Golden Ages of China

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Golden Ages of China
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The Han Dynasty (206 B.C.220 A.D.)

• One of the longest of Chinas major dynasties.
• It rivaled the Roman Empire in the West.
• With only minor interruptions it lasted a span of
  over four centuries and is considered a Golden
  Age in Chinese history especially in arts,
  politics and technology.
• Dynasty- a line of hereditary rulers of a country.

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• China escaped the chaos and ruin that came to a
  lot of regions as a result of the fall of the
  Roman Empire.
• Chinas history consists of the rise and fall of
  various dynasties.
• After the Han Dynasty collapsed in 220, China
  remained divided-into North and South.

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Tang Dynasty (618-906 A.D.)

• This division lasted until the Tang Dynasty took
  over in 618
• The Tang Dynasty restored uniform government
  throughout China and enlarged the civil service.
• Under the Tang, China conquered many lands, like
  Korea, Tibet, and Vietnam.
• The most powerful emperor was Taizong.
• Empress Wu ruled in the late 600s only woman to
  rule in China

Empress Wu 624-705 A.D. Page 476
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Tang Dynasty

• Conquered lands became tributary states-meaning
  they remained independent but had to acknowledge
  Chinese supremacy.
• land reform-broke up land and redistributed it
  to peasants.
• They built a system of canals and built the Grand
  Canal, which linked the Huang-He to the Yangzi.
• Even though they were successful, the dynastic
  cycle took over and collapsed in 907.

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Song Dynasty

• In 960, China was reunited under the Song Dynasty
  which ruled for 319 years.
• Under the Song, the Chinese culture and economy
  expanded and trade flourished.
• They issued paper money due to their booming
  trade centers and became a very wealthy dynasty
  known for their economic success.

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Society During the Song

• Chinese society during this time was well
  ordered.
• At the top-the emperor and his court of
  aristocratic families
• The gentry (wealthy land owners)
• At the bottom- peasants
• During the late Song Dynasty, women had much
  fewer rights and the custom of foot binding
  began.
• This reinforced the Confucian tradition that
  women should stay inside the home.

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Why foot binding?

• Women had a subordinate position that had to be
  enforced
• The tradition started in the aristocratic sect of
  society but eventually spread to lower classes
• Feet were bound with strips of cloth-as a result
  feet became half the size of a foot that was
  allowed to grow normally
• Tiny feet and an extended walk became a symbol of
  nobility and beauty
• Women feared not being able to find a husband if
  their feet were large
• The practice was extremely painful
• Peasants who had to work in the fields did not
  bind their feet because binding often prevented
  women from being able to walk
• Foot binding reinforced the Confucian believe
  that women should remain inside the home.

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Footbinding
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Assignment for Today!

• Look in your book on pages 302-307 and identify a
  technology or achievement of the Tang or Song
  Dynasties.
• Draw, describe, and color a specific technology
  on a ¼ of a piece of paper.
• Description should be at least 3-4 sentences
• Then we will make a quilt and put your
  technologies together.
• Then do page 307 in the book 1-5