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The Chinese Golden Age . Ms. Carmelitano. End of the Han. In 220 AD The Han Dynasty collapsed, splitting into three rival kingdoms Over the next 350 years 30 dynasties that rose and fell In 589 AD Wendi unified northern China and restored a central government Sui Dynasty (581AD-618AD )
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The Chinese Golden Age Ms. Carmelitano
End of the Han • In 220 AD The Han Dynasty collapsed, splitting into three rival kingdoms • Over the next 350 years 30 dynasties that rose and fell • In 589 AD Wendi unified northern China and restored a central government • Sui Dynasty (581AD-618AD) • Built the Grand Canal • Connects the Huang He and Chang Jiang
The Tang Dynasty • 618AD the peasants revolted • Overworked and overtaxed • The Tang family took control • 618AD- 907 AD (300 years) • Most important emperor: Tang Taizong 626-649 AD • He seized the throne after killing his brothers • Military campaigns expanded China from Manchuria to Vietnam to the Aral Sea • He created a unified code of laws for all of eastern Asia
Empress Wu Zhao • By 668 AD China defeated Korea in military campaigns, • The ruler at the time was Empress Wu Zhao • She held power as Regent from 660AD until 705AD • In 690 she declared herself the official emperor • She was the only woman to ever be emperor in Chinese history
Tang Government • Re-instituted civil service positions • This restored a functional bureaucracy • Although the positions were opened to all men, only the wealthy could afford the schooling necessary to perform well
Tang Loses power • Tang emperors had to raise taxes during the 700’s to cover the costs of expansion • 751 Muslim armies defeated the Chinese at the Battle of Talas • 907 AD the last Tang child emperor was murdered
The Song Empire 960-1279 AD • China was again divided into separate kingdoms • 960 AD General Taizu reunited China and became the first Song Emperor • Paid tributes of silver, silk and tea to northern invaders to keep peace • In1127: • The Jurchen people conquered northern China establishing the Jin in North and Song in South
Golden Age • Population doubled, to 100 million people • Science and Technology • Moveable type • Printers could arrange blocks of individual characters to make a page for printing • Gunpowder • Used for fireworks later for guns and bombs • Paper Money, Porcelain, mechanical clocks, magnetic compass • Agriculture • Imported a new type of rice that could be harvested twice a year • Production of more food to feed population
Golden Age • Art: Paintings reflected beauty and balance and nature • Poetry • Li Bo who wrote about life’s pleasure • Tu Fu who praised Confucian virtues and was critical about hardships of war
Changes in Society • People moved to cities and had more social mobility (Urbanization) • Aristocratic power faded • A new class of scholar officials called gentry emerged • Attained status through education and civil service rather than land ownership • Middleclass under them – merchants, shopkeepers, artisans • Lowest class: laborers, soldiers, servants • Countryside- peasants
Women • Women were subservient to Men • Especially among upper-class • Peasant women worked in the fields • Foot binding: • A sign of wealth for women • As a child, girls feet were bound in tight cloth • This resulted in the bones breaking, and the toes being forced under the foot • Women were immobile for life
The Mongols • Nomads living on the Asian Steppe – North of China and Asia • It is very dry and has harsh temperature changes • The Nomads were pastoralists: nomadic herders • Genghis Kahn • United the Mongols (One of the nomadic ethnic groups) • For 21 years he lead them to conquer much of Asia • 1211 conquered the Jin Empire, and then went into the Muslim world
The Mongols • Kublai Khan • Genghis Khan’s grandson • 1279 invaded and took over China • Established the Yuan Dynasty • United China after 300 years of separation • Considered one of China’s Great Emperors