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

Reunification and Renaissance in Chinese Civilization: The Era of Tang and Song Dynasties Mrs. Mills

Sui Dynasty • 589-618 CE • Led by Wendi- won widespread support by lowering taxes for most and establishing granaries throughout the land • These bins stored grains in large cities and in each village of the empire to ensure that the people would be fed even if there was a drought or flood

Yangdi • Yangdi- son of Wendi • Murdered father to reach the throne • Restored the examination system for regulating entry into the bureaucracy • promoted scholar gentry in the imperial administration (must pass an exam to hold position in bureaucracy)

Demise of the Sui • Yangdi is overly fond of luxury and extravagant construction projects • Very hard on his people- literally worked them to death • Comparable to the Qin (great wall of China) • Led his people into series of unsuccessful wars • Yangdi assassinated by his own administration in 618 – will China return to a period of warring states?

Emergence of Tang Empire • 618-907 Li Yuan a former supporter of the Sui emerged as leader and kept China from falling into an era of warring states and disorganization • Tang armies conquered deep into central Asia, as far as present day Afghanistan • Tang emperors also completed repairs started on the Great Wall

Growth of Tang • Tang dynasty extends to parts of Tibet in the west, the Red River valley homeland of the Vietnamese in the south, and Manchuria in the north • In a matter of decades the Tang had built an empire that was far larger than even that of the early Han empire

Rebuilding the Bureaucracy • Despeartely needed loyal and well educated officials to govern the many people under their control • Revive scholar gentry elite • From Tang era on power in China is split between imperial family and buractras of the civil service system.

Examination System continues to Grow • Highest offices could only be gained by those who were able to pass exams on philosophical or legal classics and the even more difficult exams on Chinese literature. • Those who passed Chinese literature exams earned the title jinshi. • Earned special social status and names were announced throughout the empire

Religion during the Tang • Increasing state patronage for Confucian learning threatened Buddhism • However, members of the elite/educated classes seemed more attracted to Chan or ZEN Buddhism because of its emphasis on meditation and appreciation of natural and artistic beauty • Tang promotes Buddhism while still trying to promote education on the Confucian Classics • Empress Wu(690-705)- tried to elevate Buddhism to the official state religion

Daoism and Confucianism • Daoism and Confucian scholar administration try to appeal to masses and weaken Buddhist following • Eventually Confucianism emerges as central ideology of Chinese civilization for most of 9th century to 20th century China

End of the Tang • Starts to decline under Xuanzong (713-756) • Infatuated with women and one woman in particular- after passing of his wife • Allows her to gain political power and even brings her family in who become arrogant and greedy • Begin to neglect state affairs including the military and the Tang ultimately falls due to peasant uprisings and economic weakness

Song Dynasty 960-1279 • Military commander emerges to reunite China under a single dynasty. • Zhao Kuangyin • Scholarly man • Considered very honest and well liked • Able general • Renamed emperor Taizu, rules most of China, except one area

Early Problems • The one rival Raizu could not defeat was the northern Liao Dynasty • Founded in 907 by nomadic Khitan people from Manchuria • Showed a weakness of the Song empire in dealing with nomadic peoples of the north • Plagued dynasty from ealry years to its eventual destruction in late 13th century

Revival of Confucian Thought • Even more people take and pass the cival service exams than under the Tang dynasty • Government full of people who pass exams, but because there are so many, they do not have much to do • Most prominent thinker of this era becomes Zhu Xi- stresses the importance of applying philosophical principles to everyday life • Become known as Neo-Confucians- revivers of ancient Confucian teachings who believed that cultivating personal morality was the top goal for humans

Decline of Song • Kingdoms to the north like the Xi Xia and Liao begin to demand tribute (pay) from the Song dynasty for protection of their northern borders • Later kingdoms would invade and ultimately only the Southern Song dynasty remained (1167-1279)

Prosperity of Song and Tang • Population shift in China- south surpasses the north in crop production and totall population • Building of Grand Canal- Yangdi risked his throne to have this built, many died, and it was considered as much of an engineering feat as the Great Wall

Commercial Expansion • Tang conquests in central Asia and creation of the canal promoted commercial expansion in the Tang and Song eras. • This intensified contacts China and persia and reopened silk routes • International contacts increased during post classical period

Technological Advancements • Junks: Chinese ships that were considered the best ships in the world alongside the Arab dhows • Gunpowder propelled rockets aboard these ships/ mostly used for trade • First use of paper money during Tang dynasty • Major accomplishments in science, literature, technology, and arts. • Towns grew rapidly into cities/ population moved into urban areas

Family and Society in the Tang and Song • Position of women improved slightly under the Tang and Song, but towards the end of the Song dynasty their position became to decline steadily • Example: Footbinding- upperclass men during late Song had developed a preference for small feet on women • Toes were turned under and bound with silk at age five or six. Their feet were kept this way and eventually grew in a shape that was considered acceptable by prospective husbands. • This kept women close to the home at all times because they were not able to walk far

Multiple Choice Question #1 • During the political crisis following the fall of the Han, the Great Wall… • A) became ineffective as a barrier to invasion because it was held by many small kingdoms. • B) was destroyed and replaced by the Great Canal as a defensive barrier to nomadic peoples. • C) continued to serve as a barrier to the penetration of nomadic peoples. • D) provided the materials from which many Buddhist temples were constructed. • E) became a drain of Chinese resources as the government fought to keep it strong.

Multiple Choice Question #2 • What made possible the rapid revival of the empire under the Tang? • A) The abandonment of Confucianism in favor of the more widely practiced Buddhism • B) The brevity of the period of political dislocation • C) The willingness of the Tang to abandon traditional approaches to government • D) The preservation in the many kingdoms of the Confucian traditions that had been central to Chinese civilization • E) The government’s focus on using people with practical technical skills as opposed to the scholar-gentry

Multiple Choice Question #3 • Wendi was the man responsible for the… • A) banning of Confucianism. • B) banning of Buddhism. • C) establishment of the Sui dynasty. • D) return to Legalist principles of government. • E) building of an impressive Chinese navy.

Multiple Choice Question #4 • Under the first Sui emperor… • A) the Confucian scholar-gentry gained dominance. • B) the Buddhists were persecuted. • C) the merchant class gained much social prestige. • D) the Grand Canal was constructed. • E) ever-ready granaries were created to relieve the threat of famine.

Multiple Choice Question #5 • Excessive military expenses and grandiose building projects led to… • A) a widespread Buddhist rebellion. • B) the downfall of the second Sui emperor and the collapse of the dynasty. • C) the reunification of China under the Shang dynasty. • D) massive rejection of the Confucian scholar-gentry. • E) a successful peasant revolt.

Multiple Choice Question #6 • Li Yuan was… • A) a Buddhist monk who founded the Song dynasty. • B) the most famous poet of the Tang-Song era. • C) the Duke of Tang, founder of the new dynasty. • D) the second Sui emperor who murdered his father to gain the throne. • E) the most aggressive persecutor of Buddhism.

Multiple Choice Question #7 • Which of the following statements concerning entry into the Chinese bureaucracy is most accurate? • A) Although a higher percentage of candidates under the Tang received office through the examination system than during the Han dynasty, birth continued to be important in securing high office. • B) Under the Tang, family connections ceased to be of significance. • C) Although the examination system continued to be monitored, almost all officials received positions as a result of family connections. • D) The examination system was eliminated during the Tang dynasty, and only members of the imperial family served in the bureaucracy. • E) The government strove to allow fair access to all people who could demonstrate talent.

Multiple Choice Question #8 • Pure Land Buddhism… • A) appealed to the members of the Chinese elite. • B) only allowed upper-class believers. • C) was rejected by the Chinese peasantry. • D) stressed meditation and the appreciation of natural and artistic beauty. • E) stressed salvation.

Multiple Choice Question #9 • Which of the following statements concerning the Tang dynasty’s attitude toward Buddhism is most accurate? • A) Under the Tang, Buddhism became the official religion of the state. • B) After initial attempts to suppress Buddhism, later Tang emperors actually resuscitated the Buddhist monasteries, particularly in southern China. • C) Although Empress Wu attempted to have Buddhism recognized as the official religion of the state, later emperors persecuted Buddhism as an economic threat to the state. • D) From the outset, Buddhism was persecuted under the Tang. • E) Although Tang rulers disliked the practice of Buddhism, they adopted a policy of toleration.

Multiple Choice Question #10 • As a result of imperial suppression, • A) monastic orders continued to exert political influence and control landed wealth as they did in the first decades of Tang rule. • B) Buddhism restored as the primary religion of the state during the Song dynasty. • C) Buddhism gained much underground support, which eventually led to its becoming the prominent religion of China. • D) Buddhism was eradicated in China. • E) Buddhism survived in a reduced state without much political influence.

Introducing: THE DBQ • http://www.slideshare.net/MrKeatley/how-to-nail-the-dbq • http://www.slideshare.net/MrRoher/dbq-review-and-practice-2004-prompt

What is a DBQ? • Document Based Essay

Where do I start? • 1) READ and UNDERSTAND what the question is asking. • 2) Read through the documents to get a thorough understanding of each document • 3) Create 3 groupings for the documents: THINK SPRITE groupings • 4) Begin planning out thesis based on groupings

Where do I go from there? • NEXT… • 5) Write your thesis (the roadmap of your essay)- make sure it includes three groupings • 6) In each body paragraph make sure you include the SPECIFIC document and how it fits into the grouping- IDENTIFY AND ANALYZE EACH DOCUMENT • Provide an additional document that may help you better understand the topic. Do this for every grouping.

AND FINALLY… • Bring it all back together…. • You should have incorporated every single document given and thoroughly analyzed each document • You should have provided three additional documents that could have helped in your understanding and interpretation of the question • You should have included the POV found in each document • RESTATE the thesis in your conclusion

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