East Asia

China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan

China 600-1200 CE

Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties

During this period, Chinese dynasties brought about significant improvements in food production and distribution, which resulted in an increase in population, rise of urbanization, and specialization in various technologies.

Background

220 CE: Collapse of Han dynasty During last two centuries of Han rule, large

landowners gained influence in the government. They reduced their own taxes and raised the taxes of the peasants. There was massive discontent and rebellion.

Han military generals took power, aligning themselves with regional landowners as war lords.

Han dynasty dissolved in region ruled by war lords.

Decline of Confucianism

During Han dynasty, elites and intellectuals embraced Confucian traditions.Confucian traditions were believed to

ensure social order and stability.

With collapse of Han dynasty and disintegration of China into warring states, interest in Confucianism lessened.

Sui

Founded by Yang Jian, who had established himself as a powerful regional warlord.

Conquered other warlords and reunited China.

Sui dynasty established power using legalistic means similar to those of Qin Shi Huang Di Strong central government, harsh rules, forced labor.

Sui Dynasty innovations

Transportation and communications network

Distribution of land: equal field system

Government bureaucracy based on merit.

Grand Canal: to facilitate trade between northern and southern China and to make abundant food supplies in south available to north

Tang 627-907 CE: Expanded territory

Tried to establish a Confucian, beneficent government Stressed Confucian education and civil service.

Improved on developments during Sui dynasty: Transportation and communications network Distribution of land - equal field system:

problems: rise in population, bribery by wealthy, land given to Buddhist monasteries.

Government bureaucracy based on merit.

TANG CHINA

Tang Foreign Relations

Tributary relationship with neighboring lands. Neighbor recognized Chinese emperors as

overlords. Paid tribute in form of gifts

Kowtow: ritual prostration before emperor.

Chinese gave gifts and recognition in return.

End of Tang Dynasty

Tang dynasty declined in power due to ineffective leadership by later emperors.

Rebellions occurred and emperors gradually gave over control to regional war lords.

War lords controlled separate regions until Song dynasty reestablished centralized rule.

Song Taizu (r.960-976)

Junior military officer of one of the most powerful war lords in China.

Song had a reputation for honesty and effectiveness

In 960 his troops proclaimed him emperor.

Song and his troops subdued the other war lords.

Song Dynasty

960-1279 CE

Did not develop into a powerful state.

Emperors kept military in a subordinate position. Did not develop into a powerful militaristic state.

Focused on civil administration, industry, education, and the arts instead of military.

Created a large bureaucracy.

End of Song Dynasty

Massive bureaucracy created strain on economy, raised taxes, and angered the peasants.

Lack of strong military allowed nomadic peoples to gain power.

Nomadic Mongol tribes invaded, ending dynasty in 1279.

Social aspects of Tang and Song periods

Agricultural advancements

Population growth

Division of labor

Specialization of crafts

Innovations in techniques and new inventions.

Changes in religion.

Agricultural development inTang and Song Periods

Improvements in farming:Heavy iron plows

Oxen and water buffaloes

Fertilized fields

Irrigation systems

Well organized food distribution system

Populations Expansion

Increased food supply resulted in rapid rise in population.

Growth of citiesChang’an believed to be the world’s

largest city with estimated population of two million during Tang dynasty.

By Song Dynasty, China most urbanized area in the world.

Economy

Abundant food supply allowed division of labor.

Specialization in technological areas

Improved existing technologies and invented new products.

Innovations in China

Paper

Printing

Letters of credit/ cash

Gunpowder/ explosives

The magnetic compass

Porcelain, fine china.

Improvements in production of iron and steel

Religious/Philosophical Traditions

Sects honoring family ancestors.

Legalist, Confucian, Daoist philosophies.

Confucianism had declined with collapse of Han dynasty but saw a come back during this period.

New Religions in China

Mahayana Buddhism Tibet

Nestorian Christianity Assyrian Church of Persia

Islam from Islamic Empire

Zoroastrianism from Persia

Buddhism

Bodhisatvas and multiple protector deities.

Silk Road 1st or 2nd century CE

Monastic communities

Attraction: alternative view of the world that related to chaos

after Han dynasty

dealt with metaphysical issues that were neglected in Confucianism

strong moral and intellectual dimensions.

Buddhism Adaptations

Use Daoist terms to express Buddhist concepts: Dharma (teachings of the Buddha) is called dao

“the way”

Recognized validity of Chinese family life. Provided a means for Chinese families to

gain religious merit: supporting monks and giving one son to monastery. For one son to become a monk would guarantee

salvation for ten generations of his family.

Chan Buddhism (Zen)

Influence of Daoism on Buddhism:Rejected Buddhist emphasis on texts,

logic, and intellectual rigor.

Believed that spiritual awakening is found through insight, awareness, meditation.

Critics of Buddhism

Buddhist asceticism and monasticism went against Confucian values.

Support for Buddhism took away sources of funding for Daoism.

Buddhism seen as a superstition

Monasteries seen as leeches upon society.

Assyrian Church

Adopted a version of Nestorianism a form of early Christianity that was rejected by the Byzantine church.

Assyrian Church believed that Christ had two separate essences: human and divine.

Brought to China in 635 by missionaries.

This was the first form of Christianity to be introduced to China.

Foreign religions suppressed

Emperor Wuzang of Tang (840-846) suppressed all foreign religions, including Buddhism and Christianity, which declined sharply in China.

Neo-Confucianism

Adapted Buddhist themes and logical reasoning to Confucian interests and values.

Added a metaphysical dimension to Confucianism

Supported by Song Dynasty

Korea

In the 600s Tang dynasty conquered much of Korea.

Korea remained independent by recognizing and paying tribute to the Chinese emperors.

China had significant influence upon Korea.

Korean Distinctiveness

Korea never established a bureaucracy based on merit.

Aristocrats and royalty dominated Korean society.

Vietnam

Tang dynasty invaded Vietnam.

Viet elites adopted Chinese administrative and agricultural methods, and studied Confucianism.

Viet people resented Chinese domination, though won independence with the fall of the Tang dynasty.

Japan

China did not invade Japan, but China had significant influence upon Japan.Central administration

Writing and literature

Confucianism and Buddhism

Japan’s Distinctiveness

Shinto religionFrom the Heian period (794-1185 CE)

Japanese emperors did not rule, but served as figure heads.

In medieval period, war lords rejected influence of Confucianism for emphasis on military strength- time of the samurai.