Download Sui Tang Song Slide 2: Background information. What was

Sui Tang Song
Slide 2: Background information. What was happening at the end of the Han Dynasty:
In the last period of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220 AD), the renowned Huangjin Peasants'
Uprising broke out. After the government's quelling of the uprising, local warlords teemed all over the
country, struggling for predominant power over the country. Two military groups under the local
warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in the middle reaches of the Yellow River stood out as the
mightiest. After Guandu (in present Henan Province) Battle in 200AD between the two warlords, Cao
Cao unified the region north of the Yellow River. Thereafter, Cao Cao began an assault of the
southern regimes.
On southern land, two local warlords, Sun Quan and Liu Bei, took possession of the eastern and
western areas respectively to the south of the Yangtze River. The strengths of the two warlords were
comparatively weaker than that of Cao Cao in the north. Under the advice of Zhuge Liang, the
military counselor of Liu Bei, the military forces of Liu Bei and Sun Quan united as a firm front
against Cao Cao. They overwhelmingly won victory in the Chibi Battle (Chibi: near present Puyin
City of Hubei Province), after which Cao Cao was beaten back to the north.
Because of the chaos caused by war, economic development during the Three Kingdoms Period
deteriorated. Luckily, there were several remarkable technological advances as the appendants of
the war, such as the invention of gunpowder (used in fireworks and later as a weapon for attack by
fire). Catering to the needs of war, technologies for metal-smelting and shipbuilding were greatly
improved. Advances in other social aspects also could be noted: the improved mill wheel was used
in agricultural irrigation, and irrigation projects were built during the reign of Cao Cao (220 - 265).
During the same period, there were many special silk developments in Luoyang and Xiangyi (the
present Sui County in Henan Province), and the Wu's silk products and the Shu's Shu Brocade sold
well.
Slide 3:
Sui Background: The Sui Dynasty was short-lived under the second Emperor Yang's several
tyrannical policies, and spanned only 38 years, from 581 to 618. During his reign, the Emperor
demanded that his citizens build the Grand Canal-a monumental feat of ancient transportation
engineering, and to reconstruct the capital-Chang'an City. The unbearable burden of taxes and
compulsory labor led to a series of revolts which finally disintegrated the Sui Dynasty.
Slide Four: Benefits
Land Redistribution System: The central government carried out a series of economical reform
policies to try to combat the financial crisis which included a reinstatement of the Land
Equalization System which distributed land according to the number of the people in each
household. This policy aimed to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. In permitting
citizens to farm the land they owned and retain their land holdings, the farmer's passion
enhanced resulting in the improvement of the agricultural productivity during the Sui Dynasty.
Moreover, Emperor Wen levied lower taxes on the farmers and businessmen which also
promote the development of social economy.
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Formalized Confucian Exam System: Emperor Wen set up the Imperial Examination System to
curtail corruption by ensuring that officials were selected based on merits rather than by birth.
The system of civil service examinations that began during the Sui Dynasty would be used by
successive Chinese dynasties for the next 1,300 years.
Silk Road Trade: Foreign relations weakened during the Sui Dynasty, due to the long-lasting
political turmoil, with the exception of the prosperous Silk Road which promoted exchange
between China and the Western Asia and laid a foundation for relationships that would grow
during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). Emperor Yang sent Pei Ju to the Western Regions to
induce merchants to trade with the merchants in China. This consolidated the China's status
and influence in the Asian arena during the Sui Dynasty.
Grand Canal Created: The Grand Canal was also constructed during the reigns of Emperor Wen
and his son, Emperor Yang. The Canal project was created to improve the transportation
condition between the south and the north of China, and was about 5,000 li (about 1,553 miles)
long. The canal carved a path from northern China (Beijing) to Southern China (Hangzhou),
passing through the central Luoyang City. This project connected the Yellow River with the
Yangtze River and accelerated the economic and cultural exchanges between the two areas.
The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal continues to benefit people all over China. Sections of the
Great Wall in Ningxia and Inner Mongolia were also constructed during this period in response
to attacks from the Tujue (Turks) tribe.
Slide Five: Map of the Grand Canal
Slide Six: Map of the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
Background: Liyuan, an aristocrat stationed in present-day Shanxi Province during the last part
of the Sui Dynasty (581 - 618), took advantage of the political chaos to seize Chang'an City as his
capital in the year 618, beginning another new and prosperous dynasty in Chinese history, the
Tang Dynasty (618 - 907). It is regarded as one of the most prosperous dynasties in Chinese
history. Many historians often compare it with the Han Dynasty (206BC - 220AD) which was
another golden time in Chinese civilization. The Tang's national territory was larger than that of
the Han Dynasty. Compared to the far-reaching influence of Han culture, Tang culture has had
greater influence on both the Chinese and people abroad.
After the outbreak of the Anshi Turmoil, during which Emperor Li Longji neglected state affairs
and fell in love with his concubine, Yang Kwei Fei, the Tang Dynasty's power ebbed. Finally,
because of domestic economic instability and regional separatism, the dynasty came to an end.
In 907, the leader of a peasant uprising, Zhu Wen, established a new regime-Later Liang, and
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China began a half-century of political fragmentation, known as the Five Dynasties and Ten
States.
Slide 7:
Religious Toleration: Originating in ancient India around the time of Confucius, Buddhism
flourished during the Tang Dynasty. Since then it has thoroughly became a part of China's
traditional culture. A monk, Xuanzang, and his party went to Tianzhu (present-day India) in
order to obtain the Buddhist sutra. Journey to the West, one of the four great classics of ancient
China, recorded this historical event in a mythological form.
New Technologies: In handicrafts: Areas for producing silk products, flax products and porcelain
were distributed all over the country; large-scale production of ocean-going boats made China
their base during the Tang Dynasty; product categories increased, as in the case of damask silk,
which had more than twenty categories and the famous Tang tricolor porcelain appeared
during this period. Engraved block printing appeared at the beginning of the dynasty and
explosive powder had been put into military use since the middle of the Tang Dynasty.
Foreign Relations: Admired by people abroad, Tang culture spread to Asia, Europe and Africa.
Neighboring countries sought and established relations with the government and the capital,
Chang'an, became the center of cultural exchanges between the East and the West. These
countries included Xinluo (the countries in the Korean Peninsula), Japan, Tianzhu (present-day
India), Bosi (present-day Iran), etc. The ambassadors of the Tang Dynasty and the above
countries visited each other which promoted cultural exchanges. They sent each other special
local products and books on various subjects.
Trade Routes Thrived: Economic development recorded in the Tang Dynasty was
unprecedented. Several conditions brought this about: transportation either by road or by sea
was convenient due to the unhindered Silk Road; the early emperors' wise policies such as
alleviating forced labor and some taxes made people work more enthusiastically; the
government paid greater attention to foreign relations, which promoted frequent transactions
between China and nations abroad. In agriculture: South China became an important base for
food supplies; cropland irrigation and tools for agriculture were further developed, including
the invention of the Quyuan Plough and the Tong Irrigator; tea became a daily necessity and
farm produce in general was more commercialized. In commerce: Due to practical
transportation on canals and the Yangtze River, the merchant fleet shuttled in an endless
stream. The Kaiyuan Tongbao, a Tang-dynasty gold-plated coin, became the standard currency;
Gui Fang (a shop for money exchange) appeared and became a rudimentary bank, some six or
seven hundred years earlier than what appeared in the Mediterranean area. Near the end of
the dynasty, the night market appeared in some flourishing cities such as Chang'an (present-
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day Xian) and Luoyang near the Yellow River, as well as in Yangzhou and Chengdu along the
Yangtze River.
Slide 8: Social Classes
During the Tang Dynasty there were basically eight social classes. The emperor and his family
were usually the most powerful in the Tang Dynasty’s social hierarchy. If, however the emperor
had worked his way up to power rather than coming from an eminent family it was possible for
the aristocracy to become more powerful in certain instances. The aristocracy was the next in
the social hierarchy, followed by the bureaucracy. The bureaucracy was divided into two
separate levels of honor the scholars and the functionaries.
The eunuchs came next in the social hierarchy as they functioned as servants in the emperor’s
palace. The clergy were above the peasants who in turn were higher in the hierarchy than the
artisans and traders. Slaves were the lowest in the Tang Dynasty’s social structure.
Laws were enacted to ensure that each of these social classes behaved in a manner befitting
their station. These laws encompassed what each group was allowed to wear and own.
The social structure during the Tang Dynasty was a little more fluid than in many of the other
times in China’s history. This is due to the institution of the imperial examinations which
allowed men of low social standing to improve their lot through hard work, perseverance and
ability. It was this fluidity that prevented the stagnation that had become apparent in many of
the previous dynasties.
Gender: The Tang Dynasty’s attitude towards women was more liberal than was previously
found. Women were accorded with more respect and power. Women were even allowed to
take religious orders and become priestesses. This social standing, however, was mostly
afforded to women in and close to the large cities with the majority of rural women continuing
as before. High-class courtesans were also provided with a great deal of respect and were often
allowed to join in discussions and debates with men of high social rank.
Slide 9 – 10 Foot-binding
Foot binding in China was a practice that involved systematically wrapping a woman’s foot in
cloth bandages over a period of years, forcing it to grow in a particular way. This usually left
women unable to walk properly and was extremely painful.
Foot binding literally restructures the shape of the foot by breaking the arch and four toes on
both feet. This process begins at a young age, usually around seven years of age. The feet
would be repeatedly rebound up until a girl stopped growing.
Not all women practiced foot binding in China. For example, many ethnic minority groups, such
as the Manchu’s, did not practice food binding at all. Likewise Hakka Chinese women did not
bind their feet. Because Hakka men often worked far from home, women were required to
labor on farms. Foot binding would mean they could not adequately perform agricultural labor.
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The origins of ancient Chinese foot binding are unclear. Some believe that the practice started
after the Tang Dynasty (which ended in 907 AD). According to a legend, a beautiful concubine
danced on her toes like a ballerina inside of a giant lotus flower. Since the shape of the
concubine’s toes resembled bound feet, this became an image of beauty and grace.
Other accounts claim that the practice began during the Tang Dynasty. The earliest written
records of foot binding are found in the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 AD), leading some scholars to
believe it began during this period.
There are various theories as to why foot binding was continually practiced in China for 1000
years. The major reason is that many men found bound feet to be highly erotic. This can be
seen in a special name given to bound feet: “golden lilies.” Specially designed food binding
shoes known as “lotus shoes” were made to fit bound feet and were also seen as highly
attractive.
In turn, many families felt pressure to bind their daughters’ feet to increase her chances of
entering a good marriage. Essentially, ancient Chinese foot binding was seen as an investment
in a girl’s future.
Another theory is that foot binding was used as a way to ensure female submission in a
patriarchal society. Since women with bound feet were physically disabled, they would be
dependent on male labor for survival. This perpetuated the superior role of men in Chinese
society.
Slide 11: Tang Government
Like all ancient Chinese dynasties, the Tang Dynasty was a monarchy, ruled by an all-powerful
emperor since it was founded by the ancient Li family in 618. Li Yuan was the first emperor of
the Tang Dynasty. His rule initiated several centuries of economic prosperity and cultural
vibrancy.
One of the factors of success of the Tang Dynasty governing system was the reforms it
instituted by modifying and building upon the Sui legal code. This was an exacting, complicated,
yet simple-to-understand set of laws that were very specific about what was basically allowed
in Tang society, what was a crime, and what individual punishments were for violating the legal
code. In short, everyone knew the score.
The Tang Dynasty government had three basic departments that created policies and laws.
These frameworks of laws were administered by six ministries, which were personnel
administration, military, finance, rites, justice, and public works. This super-efficient system of
government worked so well, it outlived the Tang Dynasty itself, which crumbled in 907. The
Tang system of government was the model upon which all subsequent dynasties based their
own systems, and it was also used by other countries and kingdoms, such as those in Vietnam
and Korea.
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Another factor for the success of the Tang Dynasty system of government was the emphasis on
education. The Tang rulers felt that a well-educated public was not a threat to authority, but
rather, a foundation of a stable, prosperous society. Another feature of the Tang Dynasty
government was its obsessive record keeping and accounting of many aspects of life and
commerce. This naturally created deep layers of accountability and certainty, which bolstered
the strength of the government and society.
Slide 12: Empress Wu Zetian
She entered the Tang Palace at the age of 14 to become Emperor Taizong’s concubine. During
this time she had struggles since she was not the favorite of the emperor. She was praised for
her beauty and literary talents but since she still had so much to learn she was not able to rise
to become one of the emperor’s favorite concubines. It was during this time that she met
Prince Li Zhi who later became emperor. When Emperor Taizong died in 649, Wu Zetian was
then sent to a temple where she was to serve the rest of her life as a Buddhist nun. It was also
during this time that Li Zhi became Emperor Gaozong, and it was fate that he met Wu Zetian
during her early life in the palace. The new emperor was still enamored by Wu Zetian’s beauty,
and during this time Empress Wang, the mother of the new emperor was struggling with
Consort Xiao. To divert his son’s affection from Xiao, Wu Zetian was then brought back to the
palace to become a concubine of the new emperor.
Wu Zetian wanted to become more than the emperor’s concubine. She was very grateful to the
empress for bringing her back in the palace and was very respectful to her. During this time she
was able to gain the favor of both the emperor and empress which earned her the position
Zhaoyi. She then became the highest ranking concubine out of the nine but still under the
Empress. Historians have accounted that it was during this time Wu Zetian and Empress Wang
deposed of Consort Xiao into a commoner. Still, Wu’s desire to become the first woman
emperor overwhelmed her.
Since she has gained the favor of the emperor that led her to become the Emperor’s consort
she was able to give birth to her first son in 652. A year later her second son was born in the
palace and then a daughter in 654. It was during this time that Wu decided to take the Empress
position from Wang. Since Empress Wang did not have any child, she grew fond of the Wu’s
daughter. It was said that before the Emperor arrived, Wu strangled her daughter shortly after
Wang left. Wang was then accused of killing Wu Zetian’s daughter and she was stripped of her
title as Empress. Wu Zetian was then announced as the new Empress in 655.
Empress Wu Zetian started participating in the state affairs and this led her to further pave the
way to her dream as a ruler. She took part in disposing of Zhangsun Wuji and Chu Suiliang. This
was the start of her power and influence that lead her to become the first woman emperor
in
the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Gaozong was then afflicted by an eye disease in 660 and this was
Wu Zetian’s chance to take control of the matters of the state. After a while she then took over
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the governance since the emperor was already weak due to his disease. She then completed
her dream by disposing of his sons to totally take hold of the title.
She then took the title as an Emperor in 690 and became the first woman to rule in the Tang
Dynasty. She was greatly criticized—questions loomed over whether she would be able to take
hold of the country’s affair wisely. She was able to prove that she had what it takes when it
came to political affairs. She made decisions that lead the way to her fame and was able to
open the Silk Road that lead to Middle Asia. She then fell ill because of old age and died at the
age of 82 in 705. Empress Wu Zetian claimed the throne and opened the eyes of women not
only in China but all over the world.
Slide 13 -15: Fall of the Tang Dynasty
After the outbreak of the Anshi Turmoil, during which Emperor Li Longji neglected state affairs and
fell in love with his concubine, Yang Kwei Fei, the Tang Dynasty's power ebbed. Finally, because of
domestic economic instability and regional separatism, the dynasty came to an end. In 907, the
leader of a peasant uprising, Zhu Wen, established a new regime-Later Liang, and China began a
half-century of political fragmentation, known as the Five Dynasties and Ten States.
Background: Song Dynasty
Since 959 the Later Zhou Dynasty had much of the country under its control as advocated by the
common understanding of the Five Dynasties' reunification aspiration. When Zhao Kuangyin, one of
the commanding generals who led the imperial army in the Later Zhou regime, brought mutiny into
play in Chenqiaoyi in 960, he seized power and established the Song Dynasty.
It was historically divided into two periods: the Northern Song (960 - 1127) when the capital was
established in Dongjing (the present Kaifeng) and the Southern Song (1127 - 1279) when the capital
was moved to Lin'an (the present Hangzhou). This division was created by nomadic invaders in
North China who made breaks inward the Song court and finally overthrew the Northern Song. The
Southern Song was established in the south of China.
Making a comparison among the Chinese dynasties, it is confirmed that the Song Dynasty together
with the Tang (618 - 907) and the Han (206BC - 220AD) dynasties achieved immense levels of
nation-wide prominence. Ruling China for more than 300 years, the dynasty boasted of its economic
growth, artistic achievement as well as numerous scientific advances. Therefore, the period was also
known as - the Chinese Renaissance.
Slide 16: Song Achievements
Song Military: While being one of the most technologically and culturally advanced people in
the world at the time, the Song were not militarily powerful. Part of the reason for this may be
because Confucianism held military in very low regard. Confucianism did not recognize the
military as being part of the four official classes of occupations; therefore, the military consisted
of the poor, uneducated peasants, mercenaries or allies. Diplomacy was the favored form of
dealing with enemies. This prolonged period of paying tribute to enemies, rather than being
militarily strong enough to defeat them, left the Song susceptible to attack from others. This
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weakness allowed for two non-Chinese kingdoms to exist to the north of the Song. They were
the Liao and the Western Xia. All three of these kingdoms favored diplomacy over military
aggression. Thus by 1125 A.D., a group called the Jin were able to conquer the Liao and the
Song, along with part of the territory of the Western Xia. A brother of the Song emperor fled
south, and declared himself emperor. His dynasty is generally known as the Southern Song,
which lasted until 1279 with the bloody occupation of the Yuan.
Internal Trade: In economics, the earliest paper money called 'Jiao Zi' in the world appeared in the
Northern Song period, which soon became the popular currency money of the time. This indicated
the high development of the commerce especially in the capital Dongjing (the present Kaifeng). In
addition, the development of the silk industry, textile industry and porcelain-making industry were
outstanding. The present Zhejiang Province and Sichuan Province were the two biggest silkproducing areas. The emergence of the cotton textile indicated that cotton instead of flax became
the raw material of choice to make clothes and quilts. The level of the porcelain-making technique
was quite advanced during the Song Dynasty.
Rice Production: During Song times, new developments in rice cultivation — especially the
introduction of new strains of rice from what is now Central Vietnam, along with improved methods of
water control and irrigation — spectacularly increased rice yields. Rice was used primarily as food,
but was also used to brew the wine consumed in homes and taverns.
Rice was grown primarily south of the Yangzi River. This area had many advantages over the north
China plain, as the climate is warmer and rainfall more plentiful. The mild temperatures of the south
often allowed two crops to be grown on the same plot of land — a summer and a winter crop.
The many rivers and streams of the region facilitated shipping, which reduced the cost of
transportation and, thus, made regional specialization economically more feasible. During
the Song period, the Yangzi River regions became the economic center of China. Farmers
developed many varieties of rice, including drought resistant and early ripening varieties,
as well as rice suited for special purposes such as brewing. They also remade the landscape
by terracing hilly land, so that rice could be grown on it. Agricultural manuals helped to
disseminate the best techniques for rice cultivation.
Flying Money: Real paper currency was not introduced until early in the Song (960-1279)
dynasty, when it was utilized by a group of rich merchants and financiers in Szechuan, the
same province where the art of printing had been invented. Each banknote they issued had
printed on it pictures of houses, trees, and people. Red and black inks were intermittently
applied; the seals of the issuing banks were affixed; and confidential marks were made on
each bill. All these devices made counterfeiting extremely difficult. These banknotes could
be converted into hard cash at any time in any of the issuing banks. Widely circulated, they
were readily accepted for the payment in debt and other financial obligations. In 1023
these banknotes were withdrawn and only official notes printed by the government were
allowed. This new adopted governmental policy was successful at first for two reaons:
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First, for each issue of paper notes to be put into circulation, the government provided a
cash backing. Second, paper notes and standard coins were interchangable. Moreover, a
citizen could buy salt or liquor with his paper notes from the government-owned stores. In
short, paper notes were as good as coined money.
After Chin (1115-1234) occupied the north China, it followed Song's practice. In 1154 it
established a Bureau of Paper Currency in Kaifeng as the central agency in charge of all
issues. Two kinds paper currency were issued, one of large denominations, consisting of
one to ten strings (each string was worth 1000 standard coins) and another of small
denominations, bearing the amounts of one to seven hundred standard coins. The validity
of each issue was limited to seven years. However little thought was given to backing the
currency issue and inflation soared during the 12th century. Even though counterfeiter of
paper currency was punishable by death, there were few attempts. In 1183, a printer, who
had produced 2600 fake notes in 6 months was arrested and sentenced to death.
Slide 17:
Rise of the Middle Class: Confucian or Legalist scholars in ancient China—perhaps as far back
as the late Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046–256 BC)—categorized all socio-economic groups into four
broad and hierarchical occupations (in descending order): the shi (scholars, or gentry), the nong
(peasant farmers), the gong (artisans and craftsmen), and the shang (merchants). Wealthy
landholders and officials possessed the resources to better prepare their sons for the civil service
examinations, yet they were often rivaled in their power and wealth by merchants of the Song
period. Merchants frequently colluded commercially and politically with officials, despite the
fact that scholar-officials looked down on mercantile vocations as less respectable pursuits than
farming or craftsmanship. The military also provided a means for advancement in Song society
for those who became officers, even though soldiers were not highly respected members of
society. Although certain domestic and familial duties were expected of women in Song society,
they nonetheless enjoyed a wide range of social and legal rights in an otherwise patriarchal
society. Women's improved rights to property came gradually with the increasing value of
dowries offered by brides' families.
Neo-Confucianism: There was a vigorous revival of Confucianism in the Song period. Confucian
teachings were central to the civil service examination system, the identity of the scholar-official
class, the family system, and political discourse.
Confucianism had naturally changed over the centuries since the time of Confucius (ca. 500
BCE). Confucius’s own teachings, recorded by his followers in the Analects, were still a central
element, as were the texts that came to be called the Confucian classics, which included early
poetry, historical records, moral and ritual injunctions, and a divination manual. But the issues
stressed by Confucian teachers changed as Confucianism became closely associated with the
state from about 100 BCE on, and as it had to face competition from Buddhism, from the second
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century CE onward. Confucian teachers responded to the challenge of Buddhist metaphysics by
developing their own account of the natural and human world.
With roots in the late Tang dynasty, the Confucian revival flourished in the Northern and
Southern Song periods and continued in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties that followed. The
revived Confucianism of the Song period (often called Neo-Confucianism) emphasized selfcultivation as a path not only to self-fulfillment but to the formation of a virtuous and
harmonious society and state.
The revival of Confucianism in Song times was accomplished by teachers and scholar-officials
who gave Confucian teachings new relevance. Scholar-officials of the Song such as Fan
Zhongyan (989-1052) and Sima Guang (1019-1086) provided compelling examples of the man
who put service to the state above his personal interest.
The Southern Song philosopher Zhu Xi (1130-1200) is known for his synthesis of NeoConfucian philosophy. Zhu Xi wrote commentaries to the Four Books of the Confucian tradition,
which he extolled as central to the education of scholars. Zhu Xi was also active in the theory
and practice of education and in the compiling of a practical manual of family ritual.
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