World History OCTOBER 26, 2015

Unit 5: Regional Transitions China’s Tang and Song Dynasties  East Asian Empires grew and flourished from 500 AD to 1400 AD.  Many of their ideas and innovations spread throughout the known world and improved everyday life, travel, and trade.

220 AD – 500 AD  After the fall of the Han Dynasty that had brought peace and united the Chinese people, China experienced a turbulent era  Trade continued - merchants brought goods and ideas from lands to the south and west, and Buddhist missionaries traveled along the Silk Road from India converted enormous numbers of Chinese people to Buddhism.

The Sui Dynasty  In 589, the Han ideal of Chinese unity was achieved again by a general who took control of both northern and southern China.  He consolidated the government and took power from local officials.  To guard against invasions from the north, he ordered extensive repairs and improvements to the Great Wall of China.  Wendi’s successor, Yangdi, ordered the construction of an inland waterway, the Grand Canal, linking China’s two longest rivers, the Huang and the Chang. The canal provided a vital route for trade between northern and southern China.  Yangdi tried to conquer Vietnam and Korea. Both ended terribly. Afterward, rebellions broke out in China and Yangdi was assassinated in 618 AD.

The Tang Dynasty  Ruled for three centuries.  Tang emperors greatly expanded the Chinese empire. They took control of much of central Asia. In the east, they extended their influence into Korea.  Under the Tang, China entered a golden age, a time of harmony, stability, and achievement.  The capital city, Chang’an became the biggest city in the world, with a population that reached two million.  Tang reinstated tests for people to take to earn government positions. This is a meritocracy – government is ran by officials who have achieved position not because of being born into power.

Education grows  More schools were built throughout the empire to prepare people for leadership exams.  The examination system preserved the traditional values of Confucianism.  It allowed talented and industrious members of the lower classes to rise in Chinese society, but in practice only men with at least moderate wealth could afford the years of education required to prepare for the exams.

The fall of the Tang  Emperor Xuanzong (shoo-en-dzawng) was more of a poet and music lover.  He didn’t give enough attention to the government affairs and began to lose control.  Arabs defeated the Chinese at a western trading post and shut down China’s trade with the west.  Chinese generals began fighting for power.  Warlords and bandits began taking over China’s cities.  Drought and famine was the final blow in 907 AD and the last Tang emperor was removed from the throne.

The Song Rise Up  By 960, a new dynasty had come to power, known as the Song.

A Growing Population  The population almost doubled during the Tang and Song dynasties.  The introduction of early-ripening rice allowed the farmers of southern China to produce two to three crops a year.  By about 1100, China had a population of almost a hundred million, making it the most populous country in the world

Growing Prosperity  The Song emperors encouraged both agriculture and trade.  Song rulers allowed farmers to use money to pay their taxes. This policy enabled farmers to sell their crops, pay their taxes, and then, with any money left over, buy other products  The Song government encouraged merchants to trade with countries as far away as the Middle East and Africa.  Large Chinese trading companies developed and carried finished goods, such as porcelain, that merchants traded for raw materials, such as pepper and cotton.

New Prosperity  The Song rulers strongly emphasized the Confucian values of loyalty to authority and respect for tradition.  More Chinese became educated and passed the government examinations required to serve in government.  The gentry or the landowning upper class grew in China.  Due to the thriving economy many merchants lived very comfortable lives.  Although the mass of the people remained peasant farmers, they also benefited from the general rise in the standard of living.  With the spread of education, more women learned to read, and some devoted themselves to literary pursuits.

New Technology  The art and literature of China reached a high point under the Tang and Song dynasties.  Remarkable technological innovations added to the prosperity, power, and influence of the Chinese empire.  Valuable trade products produced in China were taken by boat or by land routes like the Silk Road to various regions and the profits enriched Chinese government, merchants, and those who created the goods.

Tang and Song Innovations Time PeriodInnovation Porcelain8th century This hard and durable earthenware grew so popular that it came to be called china. Mechanical clock8th century Water-propelled machinery created the clock’s movement. Gunpowder9th century The Tang and Song applied this explosive powder—originally used to make fireworks— to warfare. Movable type11th century The Chinese developed movable type four hundred years prior to the same printing innovation in Europe. Paper money11th century Paper currency stimulated the Chinese economy and enabled monetary transfers to take place over long distances. Magnetic compass12th century Chinese sailors adapted the magnetic compass from land navigation to seafaring, an advance that accelerated global commerce and exploration.