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

2. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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.

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

12. 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

13. 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