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Lecture 13: Medieval China China after the Han (220-581) Division and civil war Nomads from the Gobi Desert Effects: Decline of Confucian principles Preference for philosophical Daoism Growth of Buddhism China Reunified: The Sui, the Tang, and the Song The Sui (581-618) Yang Jian (Yang Chien) •Turned to Daoism and Buddhism •Builder as well as a conqueror Sui Yangdi (Sui Yang Ti) •1400 mile long Grand Canal •Connects Yellow and Yangtze Rivers •Used to move commodities to the north •To move troops quickly •Was assassinated in 618 China Under the Tang (618 - 907) Li Yuan established a new dynasty after the murder of the last Sui Tang Taizong (T’ang T’ai-tsung) Expansion Cultural growth – poetry and sculpture Spread of Buddhism Internal problems during the Tang dynasty Border problems and the end of The Tang The Song Dynasty (960-1279) Song Taizu (Sung T’ai-tsu) Problems with nomads Prosperity and cultural growth Collapse Mongols, 1279 Page 1 of 4 Political Structures: Triumph of Confucianism The Economy Still largely agricultural Land Reform Tang reduced power of the nobility for short period Equal field system Then tried to control through taxes Innovations in agriculture The Urban Economy Significant increase in trade and manufacturing The Silk Road Guilds Credit or “Flying money” Long distance trade overland and by sea Silk Road – hazardous The Maritime Route Shipping popular Chang’an – eastern terminus – wealthiest city in world during Tang era Canton port - 100,000 merchants View of outside world; smaller countries (younger brothers) and owed fealty to Emperor Foreign rulers: paid tribute and promised to keep out enemies Society in Traditional China Political and Economic changes - more complex societies: Cities Countryside “Base people Rise of the Gentry Asia Under the Mongols The Role of Women Female children inferior: sold, infanticide New form of dowry Foot binding Women’s rights: north and south Wu Zhao, (c.625-c.706), Empress Wu Explosion in Central Asia: The Mongol Empire Mongols succeeded the Song as rulers in 1279 The Creation of the Mongol Empire Genghis Khan (“elected ruler”) Unified Mongol tribes The Mongol Conquest of China Page 2 of 4 Mongol Rule in China Khubilai Khan (1260-1294) Yuan dynasty-capital, Khanbaliq Eurasian landmass under single rule Kept Chinese political system Prosperity through extension of trade Silk Road, Grand Canal, paved highway From the Yuan to the Ming Demise of Yuan Excessive spending on foreign campaigns, inadequate tax revenues, factionalism, court and bureaucratic corruption, growing instability Other Mongol khanates in Central Asia declined Khubilai’s successors lacked genius The Ming Dynasty (1369-1644) Zhu Yuanzhang conquered Yuan New era of greatness with strong rulers Extended rule-Mongolia, Central Asia, Vietnam Tributary relationship with Korea Traditional Confucian institutions to rule empire Manufacturing output, new crops, doubling population The Voyages of Zhenghe Emperor Yongle expedition Opening of China to wider world Massive profits for sponsors Backlash The Ming Turn Inward Yongle’s death Voyages discontinued and never revived Long-term consequences of turning inward away from commerce and toward agriculture Imperial capital moved from Nanjing back to Beijing The Great Wall of China The Apogee of Chinese Culture In Search of the Way Rise and Decline of Buddhism and Daoism Sinification of Buddhism – Chinese characteristics New sects in Buddhism Assimilation of Buddhism with Confucian ideology and spirit worship Buddhism and Daosim lost favor at court Page 3 of 4 Neo Confucianism: The Investigation of Things Revived Confucianism – neo-Confucianism To unite metaphysical with pragmatic “World is real, not illusory; fulfillment comes from participation, not withdrawal” Supreme Ultimate (Tai Ji) Self-cultivation to transcend material world through “investigation of things” Emphasis on moral principles vs. scientific knowledge Intellectual affairs in hands of scholar-gentry in China vs the commercial middle bourgeoisie in Europe Continuity over change, tradition over innovation The Apogee of Chinese Culture Tang and Ming – great age of achievement in literature and art Buddhist and Daoist images and theme in Chinese poetry and painting Porcelain flourished Literature Invention of paper and woodblock printing Historical writing and essays Poetry & Prose Demonstrated literary talents: Nature of Chinese Ming poetry Poets: Li Bai (Li Taibo) – carefree Daoist Du Fu – sober Confucian Tale of the Marshes: Popular Culture China’s population: 60 million, more urbanized Big cities demanded popular entertainment Art Song and Yuan – apogee of painting Buddhist and Daoist sources Dunhuang Caves– Buddhist wall paintings Artists retreated to mountains to write, paint to find the Dao, Way, in nature Landscape “mountain-water” From color to black ink on white silk Calligraphy Ceramics – porcelain Page 4 of 4