Chapter 15—The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia Post-Classical China Chapter 15—The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia

Three Kingdoms End of the Han Dynasty was followed by a long period of disunity and civil war Buddhism began to spread throughout China during this period Introduced in the first century CE Did not really begin to spread until after the Han empire collapsed Tea was discovered in the south during this period Porcelain was also developed during this time

Sui Dynasty (580-618 CE) Restored the Chinese imperial structure Confucian bureaucracy, etc. Defeated external enemies Accomplishments of the Sui Dynasty Grand Canal—completed during reign of Sui Yuangdi Confucianism also began to regain popularity Weakened by military spending and external invasions Dependence on high taxes and forced labor

Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) Tang Taizong—2nd Emperor Equal Field System Expanded Confucian administrative system Reformed examination system Equal Field System Liberal attitude towards all religions

Empress Wu (624-705) Only female empress in Chinese history Removed the rightful heir to the throne in 690 CE Recruited outstanding individuals to serve in her court Buddhism was the favored state religion Attempted to make it a state religion Financed the building of many Buddhist temples

Religion During the Tang and Song Nestorian Christians, Manicheans, Zoroastrians and Islamic merchants established communities in China Dunhuang--Community of Mahayana Buddhists Monastic communities—amassed donated lands and wealth Buddhist monastic life conflicted with Chinese Confucian focus on family Chan Buddhism (in Japan—Zen) Syncretic blend of Chinese culture and Buddhist doctrine Later Tang—Persecution/expulsion of foreign religions Neo-Confucianism—Confucian/Buddhist blend

Tang Developments Rapid increase in rice production Techniques such as planting out seedlings rapidly increased yield Champa rice from Vietnam Terrace Farming Population doubled Urbanization Power moved from north to south Revived the Silk Roads Contemporaries of the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates

Song Dynasty (960-1279) Not politically powerful Conquered by Mongols Great advances were made in technology and culture Used gunpowder as a weapon Foreign trade expanded greatly due to junks Rise of Neo-Confucianism

Song Pre-Industrial Era Specialized Production Government monopolies Private business Guilds Silk, porcelain, iron, etc. Expanding trade markets Internal expansion caused by population growth Grand Canal, paper money, etc. External expansion caused by naval technology Compass, junks, etc.

Iron Smelting in Song Dynasty Yuan dynasty waterwheel and blast furnace Song dynasty iron smelting process

Tang-Song Accomplishments Gunpowder New porcelain techniques Translucent porcelain Invention of the moveable type printing press in 1045 CE Introduction of paper money, called flying money was introduced Metal was scarce in China

Footbinding First evidence of this practice shows up in about 950 CE Not sure why this practice began Widely practiced among both the rich and poor of China Essentially made women subordinate to their husbands