the sui and tang dynasties
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The Sui and Tang Dynasties. Chapter 10 (pp. 284 – 291). China’s Hegemony. For most of the period 600 – 1450 C.E., Chinese dynasties established regional hegemony over East Asia China became the strongest civilization in the world - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Sui and Tang Dynasties
Chapter 10 (pp. 284 – 291)
China’s Hegemony For most of the period 600 – 1450 C.E., Chinese
dynasties established regional hegemony over East Asiao China became the strongest civilization in the world
o Dynasties like the Sui, Tang and Song reconstituted governments that combined traditional sources of power & legitimacy with innovations better suited to the current circumstances
The Sui Dynasty 581 – 618 C.E. Centralized imperial rule Built the Grand Canal
o State-sponsored commercial infrastructure
o Manmade waterways that connected the major rivers in China
o Increased volume/variety of trade
The Tang Dynasty 618 – 907 Li Shimin seized China’s capital Xi’an
(Chang’an) and proclaimed himself emperor of the Tang Dynasty
Accomplishments of the Tang Strong
transportation/communication systemso Grand Canalo Built/maintained an
advanced road systemo Continued to use Silk
Roads & Indian Ocean Maritime System• Cultural/technological
transfers between Tang and Abbasids
• Chinese merchants setup diasporic communities through Southeast Asia
The Battle of Talas
The Tang Tribute System
Tribute Systemo Existed in earlier
dynasties, but was expanded/enhanced to support the enormous Tang dynasty
o Neighboring realms were required to pay tribute in forms of gifts or money• China acted as “the
Middle Kingdom”
Religion in the Tang Buddhism had been growing in
China since its Classical Periodo Mostly Mahayana Buddhism
• It allowed easier incorporation to Chinese culture
o Empress Wu (690 – 705) was a strong supporter of Buddhism• Contributed huge sums to
monasteries and to commission paintings & sculptures• More than 50,000 temples were
built• Buddhist art, literature and cultural
traditions flourished• Ex. Wu Daozi
The Art of Wu Daozi
The Collapse of the Tang
Over time, tensions between Confucianists & Buddhists grewo Stemmed from ideological & economic
differences In the 9th century, Confucian scholar
bureaucrats along with emperor Wuzong conspired to end Buddhist influenceo Burned thousands of monasteries &
forced Buddhist monks to flee Results
o Confucianism reemerged as dominant belief system
o Tang Dynasty weakened due to internal turmoil and again China declined into a period of decentralization
The Song Dynasty
Chapter 10 (pp. 291 – 297)
The Song Dynasty
Song reunited China in 960o Emphasized civil administration, industry, education and
art• “Golden Era” in terms of finance & technology
o Strong centralized government• Increased size of merit-based bureaucratic system (civil
service)
Problems Under the Song
Financeso Large bureaucratic system
was expensive, so taxes were raised
o Led to free peasant revolts Military
o Led by scholar bureaucrats• Little understanding of how
to direct armieso Jurchens (northern nomads)
& other groups overran the northern part of the Song Empire
o 1279, Mongols conquered the southern Song
Economic Revolutions of the Tang and Song
Changes in economy began in Tang & were refined in Song
Revolutionso Increased agricultural production to deal with
growing population• Fast-ripening rice from Vietnam• Improved irrigation techniques
o Urbanization• Tang capital Chang’an
• Largest city in the world at the time• Song capital Hangzhou
Economic Revolutions of the Tang and Song
Revolutions (continued)o Technological innovations
• Porcelain (chinaware)• Improved iron & steel
metallurgy• Gunpowder• Movable type printing• Magnetic compass
o Financial inventions• As trade grew, merchants
developed paper money• Letters of credit called
“flying cash” allowed merchants to move money (like a bank)
• Primitive checking
Neo-Confucianism Neo-Confucianism
o Focused less on social & political order, and more on the soul & spiritual relationships
o Reconciled relationship with Buddhismo Influenced many civilizations throughout East &
Southeast Asia
Patriarchal Social Structures Patriarchal structure grew
more rigido Especially for the upper-classes
• Foot binding• Demonstrated class &
subservience to males