Sui, Tang and Song China Highest Point of Traditional China

Sui Dynasty: Reestablishing Unity in China United Han Territory North Turkic Forces Central Asia Turkic and Tibetan Forces South Vietnam and Taiwan

Sui Dynasty Founded by Yang Juan Becomes Wen Di Capital Changan

Sui Dynasty Son Yang Di Harsh Rule Centralized powerful state

Religion Buddhism –Stupas Confucianism Daoism

Achievements Grand Canal 610 (Yang Di) 600 miles Rice (tax) Great Wall 607 (Shi Huang Di)

The Grand Canal

Tang Dynasty: Golden Age of Chinese Culture Greatest Expansion (Empress Wu Zhao) –Mongolia- North –Vietnam- South –Korea- East –Kashmir- West Reopened Silk Road

Silk Road Connects Asia to the Middle East Export - Silk, porcelain, Jade, bronze, tea Import – glass, rugs, horses, precious metals, cotton, spice, medicine Technology and Religion

Military Strength 618 Li Shi Min Father Li Yuan ruled til 626 Dai Zong Controlled generals

Mid-Tang— Age of Powerful Women Empress Wu Zetian Wu Zhoa) Took charge after husband had stroke in proclaimed herself emperor

Foot binding Broken toes by age of 3

Foot binding For upper class girls— status symbol and new custom

Foot binding in Tang

Confucianism BCE Bureaucracy – civil service Scholarship important

Chinese Arts/Religion Xuan Zong arts reach zenith –Daoist –Harmony with nature –Poetry – Li Bo Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism flourished –Buddhism threatened –Xenophobia –Monastaries not taxed –Wu Zong ( ) purged Buddhism

Daily Life Scholar class became new ruling elite Equal-field system limited power or rural aristocracy Land reform gave some peasants a chance to gain wealth

Yang Guifei Forgets to rule General An Lushan

Yang Guifei Consort of Empress Wu’s grandson, Xuanzong He once presided over a brilliant court and patronized the arts Enamored with Yang Guifei and let everything slide

Emperor allowed her to put friends and relatives into positions of power in the government General An Lushan –Rebelled in 755 after getting into a quarrel with Yang’s brother over control of the government –Rebellion forced Xuanzong to flee capital city –Troops forced Emperor to have Yang Guifei executed

Cost of Rebellion Uighurs (a Turkish people) stop rebellion Looted the capital suppressed in 763 keep meeting the ridiculous demands of the Uighurs

Cost of Rebellion To stop the rebellion had to call on alliance with Uighurs (a Turkish people) Looted the capital after taking it from the rebels Rebellion suppressed in 763 Government had to keep meeting the ridiculous demands of the Uighurs

The Song Dynasty: Rise of Meritocracy Unity threatened Threatened by Mongols, Jurchens and Khitans (north)

Southern Domination 60 years of civil war “Five Dynasties” Zhao Kuang Yin – Tai Zu emperor in 960 Capital Kaifeng captured 1126 by Jurchen Hangzhou - Southern Capital

Government by Meritocracy Based on Confucian traditions –Dominated by wealthy (education expensive) –Recommendations –Talent sought from all ranks

Civil-Service Examination “Ladder of the Clouds” 4 levels included poetry, gov’t, administration, calligraphy Start at 23 – few pass Became officials, poets and historians

Buddhism Chan (Japan, Zen) –Enlightenment through zazen (meditation) –Appealed to elite –Appealed to monks (simplicity) Pure Land –Appealed to lay people Zen Buddhist Monk

Merchant Class Tax commerce! Faster growing rice from Cambodia Junks (ships) overseas trade Invention of printing –Paper money