Download China: Sui, Tang, and Song Dynasties Sui Dynasty Tang Dynasty

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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.