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East Asia
500 to 1000 CE
China 500-1000 CE
 Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties
 During this period, Chinese dynasties
brought about significant improvements
in food production and distribution,
which resulted in an increase in
population, rise of urbanization, and
specialization in various technologies.
Background
 220 CE: Collapse of Han dynasty
 During last two centuries of Han rule, large
landowners gained influence in the
government. They reduced their own taxes
and raised the taxes of the peasant. There
was massive discontent and rebellion.
 Han military generals took power, aligning
themselves with regional landowners as war
lords.
 Han dynasty dissolved in region ruled by war
lords.
Decline of Confucianism
 During Han dynasty, elites and intellectuals
embraced Confucian traditions.
 Confucian traditions were believed to ensure
social order and stability.
 With collapse of Han dynasty and
disintegration of China into warring states,
interest in Confucianism lessened.
Sui
 589-618 CE
 Founded by Yang Jian, who had established
himself as a powerful regional warlord.
 Conquered other warlords and reunited
China.
 Sui dynasty established power using
legalistic means similar to those of Qin
Shihuaungdi.
 Strong central government, harsh rules,
forced labor.
Sui Dynasty innovations
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Transportation and communications network
Distribution of land: equal field system
Government bureaucracy based on merit.
Grand Canal: to facilitate trade between
northern and southern China and to make
abundant food supplies in south available to
north
Tang
 627-907 CE: Expanded territory
 Tried to establish a Confucian, beneficent
government. Stressed Confucian education
and civil service.
 Improved on developments during Sui
dynasty:
 Transportation and communications network
 Distribution of land: equal field system:
problems: rise in population, bribery by
wealthy, land given to Buddhist monasteries.
 Government bureaucracy based on merit.
Tang Foreign Relations
 Tributary relationship with neighboring lands.
 Neighbor recognized Chinese emperors as
overlords.
 Paid tribute in form of gifts
 Kowtow: ritual prostration before emperor.
 Chinese gave gifts and recognition in return.
End of Tang Dynasty
 Tang dynasty declined in power due to
ineffective leadership by later emperors.
 Rebellions occurred and emperors gradually
gave over control to regional war lords.
 War lords controlled separate regions until
Song dynasty reestablished centralized rule.
Song Taizu (r.960-976)
 Junior military officer of one of the most
powerful war lords in China.
 Song had a reputation for honesty and
effectiveness
 In 960 his troops proclaimed him
emperor.
 Song and his troops subdued the other
war lords.
Song Dynasty
 960-1279 CE
 Did not develop into a powerful state.
 Emperors kept military in a subordinate
position.
 Did not develop into a powerful militaristic
state.
 Focused on civil administration, industry,
education, and the arts instead of military.
 Created a large bureaucracy.
End of Song Dynasty
 Massive bureaucracy created strain on
economy, raised taxes, and angered
the peasants.
 Lack of strong military allowed nomadic
peoples to gain power. Nomadic
Mongol tribes invaded, ending dynasty
in 1279.
Social aspects of Tang and
Song periods
 Agricultural advancements
 Population growth
 Division of labor
 Specialization of crafts
 Innovations in techniques and new
inventions.
 Changes in religion.
Agricultural development in
Tang and Song Periods
 Improvements in farming
 Heavy iron plows
 Oxen and water buffaloes
 Fertilized fields
 Irrigation systems
 Well organized food distribution system
Populations Expansion
 Increased food supply resulted in rapid
rise in population.
 Growth of cities
 Chang’an believed to be the world’s
largest city with estimated population of
two million during Tang dynasty.
 By Song Dynasty, China most
urbanized area in the world.
Economy
 Abundant food supply allowed division
of labor.
 Specialization in technological areas
 Improved existing technologies and
invented new products.
Innovations in China
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Paper
Printing
Letters of credit/ cash
Gunpowder/ explosives
The magnetic compass
Porcelain, fine china.
Improvements in production of iron and steel
Religious/Philosophical
Traditions
 Sects honoring family ancestors.
 Legalist, Confucian, Daoist
philosophies.
 Confucianism had declined with
collapse of Han dynasty, but saw a
come back during this period.