economy• Tang emperors created a system of land reform

- Large agriculture holdings were broken up and given to peasants.

- This strengthened the central government by taking away power of large land owners.

- Increased government revenues

• A system of canals encouraged international trade and transportation

- The Grand Canal linked the Huang He to the Yangzi River.

- This meant that food grown in the south could be shipped to the capital in the north

- At this time, the Grand Canal was the longest waterway ever dug by human labor

Tang Dynasty (618–907 A.D.) Decline

• Later Tang emperors lost territory in Central Asia to the Arabs

• Some causes of the decline of this dynasty were:

- Corruption

- High taxation

- Drought

- Famine

- Rebellion

• In 907, a rebel general overthrew the last Tang emperor.

Song Dynasty (960-1279)• Rose 54 years after the Tang Dynasty

• In 960, a scholarly general reunited Chine and founded the Song Dynasty

• Ruled 319 years, more than the Tang Dynasty

• Owned less territory than the Tang Dynasty

• Faced constant threat of invasions from the north

• Under the song, Chinese wealth and culture was dominant

• Went from Northern Song to Southern Song

Northern Song (960-1127)• Smaller than the Tang Dynasty

• Did not control an area of Central Asia

• The early Northern Song dynasty witnessed the flowering of one of the supreme artistic expressions of Chinese civilization: monumental landscape painting.

• During the Northern Song time period, the capital was located at Bianliang (modern Kaifeng)

Northern Song• In 960 a military general of the Latter Zhou Dynasty(951-960) named

Zhao Kuangyin led a mutiny against the empire

• He forced the emperor to yield the throne to him and establish the Northern Song in Kaifeng

• Zhao Kuangyin became Emperor Taizu the first emperor of the Song Dynasty.

• In the first two decades of his reign he ended the chaos in China and unified most of the territory.

Northern SongGovernment and Economy

• Emperor Taizu removed military power from the hands of military governors and under the control of the emperor

• Centralized state power

• Due to literacy being viewed as more important in China than the military, a class of civil officials, including some famous poets were appointed in the court.

• During the reign of Emperor Zhongyan, the economic and social development reached it’s height.

Northern SongScience, Art and Culture

• To some extent the development of science , culture, and art during this period was as advanced as that of the Tang Dynasty(618-907)

• The world’s earliest typography was invented in this period by a man named Bi Sheng

• Gunpowder was first used for military purposes

• New expressive style of literature, the ‘ci’ poem, became a gem of ancient Chinese culture alongside Tang poetry

• New artistic level in the Northern Song Dynasty with the creation of monumental landscape painting

Northern SongDecline

• Political corruption, numerous civilian uprisings, and invasions from external tribes forced the Northern Song Dynasty to decline

• In 1125 the Northern Song was invaded by the army of the Jin Dynasty(1115-1234)

• Northern Song had weak military strength and incompetent rulers who tried to make peace by killing loyal officials

• In 1127 Jin army captured the capital, thus ending the Northern Song Dynasty

Southern Song (1127-1279)

• After the end of the Northern Song the Jin army captured the members of the imperial family except Zhao Gou, the younger brother of the last emperor

• The Jin dynasty placed a puppet ruler but because of resentment he yielded the throne to Zhao Gou

• Due to constant attack from the Jin Dynasty the new emperor had to flee to Lin’an(currently Hangzhou)

• In 1131 Lin’an was established as the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty with Zhao Gou as it’s first emperor, Emperor Gaozong

Southern SongWar Affairs

• From it’s establishment to it’s downfall, the Southern Song never completely extracted itself from the constant battles with the Jin Dynasty and the Mongolian kingdom

• To some extent the policy of viewing literacy as more important than military influenced the Southern Song’s rulers

• This is why the Southern Song Dynasty is considered to be the most weakest dynasty in China’s history

Decline

• In 1276 the Southern Song was invaded by the Mongolian Kingdom. The Mongolians took the capital, ending the Southern Song Dynasty

Foot Binding: What is it?• Foot binding began in the late Tang Dynasty and began to spread to the

upper classes until the Song Dynasty.

• Foot binding became popular as a method of displaying status and social class, since women from wealthy families who did not need them to work could afford to have their feet bound, and was adopted as a symbol of beauty in Chinese culture.

• Girls born in noble families had their feet disfigured- arches broken, cartilage deformed, immobilized. The purpose of this practice was to create tiny feet. This process was clearly a painful one, and could have negative affects on a person. Having crippled feet would cause problems in walking, and the process was irreversible

“A small foot on a woman is a beautiful woman,” says Chinese tradition.

VIDEO: QuestionsDiscovering of China: Song Dynasty

1.) What were some positive affects of the change from Northern to Southern Song?

2.) What inventions originated in the Song Dynasty?

3.) Who was stronger militarily, Tang or Song?

Exit Slip

•Do the Tang and Song Dynasties deserve to be called Golden Ages?