Chinese Self-perception during the Tang

1. Chinese Self-perception during the Tang Did the trade, economy, greatest cities, advanced manufacturing techniques, cultural and intellectual complexity and pluralism… make China the sole locus of civilization? • How did the Chinese feel after the An Lushan Rebellion, when China was no longer as powerful as it used to be?

2. Intellectuals’ Pleas for Reforms • Rethinking the primacy and centrality of the emperor • Should the imperial institution, ritual, and power be the only concerns? • What made a government effective and the state prosper and stable? • Advocates of reforms • Du You (732-812) • Han Yu (768-824) Han Yu

3. Two Views on Reforms • Du You’s view: economic and progressive • Economic policy should take people’s livelihood into consideration • Government should learn from the past and change with the times; not pattern itself on ancient institutions and feudal systems • Han Yu’s view: cultural • Reaffirmation of Confucian classics and literature, including the classical style of writing • Rejuvenation of Confucianism would bolster the state • Chinese civilization began with the sages, who saved people from perils, showed them how to secure food….Leaders should grasp the “Way of the Sages”

4. Daoist Temple, Geling, Hangzhou Han Yu Shrine, Changli County, Hobei Province, 1928

5. The turning point: Post-Rebellion late Tang Tang emperors lost their political and economic controls; powerful autonomous regional governments rose Agricultural and technological advances facilitated economic growth in the south Increasing migration made the south, particularly the Yangzi River valley, develop further Rebellions and turmoil weakened Chang’an as a cosmopolitan city Transition from Tang to Song

6. The Fall of the Tang/Chang’an • Despitethetemporary“restoration”duringXianzong’sreign(r.805-820),theTangbegantofallapartagain. • Autonomousmilitarygovernors,eunuchs,largescalerebellions,banditryincountryside…furtherweakenedtheTang. • Anti-Buddhistandanti-foreignsentimentheatedupbecauseforeignersandmonksdrainedgov’ttaxrevenue.

7. Incompetentemperorslostpeople’strust • ThenaturalcalamitysignaledthatthelastfewemperorsoftheT’anghadlostthe“MandateofHeaven”(天命 tiān mìng ) • Chang’anwasransackedandburntseveraltimes,asaresultofpeasant’srebellion,warlord’sandforeignarmies’attacks. • PoetswrotepoemswhenwitnessingthedemolitionofChang’an

8. LamentoftheLdayQinby Wei Zhuang • … • In house after house blood flows like boiling fountains; • In place after place victims scream: their screams shake the earth. • Dancers and singing girls all have disappeared, • Babies and young girls are abandoned alive… • … • My neighbor in the west had a daughter, lovely as a goddess; • Her lustrous eyes flashed from side to side cutting waters like an inch of sword blade. • Her toilet completed, all she did was gaze at the reflection of spring in her mirror,

9. LamentoftheLdayQin • So young she didn’t know what happened outside her doors. • Some thug leaps up her golden staircase, • Rips the dress to bare half her shoulder, about to shame her, • But dragged by the clothes she refuses to go through the vermilion gate, • So with rouge powder and perfumed cream on her face • she’s stabbed down till she’s dead.

10. LamentoftheLdayQin • … • Chang’anliesinsilence:what’stherenow? • Inruinedmarketsanddesolatestreets,earsofwheatsprout… • TheHanyuanHallisthehauntoffoxesandhares… • AlongtheAvenueofHeavenonewalksonthebonesofhighofficials. • ….

11. The fall of the Tang and the destruction of Chang’an anticipated the selection of a new capital site near the major section of the Grand Canal • TheFiveDynastiessucceededtheTangwiththeLaterLiangfoundedbythemilitarygovernor/warlordZhuWen,whomadehismilitarystronghold,Kaifeng,thecapitalofhisdynasty.

12. China in the Northern Song and Its New Neighbors

14. China in the Southern Song and ItsNewNeighbors

15. TheKhitanEmpire(TheGreatLiaoDynasty) • Livedintoday’ssoutheasternInnerMongolia • AdoptedtraditionalnomadiclifestylebutallowedtheHanChinesetoliveChinesestyleoflife • AdoptedChineseimperialsystem • CalleditselftheLiaoDynasty • RuledbytheYelü clanin“dualadministrativesystem”or“dualsystemofgovernment” • Emperorsandnoblescontinuedtheirnomadicpractice • CreateditsownideographicscriptbasedonChinesecharacters

16. BecamepowerfulduringChina’sFiveDynastiesperiod • OccupiedthenortheasternOrdosregion,wheretheTuyuhunandTanguttribeshadsettled • ConqueredthewealthyBohaikingdomsineasternManchuria • ForcedtheLaterJinDynastytocedesixteenborderingprefecturesinpresentBeijing,Hebei,andShanxi—includingtheprefecturesofYouzhou(Beijing)andYunzhou(Datong)—toLiao

17. invadedtheLaterJincapitalKaifeng,pillagedthepalaceandtheresidences,andtooktheemperorprisoner.invadedtheLaterJincapitalKaifeng,pillagedthepalaceandtheresidences,andtooktheemperorprisoner. • Song needed to negotiate peace with the Khitan by paying annual subsidies in silk and silver • The Tangut (Xi Xia) Kingdom • Linguistically related to the Tibetans • Settled in Xia prefecture in Tang times and adopted the Tang dynastic family name Li • Helped the struggling Tang dynasty in the 870s and 880s, especially against Huang Chao (Rebellion).

18. Song emperors recognized its autonomy • Internal political dispute over its relationship with the Song led to tribal unrest that provoked the Song force along the border • Dispute between two camps led by Li Jipeng and Li Jiqian separately • Began in 982 the Sino-Tangut war that lasted until 1004 • Amid its vacillating war-and-peace relations or dual relations with the Liao and the Song, it expanded its territory to the west and north, into the Gansu corridor and neighboring Inner Mongolia.

19. Enjoyed an autonomous status and political independence as Tang’s vessel state. • Song needed to pay annual subsidies in silk and silver

20. The Song Dynasty • Established in 906 after the 53 years of division during which China was ruled by warlords—the period of “Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms” • Five dynasties were in the north; nine of ten kingdoms were in the south • All except one of the rulers of the Five Dynasties had their capital setupin Kaifeng Emperor Taizu, Zhao Kuangyin, (r. 960-976)

21. The founder of the Song built his capital in Kaifeng, where he began a new dynasty—the Song ruled by the Zhao family. • Kaifeng was referred to as Eastern Capital (東京dōngjīng ) or Bianjing（汴京 biànjīng) • Luoyang was now Western Capital (西京 xījīng)

22. A new ruling philosophy that stressed the priority of civil principle (文 wén )overthemilitaryprinciple(武 wŭ)alsostarted. • A new dynasty that might come close to what we call “Confucian state” emerged • Emperors ruled and performed rituals according Confucian rules, but remained devoted to Daoism and Buddhism • The first Song emperor Taizu began ruling by the civil principle, which was followed by his successors Taizong, Zhenzong, …. • Ruling by the civil principle became the creed of the Song dynasty

23. Song Culture: Choice between Wen and Wu • Early Song policy: • Elevating the civil principle (Wen), downplaying the military principle (Wu) • Strengthening the trunk (center) and weakening the branches (regional governments) • Taizu is known for “dissolving military power over a cup of wine” when holding a drinking party with his senior commanders • Powers were concentrated in the hands of civil bureaucracy, whereas military officials were kept in check

24. Powerful generals and strong military men were forced to retire • Emperors had members of imperial family marry to sons and daughters of military officials’ families • Despitethe wen policy, Taizu still planned to unify China by using military force to annex southern kingdoms • Unable to realize his plan because of his sudden death • People speculated that he was murdered by his brother in a plot known as “the sound of the axe in the shadow of the flickering candle” • The brother succeeded him, fulfilled his promise and reunified China. He was known as Taizong.

25. The image of Taizu, who laid down this policy of wen • A protector of the people • A ruler who aspired to live by the humanitarian and benevolent standards of Confucian teachings • A modest man who detested luxury and splendid residences, wanting to live a life of frugality • Concerned himself with commoners and their economic well-being