TANG and SONG CHINA

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• TANG and SONG CHINA
• General pattern With onset of Middle Ages,
  China recentralizes and retrenches, reinforcing
  Confucianism.
• Contrast to the Abbasid empire, which
  decentralizes.
• Contrast to the Roman Empire, the western half of
  which fragments, bringing on the Dark Ages in W.
  Europe.
• TANG DYNASTY
• Fall of Han
• A. 220 C.E. Han fall to nomadic invaders
  VASSALS take over
• central lands.
• B. 581 C.E. Noble WENDI brings stability.
• C. Son YANGDI loses stability in face of
  Turkic
• nomads.

Sui dynasty
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D. LI YUAN, duke of Tang (one of Yangdis
officials), founds Tang dynasty, 618 C.E.
Han empire
Tang empire
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II. Expansion into Yangtze valley A.
Advantages to expansion into Yangtze valley
(1) Rice cultivation is easier in warmer,
wetter climate. (2) Rice yields more
calories per acre than other grains, can
support larger population. (3)
Yangtze is more stable than Huang He. B.
Problem of DISEASE not clear how Tang managed
it C. GRAND CANAL linking Huang He and
Yangtze (under Yangdi)?agricultural
prosperity?population and trade boom
Huang He
Grand Canal
Yangtze
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III. Technological and commercial developments,
spurred by trade A. Abacus
B. Paper money as hedge against
DEBASEMENT (value of coins falling
because of lower-quality metal content)
C. Credit organizations (merchant
deposits wealth in a secure shop while
he travels)?secure trade
modern Chinese paper money
14th-century paper money
(Paper was invented under the Han.)
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D. Compass under Han E. Junk (could
navigate in both rivers and
oceans) F. Gunpowder weapons (bombs
and gunpowder- filled arrows)
(Gunpowder had been invented in China centuries
earlier.)
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IV. Buddhism and Confucianism A. Mahayana
Buddhism spreads to China as Han are collapsing
(ca. 220 C.E.). B. Tang patronize
Buddhism while promoting Confucian education.
(1) Endow monasteries (2)
Host Buddhist ceremonies at court C.
Empress Wu (r. 690-705) tries to make Buddhism
state religion?powerful monks and
monasteries
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Buddhas in Luoyang caves, commissioned by Empress
Wu
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D. Tang rulers give monasteries tax-exempt
lands?loss of revenues?difficulty
weathering crises?Late Tang rulers
persecute Buddhists and promote Confucianism. V.
Powerful women A. Buddhism gives women space
to participate. B. Empress Wu (again),
690-705 (1) Ensured that her son
succeeded her (2) Son murdered by wife
Vietnamese video about Empress Wu (Wu Zetian)
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C. Emperors concubine YANG GUIFEI
takes over court, 8th c., is ultimately
killed after emperors troops mutiny D.
Alliances between imperial women and
eunuchs who guard inner sanctum of palace
Yang Guifei drunk
late imperial Chinese eunuchs
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VI. Turn toward Confucianism, 9th c. A.
Later Tang rulers destroy Buddhist monasteries
and confiscate wealth. B. Rise
of scholar-gentry (govt. bureaucrats) as a result
of patronage of Confucianism C.
Govt. bureaucracy is filled by competitive exams
in Confucian classics. D.
Bureaucrats provide stability in time of
political crisis.
reproduction of cell used by
exam candidate
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• SONG DYNASTY
• Fall of Tang
• A. 10th century Tang weaken and fall prey
  to nomads and
• warlords.
• B. ZHAO KUANGYIN founds Song Sung dynasty,
  960.

Chinese opera mask of Zhao Kuangyin
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Tang dynasty
Song dynasty
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II. Patronage of Confucianism A. Sent
Confucian teachers through country B. Social
conservatism and Confucian stress on hierarchy of
social class, age, gender C.
Limited role of women Song believed Buddhism
encouraged women to meddle in politics.
D. Foot-binding
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III. Science and technology fractions, lunar
calendar, mechanical clock IV. Arts
A. Landscape painting
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B. Porcelain (first produced under
Han) C. Poetry and philosophy D. Movable
type, 11th c.
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• End of the Song
• A. Appointed bureaucrats as provincial
  governors to reduce
• power of warlords/vassals
• B. JURCHENs invade, 12th c.?Reduced Song
  flee to south,
• rule until MONGOL conquest, 13th c.