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Copyright 2007, Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Longman

2. I. Rebuilding the Imperial Edifice in the Sui-Tang Eras II
I. Rebuilding the Imperial Edifice in the Sui-Tang Eras II. Tang Decline and the Rise of the Song III. Tang and Song Prosperity: The Basis of a Golden Age

3. Rebuilding the Imperial Edifice in the Sui-Tang Eras
The Qin-Han period known as the “era of division” was ended by Wendi
Wendi - (Emperor Wen) Member of a prominent north Chinese family
organized a force of strong warrior elite to take over north and then
southern China.
Nobleman – Wen is also known as the nobleman.
Leads nomadic leaders to control northern China
589, defeat of Chen kingdom – Wendi conquered the Chen kingdom of the
south that had become divided and was much
weakened.
Established Sui dynasty – Wen won widespread support by lowering taxes and
establishing granaries through his domains.

4. I. Rebuilding the Imperial Edifice in the Sui-Tang Eras
A. Sui Excesses and Collapse:
Yangdi - Son of Wendi – murdered his father to reach the throne.
Legal reform – Yangdi made a milder legal code and set out to increase the influence
Confucian education.
Scholar-gentry reestablished – The government needed educated people as administrators.
Loyang - New capital – Yangdi had the Chinese capital moved to Loyang.
Building projects – Yangdi liked constructing large public works projects. The problem
was that he conscripted hundreds of thousands of peasants to bulid
the projects. He had palaces built and a large park. The park didn’t
have enough trees so he had peasants dig up large trees from the
forests to replant them in the park in Loyang.
Canals built across empire joined the rivers that ran mostly east to west.
Attacked Korea – ( ) What led to the downfall of the Sui Dynasty because it was an additional drain
on the people and resources of his country were the military expeditions
including the unsuccessful campaign Korea under Chinese rule.
Defeated by Turks 615 – Caused widespread revolts by the Chinese against the govt.
Assassinated, 618 – Yangdi retreated to his palace at Hangzhou where he was assassinated
by his ministers.

5. China During the Era of Division, The Sui Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty

6. I. Rebuilding the Imperial Edifice in the Sui-Tang Eras
B. The Emergence of the Tang and the Restoration of the Empire
Li Yuan, Duke of Tang in 623 He established the Tang
dynasty from the ashes of the Sui Dynasty.
Uses armies to unite China
Extends borders to Afghanistan
Use of Turks in army – The nomadic tribes of the Turks had kept
China disunited for centuries but Li Yuan forced them to
submit to Tang rule. Sons of Turkish leaders were sent to the
Chinese capital as hostages to guarantee the good behavior of
tribes.
Empire into Tibet, Vietnam, Manchuria, Korea Great Wall repaired
C. Rebuilding the Bureaucracy
Unity
Aristocracy weakened
Confucian ideology revised – The rapid revival of China during the
Tang dynasty was through the rebuilding of the
bureaucracy. They used Confucianism as the
uniting force.
Scholar-gentry elite reestablished with loyal and well educated officials.
Bureaucracy – The govt. system was streamlined by the professional bureaucrats
which made the operation of government much more efficient.
Bureau of Censors – Organization tasked with keeping track of government officials
and reporting any failings.

7. I. Rebuilding the Imperial Edifice in the Sui-Tang Eras
D. The Growing Importance of the Examination System
Ministry of Rites – Organization within the bureaucracy that administered civil service test to ensure
a high ability level for government jobs.
Birth, connections important for office – Those doing extremely well on the tests received the title of Jinshi and they had
their names announced across the kingdom with their families position secured
in the system.
E. State and Religion in the Tang and Song Eras
Confucianism and Buddhism potential rivals
Buddhism had been central
Mahayana Buddhism popular in era of turmoil – With warfare and strife came people looking for religion to
relieve their stress and strain.
Chan (Zen) Buddhism common among elite
Early Tang support Buddhism
Empress Wu ( )
Endows monasteries
Tried to make Buddhism the state religion
50,000 monasteries by c. 850

8. I. Rebuilding the Imperial Edifice in the Sui-Tang Eras
F. The Anti-Buddhist Backlash – In the 840’s persecution of Buddhists began by people who followed either
Confucian or Daoist practices.
Confucians in administration – Because the Buddhist monastic lands were not taxed it took huge amounts of money
away from the government.
Support taxation of Buddhist monasteries
Persecution under Emperor Wuzong ( )
Monasteries destroyed – Under Wuzong thousands of Buddhist monasteries and shrines were destroyed and
monks/nuns were forced to return to civilian lives.
Lands redistributed
Confucian emerges the central ideology - From the 9th to the 20th centuries Confucian beliefs predominated.

9. II. Tang Decline and the Rise of the Song
Emperor Xuanzong ( ) – Became emperor after attempts to usurp power and some high level intrigue.
Height of Tang power –
Mistress, Yang Guifei- One of the most famous ill-fated romances in Chinese history between
Xuanzong and Yang Guifei. She became the royal concubine.
Powerful – Yang began taking more power and placing her family member into position within
the government.
Relatives gain power in government
755, revolt – A nomadic general, An Lushan led a revolt with the aim of starting a new dynasty.
The revolt is crushed and Xuanzong if forced to execute Yang Guifei.
But leaders ineffectual
Frontier peoples, governors benefit
A. The Founding of the Song Dynasty
907, last Tang emperor resigns Even though the Song dynasty replaced the Tang dynasty the Song empire was
smaller and lasted for three centuries.
Although the Chinese had impressive armies to expand and conquer territory, they never built a formidable navy so they could not use sea power to help give them another option for military attack.
Zhao Kuangyin (Emperor Taizu) - An honest and able general who became founder of the Song dynasty in 960.
Liao dynasty, Manchura - In the north the Liao dynasty remained outside the control of the Song Dynasty.
Khitan nomads – Due to the failure of the Song emperors to force these nomads into the dynasty it set a
precedent for weakness within the Song dynasty.
Unconquered by Taizu
Song unable to defeat northern nomads
Song pay tribute to the Liao Kingdom of the north to keep them from raiding into the Song empire.

10. China in the Song Dynasty Era

11. II. Tang Decline and the Rise of the Song
B. Song Politics: Settling for Partial Restoration
Scholar-gentry patronized – Under the Song dynasty the position of scholar gentry was secured.
Given power over military
C. The Revival of Confucian Thought – Scholars recover long-neglected tests and ancient inscriptions.
Libraries established – They need a location to maintain the old texts.
Old texts recovered
Neo-confucians – (New) Confucianism – People who set out to revive the teachings of Confucius such as
morality and the highest human goals.
Stress on personal morality
Zhu Xi - One of the prominent thinkers of the era who stressed the importance of philosophical principles to
everyday life and actions.
Importance of philosophy in everyday life
Hostility to foreign ideas – The Chinese emphasis on Confucianism and Doaism led them to look at outside
systems such as Buddhism as inferior.
Gender, class, age distinctions reinforced

12. II. Tang Decline and the Rise of the Song
D. Roots of Decline: Attempts at Reform
Khitan independence encourages others
Tangut, Tibet – The Song dynasty had great difficulty controlling nomadic tribes on their borders.
the Tangut tribes in the mid 11th century established the Xi Xia Kingdom.
Xi Xia – People of the Xi Xia kingdom forced the Song dynasty to pay tribute to guard their northern
border. Even though the Chinese army had 1 million soldiers they couldn’t cover the border.
Wang Anshi – In the 1070’s Wang Anshi, the chief minister of the Song who was a legalist and
interventionist tried to prevent collapse by introducing reforms.
Reforms – Cheap loans, government irrigation projects, and agricultural expansion.
Landlords, scholar-gentry taxed
E. Reaction and Disaster: The Flight to the South
1085, emperor supporting Wang Anshi dies – Reforms by Wang Anshi were reversed because the next emperor was a
conservative and opposed reforms which resulted in the deterioration of economic conditions.
Jurchens defeat Liao – Another nomadic kingdom north of the Song Dynasty.
1115, found Jin kingdom – The Jin carved a kingdom out of the Liao and northern Song.
Invade China
Song flee south with their new capital at Hangzhou.
Southern Song Dynasty ( ) – They are little more than a minor kingdom. Even though the Song
Dynasty lasted slightly over 100 years their cultural changes lasted longer than any in Chinese history.

13. China During the Southern Song Dynasty Era

14. III. Tang and Song Prosperity: The Basis of a Golden Age
Canal system
Built to accommodate population shift
Yangdi's Grand Canal
Links North to South
A. A New Phase of Commercial Expansion
Silk routes reopened – When the Tang and Song dynasties expanded to the west it enabled the silk trading route to
reopen with protection by the government.
Trade goods included – Persian rugs and tapestries into China and silk, porcelain, and paper to Islamic centers.
Greater contact with Buddhist, Islamic regions Sea trade
Developed by late Tang, Song
Junks – Along with Arab dhows the Chinese were the best ships in the world at the time.
watertight bulkheads, sternpost rudders, oars, sails, compasses, bamboo fenders, and gunpowder propelled rockets.
Commerce expands – The first use of paper money was during the Tang Dynasty.
Credit - An improved banking system allowed for the use of credit.
Deposit shops – Early form of the bank.
Flying money – credit vouchers that could be reimbursed at the appropriate location in the city of destination. Greatly reduced the
concern for robbery that the merchants had to make on their difficult journey over the trade routes.
Urban growth
Changan - Tang capital – 2 million citizens, probably the most of any city in the world at the time.

15. III. Tang and Song Prosperity: The Basis of a Golden Age
B. Expanding Agrarian Production and Life in the Country
New areas cultivated
Canals help transport produce
Aristocratic estates
Divided among peasants
Scholar-gentry replace aristocracy
C. Family and Society in the Tang-Song Era
In the Tang-Song era Extended family households were far
more common in for the upper class since they had resources
to support more people.
Great continuity
Marriage brokers
Under the neo-Confucian philosophy male dominance within the family was especially pronounced, while within the greater society Elite women have broader opportunities.
Empresses Wu, Wei
Yang Guifei
Divorce widely available

16. III. Tang and Song Prosperity: The Basis of a Golden Age
D. The Neo-Confucian Assertion of Male Dominance – The role of women was improving in the Tang and
early Song periods but steadily deteriorated due to the change to Confucian views.
Neo-Confucians reduce role of women
Children beheaded – A child striking a parent could be executed, and if they struck a sibling they
could get two and a half years hard labor.
Confinement -
Men allowed great freedom – Women were clearly subordinate to men, but had certain rights.
Men favored in inheritance, divorce – Couples could get a divorce by mutual consent.
Wealthy women in cities could take “complementary husbands” with the knowledge of their
husbands.
Women not educated – neo-Confucians were upset with the Buddhists for promoting career alternative
for women such as in the bureaucracy or monastic life.
Foot binding – The practice crippled women which limited the mobility of women and confined
them to their households. Was comparable to the Islamic practice of veiling.
It started with upper-class but spread to the lower-class including well to do peasants.

17. III. Tang and Song Prosperity: The Basis of a Golden Age
E. A Glorious Age: Invention and Artistic Creativity
Influence over neighbors
Economy stimulated by advances in farming, finance
Explosives - Explosive gunpowder was created during the Tang era. The Chinese used the gunpowder for fireworks
and chemical mixtures.
Used by Song for armaments - Not until the Song era was gunpowder used to weaponry such as grenades and
bombs. Ships were equipped with naphtha (flammable liquid distilled from
petroleum) flamethrowers, and poisonous gas.
Compasses, abacus – Although compasses had been around for centuries the Song era sailors used them for navigation for the first time.
The abacus was developed and used by merchants and tax collectors.
Bi Sheng – Developed a method of movable type. With the paper that had been invented in the Han era, the Chinese could attain a high
level of literacy.
Printing with moveable type
F. Scholarly Refinement and Artistic Accomplishment -
Scholar-gentry key
Change from Buddhist artists
Secular scenes more common
Li Bo
Poet
Nature a common theme in poetry, art