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Name:______________________________ Period:_________ China:Sui,Tang,andSongDynasties SuiDynasty TangDynasty SongDynasty China:Sui,Tang,andSongDynasties TheSuiDynasty,589-618CE In220AD,theHandynastyofChinacametoanend.Chinathenexperiencedanageofcivilwar asvariousgroupsfoughttobecometherulersofChina.Thischaosfinallycametoanendunder thehandofSuiWen-ti,ageneral.HeunitedthenorthernkingdomsofChinaunderhisrule, centralizedthegovernment,reformedthetaxationstructure,andconqueredsouthernChina--all inasinglelifetime.Thegovernmentheestablishedwasremarkablystableduringhislifetime, andhebeganambitiousbuildingandeconomicprojects,suchasbuildingthe“GrandCanal.”The GrandCanalwasbuilttolinktheYellowandYangtzeriversandmakeiteasiertoshipricefrom thenorthtothesouth.However,unlikethefoundersoftheHandynasties,SuiWen-tididnot adoptConfucianismasthestatephilosophy,butratherembracedBuddhismandTaoism.Sui Wen-tiemployedBuddhistadvisorsinhisprogramtounifythecountry,andBuddhismwould becomethegovernmentphilosophyuntilthefoundingtheSongdynastyseveralcenturieslater. Sui-Wen-ti'sson,SuiYang-ti,whorosetobeemperoronthedeathofhisfather,soon overextendedhimself,leadingmilitaryexpeditionsagainstKorea.Eventually,thesewarswith Korea,incombinationwithaseriesofunluckynaturaldisasters,bankruptedthegovernment.So heplacedhightaxesonhiscitizens,whichsoonledtowidespreadrebellion.SuiYang-tiwas assassinated.Afterwards,LiYuan,oneofSuiYang-ti'sgenerals,begananewdynasty,theTang, whichlastedforanotherthreehundredyears. SuiDynasty 1.WhatwastheGrandCanalandwhywasitbuilt? 2.WhichChinesephilosophieswerespreadbytheSuidynasty? 3.ExplainwhytheSuidynastywasoverthrown? TheTangDynasty,618-907CE TangCulture TheTangdynastyisknownasthe"goldenage"ofChineseculture.ThecapitaloftheTang Dynasty,Chang-an,becameincrediblywealthyandsupportedthefloweringofChineseculture. Becauseofmassive,dynamictradewithothercultures,Chang-anbecameameetingplaceof manyculturesandreligions:Christianity,Zoroastrianism,Judaism,andIslam,allofwhich enteredChinaduringtheTangdynastyandinfluencedChineseculture.Syrians,Jews,Arabs, Persians,Koreans,Tibetans,andJapanesealllivedsidebysidewiththeChineseofChang-an.In 636,ChristiansfromSyriawereallowedtobuildachurchandholdChristianservicesbarelysix hundredyearsafterthefoundingofChristianityandlessthanthreehundredyearsafter ChristianityhadbecomethestatereligionofRome.Theforeignersnotonlybroughtinnew religions,butnewclothes,cuisine,literature,andmusicaswell.Theimperialcourtitselfhad severalperformingtroupesofactorsandmusiciansgatheredfromsurroundingnations permanentlyperformingatthecourt. DeclineoftheTang TheTanginitsearliestyearsexpandeditsmilitarypowergreatly.Likealldynasties beforethem,themilitaryexpansionoftheTangwasfollowedbyaslowcontractionunderthe pressuresofforeigncountries.TheTangwerepushedbackprimarilybytheMongolsin Manchuria,theTurkstothewest,andtheTibetanstothesouth. TheTangmetthesechallengesbysendingarmies,whichalwayssucceededintheshortrunbutfailedtokeeptheseforeignpowersdownforgood.AlthoughtheTangforgedalliances withotherforeignersandbuiltupdefensiveworks,noneofthesestrategiesreallyworked,and eventuallytheEmpire'sbordersslowlycontractedbacktotheoriginalTangkingdom. TheTanggovernmentcontinuedtoloseauthorityallthroughtheninthcentury.Civilwar insouthernChina,rovingbandsofthieves,warswithborderterritories,andfrequentrebellions slowlyconvertedtheprovincesofChinaintoautonomouskingdomsunderthecontrolof warlords.Chang-anitselfwassackedbyoneofthesewarlordsandtheremainingdecadesofthe Tangdynastywereessentiallyaperiodofchaosamongsmall,fractiouskingdoms.Finally,in907, thedynastyfellandthecountryfellintoafifty-yearperiodofdisunionbeforeanotherstrong dynastywouldreunifythecountry,theSong. 4.HowdidChinesecultureundertheTangDynastybecomeinfluencedbyforeigncultures? 5.DescribehowtheTangDynastyweakenedandwasoverthrown. TheSongDynasty,960-1279CE UndertheSongDynasty,Chinaexperiencedanagriculturalandcommercialrevolution.China hadalwayshadamajorproblemwithpoorfarmers.Unequallanddistributionandunfair taxationcausedunmanageablepovertyformostfarmers,whoweretiedtothelandlikeslaves. Thesefarmersoftenrebelled,andmanyChinesedynastieshadfallentotheserebellions. Farmer’ssawtheirprosperityincreaseundertheSongdynastyhowever.Individualfarmers gainedtherighttobuyandsellland.Thisallowedfarmersthefreedomtoenterother professions.Theycouldselltheirlandandusethemoneytoopenupabusinessormovetothe city.Successfulfarmerscouldalsonowpurchaselandfromtheirneighborsandexpandtheir farms.Also,farmerscouldpaytheirtaxesinmoneyandnotgrain.Originally,farmingfamilies wereforcedtopaythegovernmentacertainamountofgrain.Soifyouwerebornintoafarming family,youwouldhavetobecomeafarmeraswelltopayyourtaxes,becauseyouwouldneedto providethegovernmentgrain.UndertheSong,youcouldusemoney,thusfreeingyoutoenter otherprofessions.Finally,theSongmoreorlesseliminatedtheforcedconscriptionoflabor, whichhadbeenaregularpartofChineselifesincetheQindynasty.Sofarmerscouldspend moretimeworkingontheirfields,insteadofhavingtoworkfortheEmperor.Thesefactors resultedinaphenomenalincreaseinagriculturalproduction,andthewealthoftheindividual farmerincreasedsignificantly(thoughmostfarmersneverbecame“wealthy.”)Twomajoreffects resultedfromthisagriculturalrevolution:greaterwealthforthegeneralpopulationandforthe government,andmorefreedomasfarmerswerenolongenslavedtotheirland. ThemostimportanteconomicinnovationoftheSongwasthewidespreaduseofmoney.Inthe formofcoppercoinsandlatersilver,theuseofmoneygreatlyacceleratedtradewithinChina, sincemoneyencouragestradesinceitiseasiertousethanbartering.Inaddition,citiesslowly becamecentersforcommercialactivity,aspeoplebeganmovingtourbanareastoengagein business.AlongtheYangtzeRiver,citiesgrewdramaticallyandbecametheculturaland economiccentersofChina.WhileChinaintheTangperiodandbeforewaslargelyagricultural, SongChinasawtheexplosionofurbanpopulations,whichgrewbyfactorsoffourorfive.The cityofKaifengeventuallyhadapopulationof250,000households.ThecityofHangchowhada populationof391,000households.Herearesomenumberstoputthisintoperspective:during theSongperiod,Romehadanaveragepopulationofabout35,000householdsandLondonhada populationofabout20,000households.Nocivilizationonearthwascomparable.Thesecities werebuzzingwithmercantileactivitiesandservices.Thedemandforgoodsandserviceswasso greatthatChinabegananunprecedentedaccelerationofforeigntrade.Chinesegoodswere tradedasfarawayasAfricaandtheMiddleEast,andallthemajortraderoutesandportswere controlledbyChinesemerchants. Eventhoughtheywereprosperous,theSongDynastyalsofelllikeeveryotherChinesedynasty beforeit.Thistime,theywereoverrunbyadangerouspeopletotheirnorth:theMongols. SongDynasty 6.ExplaintheTHREEreformsmadeduringtheSongDynastythatimprovedthelivesoffarmers. 7.WhateffectdidtheuseofcoinmoneyhaveonChina? 8.DescribehowcitieswerechangedduringtheSongDynasty.