Cosmopolitan Civilization

1
Cosmopolitan Civilization

• The Sui and Tang Dynasties
• 581-907

2
The Sui (581-617)

• 524 AD Tribal Military Revolts
• 581 AD Yang Jian usurps the Throne, proclaims the
  Sui
• 589 AD Sui Conquers Southern Kingdom, unifying
  China

3
Sui Accomplishments

• Reestablished Strong Central Government
• Tier of local administration eliminated
• Rule of Avoidance
• Civil Service Examinations
• Significances
• Reduced power of officials, great families, and
  made officials more responsive to central
  government

4

• Great Wall reconstructed
• Grand Canal Dug
• Huge Palaces
• Expanded Empire
• 609 Sui Conquers N. Tibet
• 612 Sui sends troops to Koguryo

5
Sui Expansion

• 613-614 Sui retreats from Koguryo
• 615 Sui defeated by Eastern Turks
• 618 Yangdi escapes south, assassinated

6
Sui Expansion, Map
7
Collapse of the Sui

• Traditional Interpretation Dynastic Cycle
• Yangdi as bad last emperor lost mandate
• Expansion placed strain on dynastys resources
• Immiseration leads to insurrection and rebellion

8
The Tang Establishment and Consolidation

• Li Yuan (Gaozu r. 618-626)
• Sui General related to Sui ruling house
• Captures Chang-an in 617
• Following year proclaims the Tang Dynasty
• Usurpation no sharp break in composition or
  policy of ruling group

9
Tang Expansion

• 630 Resubjugate Eastern Turks
• 639-648 Subjugate Uighur Turks
• Tibet comes Tang Suzerainty
• Tang attack Koguryo (northern Korean kingdom)

10
Challenges to Dynasty

• Empresss Clan
• Empress Wu, wife of second emperor of Tang
• Governs through puppet emperors
• 690 Empress usurps the throne and rules in her
  own name declared new dynasty
• 705 Palace Coup removed 80 yr old Empress Wu/
  Restored the Tang dynasty
• Xuan Cong (Hsuan Tsung) ascends throne

11
Bureaucracy and Exam System

• Exam System based on Confucian Ideology
• Government Schools
• Categories of Exams
• Hsiu-tsai
• Chin-shih
• Law, calligraphy, math

12
Exam System

• Benefits
• Intellectuals become supporters of State
• Possibility of Social Mobility

• Weakness
• Perpetuated division of Chinese Society
• Scholastic Bent
• Slow Change

13
Tang Structure of Government
14
Chang-an, Capital of Tang
15
Absorption of Buddhism

• Development of Sects
• Tien-tai
• Chen-yen
• Ching-tu
• Chan
• Role of Buddhism
• Social Function

16
Growth of Chinese Culture

• Contacts with outside world
• Tea imported from Southeast Asia
• Chairs imported from west
• China exported
• Paper
• Porcelain
• Gunpowder
• Silk, etc.