Download Tang and Song Dynasties

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China’s Golden Age: Tang and Song Dynasties
Aim: How did the Tang and Song rulers create Chinese unity and prosperity?
Do Now: Read the brief text about the Tang and Song dynasties. Fill in the blanks from
the word bank below
Quick Review of Previous Dynasties’
Problems
• Shang: Shaped beginning Chinese civilization, were ultimately overthrown by
the Zhou people from the West.
• Zhou: Created the idea of the Mandate of Heaven, started the feudal system
in China, which, because this meant that smaller factions were less loyal to
the emperor, allowed the leader of the next dynasty to gain power and start
the next dynasty.
• Qin: Although Great Wall was created under Qin, this type of unification
happened at the expense of the people, and heavy taxes, forced labor, and
cruelty created revolts which let the next emperor assume power.
• Han: Emperors couldn’t control warlords because of immense territory gained
through expansion, canals and roads fell into disrepair, heavy taxes and high
debt created peasant revolts and led to the end of the empire.
• Sui: Short reign, created Grand Canal, but corruption led to a peasant
rebellion, which marked the beginning of the end for the Sui.
The Dynastic Cycle and Mandate of
Heaven
New Dynasty
Old Dynasty
• Brings Peace
•
•
•
• Treats People Unfairly
•
•
•
Generations go by,
New Dynasty becomes..
Problems
New Dynasty
claims Mandate
of Heaven
• Floods, earthquakes, etc.
•
•
•
Old Dynasty
loses Mandate
of Heaven
Tang and Song Dynasties
Tang
Song
Tang
Song
• The first dynasty after the Sui
•Conquered lands deep into central Asia, such as
Tibet, Korea, and Vietnam
•Restored the Han system of government (CIVIL
SERVICE EXAMS)
•Land Reform created in order to break up large land
holdings to redistribute land to peasants
•System of Canals encouraged internal trade and
transportation
•When dynasty weakened, lost territory in central
Asia
•Ruled 319 years longer than any other dynasty
•Controlled less territory than any other dynasty
•Faced constant invaders of the north
•Despite military setbacks, wealth and culture
grew due to strong economy
•Center of farming shifted from wheat fields in the
north to rice paddy field in the south
•New farming technology with rice produced large
surpluses, allowing people to pursue commerce,
learning, or the arts
•Corruption, high taxes, drought, famine, and
rebellions contributed to the downward
spiral of the Tang dynasty
•Legal system
•Education & Civil Service Exams
•Confucian-based ideals
•Social Mobility through bureaucracy built on merit