Post-Classical China

1. Post-Classical China Mr. Millhouse AP World History Hebron High School

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 (right) • Confucianism also began to regain popularity • Weakened by military spending and external invasions

5. Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) • Expanded Confucian administrative system • Reformed examination system • Compiled the Tang Code in 624 CE • 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 statereligion • Attempted to make it a state religion • Financed the building of many Buddhist temples

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) • Yuan Dynasty came to an end in 1368 • Attempt to eliminate Mongol cultural influence • Ming Government • Reestablished Confucian bureaucracy (again) • Moved capital to Beijing • Built the Forbidden City • Expanded into Central Asiaand Manchuria

14. Forbidden City

15. Ming Economy • New American crops expanded agriculture • Sweet potato, maize, peanuts • Led to rapid population growth • Went from 100 million in 1500 to 225 million by 1750 • Population growth aided manufacturing by keeping wages low • Limited need for labor saving devices • Launched expeditions into the Indian Ocean • Zheng He voyages • Limited trade with Europeans to Macao & Canton • “the Silver Sink”

16. Zheng He vs. Columbus

17. Ming Society • Strengthened traditional Chinese values • Filial piety • Extended family system • Emphasized loyalty to family • Females remained subordinate • Footbinding continued • Female infanticide was not uncommon • Widows were discouraged from remarrying & widow suicide was often encouraged • Confucian-based social hierarchy

18. Ming Culture • Promoted Neo-Confucianism • Emphasized Chinese tradition • Literature • Monkey, the Water Margin, etc. • Pottery • the Great Wall