Reunification and Renaissance in Chinese Civilizations: The Era of the Tang and Song Dynasties

1. 12 Reunification and Renaissance in Chinese Civilizations: The Era of the Tang and Song Dynasties

2. 12 Flash Cards: Grand Canal Bureaucracy of merit

3. 12 Flash Cards: jinshi equal-field system

4. 12 Flash Cards: Mahayana Buddhism Neo-Confucianism

5. 12 Flash Cards: junks (junques) flying money

6. Renaissance in Chinese Civilizations Flash cards: • gunpowder • scholar-gentry

7. Rebuilding the Imperial Edifice:Sui Dynasty Wendi, ~late 500s • Nobleman • Led nomadic leaders to • Controlled north China • 589 ce • defeated Chen kingdom • established Sui dynasty

8. The Sui, Tang, Song Dynastic Cycle

9. Rebuilding the Imperial Edifice Sui Excesses and Collapse • Yangdi, son of Wendi • legal reform • reorganized Confucian education • Scholar-gentry reestablished • Loyang, new capital • many building projects

10. Rebuilding the Imperial Edifice • Sui Excesses and Collapse • Yangdi • Canals built across empire (Grand Canal) • Lavish lifestyle • Attacked Korea • Defeated by Turks, 615 • Assassinated, 618

11. Emergence of the Tang:Restoration of the Empire • Li Yuan, Duke of Tang • Used armies to unite China • Extended borders to Afghanistan • Used Turks in army • Empire extended • Tibet, Vietnam, Manchuria, Korea • Great Wall repaired

12. Rebuilding the Bureaucracy • Unity • Aristocracy weakened • Confucian ideology revised • Scholar-gentry elite reestablished • Bureaucratic political organization • “Bureaucracy of merit” • Included: Bureau of Censors

13. State and Religion Confucianism and Buddhism • potential rivals • Mahayana Buddhism had been central • popular in era of turmoil • Chan (Zen) Buddhism common among elite

14. Chan (Zen) Buddhism in China:Emphasized mystical insights

15. State and Religion Early Tang supported Buddhism • Empress Wu (690-705) • Endowed monasteries • 50,000 monasteries by 850 • Tried to make Buddhism the state religion

16. The Anti-Buddhist Backlash • Confucians in administration • supported taxation of Buddhist monasteries • Buddhist Persecution, 841-847 • under Emperor Wuzong • monasteries destroyed • lands redistributed • Confucian emerged the central ideology

17. Tang Decline and Rise of Song • Emperor Xuanzong (713-756) • Height of Tang power • Mistress, Yang Guifei • powerful • relatives gained power • 755, revolt • but repressed

18. Founding of the Song Dynasty 907, last Tang emperor resigned • Zhao Kuangyin (Taizu) • 960, founded Song dynasty • Song unable to defeat northern nomads • Scholar-gentry patronized • Given power over military

19. Revival of Confucian Thought • Libraries established • old texts recovered • Neo-Confucians • emphasis on personal morality, philosophy • Zhu Xi • Importance of philosophy in everyday life • hostility to foreign ideas • gender, class, age distinctions reinforced • patriarchal

20. Roots of Decline: Attempted Reform • Khitan independence encouraged others • Asian steppe tribe (Mongolia/Manchuria) • Tangut tribes • Tibetan language • Xi Xia kingdom • Tribute state

21. Roots of Decline: Attempts at Reform • Wang Anshi, 11th century • Confucian port-scholar • chief minister • reformed gov’t • supported agricultural expansion • landlords, scholar-gentry taxed

22. Reaction and Disaster:Flight to the South • 1085, emperor died • Reforms reversed • Jurchens defeat Khitan • 1115, found Jin kingdom • Invaded China • Song fled south • New capital at Hangzhou • Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279)

23. Economic Development Tang & Song • Agricultural advances • Rice yields doubled • Population growth • Urbanization • Patriarchal • Foot binding

24. Economic Development Tang & Song • Metallurgy • iron & steel increased • Technological developments (Achievements) • porcelain, “china” • gunpowder * • flame throwers → bombs → cannons • printing • naval advances: • compass, rudder, bamboo sails, sometimes used gunpowder

25. Tang and Song Prosperity: Basis of a Golden Age • Canal system • accommodated population shift • Yangdi's Grand Canal • Linked North to South • Silk routes reopened • greater contact with Buddhist, Islamic regions • Sea trade • developed by late Tang, Song • junks (junques)

26. Commercial Expansion Commerce expanded • Financial advancements: • banks, deposit shops • paper money • credit • “flying money”

27. Increased Agrarian Production • New areas cultivated • Canals helped transport produce • Aristocratic estates • Divided among peasants (equal-field system) • Scholar-gentry replaced aristocracy • Urban growth • Changan • Tang capital, 2 million

28. Tang Era Family and Society • Great continuity • Marriage brokers • Tang dynasty: • Elite women → broader opportunities • Empresses Wu, Wei • Yang Guifei • Divorce widely available

29. A Glorious Age: Invention and Artistic Creativity • Influence over neighbors • Economy stimulated by advances in farming, finance • Explosives • Used by Song for armaments • Compasses, abacus • Bi Sheng • Printed with moveable type

30. The Neo-Confucian Assertion of Male Dominance Song dynasty: • Neo-Confucians reduced role of women • Women confined • Men allowed great freedom • Men favored in laws • Women not educated • Foot binding began (subjugation ?)

31. Scholarly Refinement & Artistic Accomplishment • Scholar-gentry key • Expanded Confucian merit system • Change from Buddhist artists • Secular scenes more common • Li Bo • Poet • Nature a common theme in poetry, art

32. Global Connections:China’s World Role Consolidation & Refinement in China • Greater hold over neighboring peoples • Strong economy • Dissemination of Chinese technology