The Sui and Tang Dynasties

Chapter 10 (pp. 284 – 291)

China’s Hegemony For most of the period 600 – 1450 C.E., Chinese

dynasties established regional hegemony over East Asiao China became the strongest civilization in the world

o Dynasties like the Sui, Tang and Song reconstituted governments that combined traditional sources of power & legitimacy with innovations better suited to the current circumstances

The Sui Dynasty 581 – 618 C.E. Centralized imperial rule Built the Grand Canal

o State-sponsored commercial infrastructure

o Manmade waterways that connected the major rivers in China

o Increased volume/variety of trade

The Tang Dynasty 618 – 907 Li Shimin seized China’s capital Xi’an

(Chang’an) and proclaimed himself emperor of the Tang Dynasty

Accomplishments of the Tang Strong

transportation/communication systemso Grand Canalo Built/maintained an

advanced road systemo Continued to use Silk

Roads & Indian Ocean Maritime System• Cultural/technological

transfers between Tang and Abbasids

• Chinese merchants setup diasporic communities through Southeast Asia

The Battle of Talas

The Tang Tribute System

Tribute Systemo Existed in earlier

dynasties, but was expanded/enhanced to support the enormous Tang dynasty

o Neighboring realms were required to pay tribute in forms of gifts or money• China acted as “the

Middle Kingdom”

Religion in the Tang Buddhism had been growing in

China since its Classical Periodo Mostly Mahayana Buddhism

• It allowed easier incorporation to Chinese culture

o Empress Wu (690 – 705) was a strong supporter of Buddhism• Contributed huge sums to

monasteries and to commission paintings & sculptures• More than 50,000 temples were

built• Buddhist art, literature and cultural

traditions flourished• Ex. Wu Daozi

The Art of Wu Daozi

The Collapse of the Tang

Over time, tensions between Confucianists & Buddhists grewo Stemmed from ideological & economic

differences In the 9th century, Confucian scholar

bureaucrats along with emperor Wuzong conspired to end Buddhist influenceo Burned thousands of monasteries &

forced Buddhist monks to flee Results

o Confucianism reemerged as dominant belief system

o Tang Dynasty weakened due to internal turmoil and again China declined into a period of decentralization

The Song Dynasty

Chapter 10 (pp. 291 – 297)

The Song Dynasty

Song reunited China in 960o Emphasized civil administration, industry, education and

art• “Golden Era” in terms of finance & technology

o Strong centralized government• Increased size of merit-based bureaucratic system (civil

service)

Problems Under the Song

Financeso Large bureaucratic system

was expensive, so taxes were raised

o Led to free peasant revolts Military

o Led by scholar bureaucrats• Little understanding of how

to direct armieso Jurchens (northern nomads)

& other groups overran the northern part of the Song Empire

o 1279, Mongols conquered the southern Song

Economic Revolutions of the Tang and Song

Changes in economy began in Tang & were refined in Song

Revolutionso Increased agricultural production to deal with

growing population• Fast-ripening rice from Vietnam• Improved irrigation techniques

o Urbanization• Tang capital Chang’an

• Largest city in the world at the time• Song capital Hangzhou

Economic Revolutions of the Tang and Song

Revolutions (continued)o Technological innovations

• Porcelain (chinaware)• Improved iron & steel

metallurgy• Gunpowder• Movable type printing• Magnetic compass

o Financial inventions• As trade grew, merchants

developed paper money• Letters of credit called

“flying cash” allowed merchants to move money (like a bank)

• Primitive checking

Neo-Confucianism Neo-Confucianism

o Focused less on social & political order, and more on the soul & spiritual relationships

o Reconciled relationship with Buddhismo Influenced many civilizations throughout East &

Southeast Asia

Patriarchal Social Structures Patriarchal structure grew

more rigido Especially for the upper-classes

• Foot binding• Demonstrated class &

subservience to males