Tang and Song Dynasties Mongol Invasions and Ming

Tang and Song Dynasties, Mongol Invasions, and Ming Dynasty

Achievements – Pre- Tang Dynasty • Built the Grand Canal, which connected the Yellow River in the north and the Yangzi River in the south • Farmers and merchants in the south (rice) used the canal to connect to the North • Government and military officials could travel and control citizens • Many died while building the canal

Pre-Tang Dynasty (Sui Dynasty) Achievements • Repaired and lengthened the Great Wall • Provided security from Northern invaders which allowed cultural and economic growth • Many died while building the wall, and buried among the bricks: giving it the nickname “The world’s longest cemetery”

Tang Dynasty • 618 -907 CE: Golden Age of culture • China was the richest most powerful country in the world

Tang Dynasty-Government: Aristocracy • Used civil service exams but…. . • The aristocrats (gentry) – the wealthy landowning class – got most jobs • Civil service exams favored aristocrats

Tang Dynasty-Government • Only dynasty to have a female emperor: Empress Wu Chao • Ruled with an iron fist: if anyone threatened her, they risked being killed

Tang Dynasty-Military • One of the biggest empires in Chinese history • Stretched from inner Mongolia in the north, to Vietnam in the south to Korea in the east, to Kashmir in the west

Tang Dynasty-Economics • Reopened the silk road- a system for trade, travel, communication, exchange of ideas • From China to the West: silk, porcelain, jade, tea, paper, printing, farming methods, weapons • From the West to China: glass, rugs, horses, silver, medicine, spices, Christianity, Islam

Tang Dynasty-Economics • Equal Field System- redistributed land • Citizens were classified into ranks and land was given equally to members of various ranks • Citizens paid taxes on how much land they received • Government benefited from increased number of taxpayers, limited power of rural aristocrats, and loyalty of peasants who got land • Benefited commoners and peasants by giving them a chance to gain wealth

Tang Dynasty-Religion • Buddhism very popular in beginning but Tang leaders based their government on Confucian ideals and feared the growing power of Buddhists • Confucian Tang ruler, Wu Zong, repressed Buddhism. • He burned texts, took lands from Buddhist temples, destroyed many temples and turned others into schools.

Tang Dynasty-Culture • Chinese culture flourished during this period • Tang artists and poets were influenced by Daoism and stressed the beauty, power, harmony, and peace of nature • Li Bo and Du Fu- very famous Chinese poets and Wu Daozifamous artist lived at this time • Made amazing objects in clay • Even government officials painted, wrote, studied poetry, and made pottery

Song Dynasty • 960 -1279 CE • Song China was limited to provinces south of the Great Wall

Song Dynasty -Government • Strengthened the system of meritocracy • Started ruling according to Confucian beliefs: – 1. Scholarly class of civil servants – 2. Stablility and harmony in social order can only result from respecting hierarchies • People joined the bureaucracy by passing civil service examinations-this ensured only intelligent and talented people became civil servants

Song Dynasty-Government • Tests very difficult - though rare, people from lower classes could become officials • Only 2 -10% of test takers would reach the final test and receive a position in govt. • If you passed you became a scholar official - an educated member of the government • Scholar officials were considered elite members of society and were highly respected and admired for their knowledge and ethics

Song Dynasty-FARMING • Chinese farming excelled • New Irrigation techniques, Dug underground wells, Dragon Backbone pump-light portable pump that allowed farmers to scoop up water and pour it into a canal • Discovery of fast ripening rice= 2 or 3 harvests a year • Began growing tea, cotton

Song Dynasty-Economy • Merchants also became wealthy by selling the surplus crops to cities and neighboring areas such as Korea, Japan, Persia, Arab world and East Africa • Invented paper money-first time in history merchants didn’t have to carry bags of coins • Power of merchant class and importance of cities rose

INVASION OF THE MONGOLS • Mongols: Genghis Khan • Skilled warriors (used gunpowder and cannons) • Nomadic in Central Asia • Horsemen

Expansion of Mongol Territory • See map on p. 309 in textbook • Pax Mongolica – economic growth and cultural exchange

Reign of Kublai Khan • Yuan Dynasty (1271 – 1368) • Built a giant palace in Cambaluc (Beijing) • Welcomed foreign visitors Ibn Battuta (African) Marco Polo (Venetian)

MARCO POLO • Describes Kublai Khan’s palace as “the greatest palace there ever was. ” This is a drawing of the palace

Ming Dynasty • Restored meritocracy – civil service exams • Economic expansion – rice farming; porcelain making; printing; canal repairing; landscape painting; poetry writing; novels; Chinese opera…

Voyages of Zheng He • In 1405, sailed throughout Asia and Africa • Ships 400 ft long • Showed many the power of China

The Forbidden City • Forbidden City Built 1406 -1420 – It is the imperial palace (where the emperors live)

China Turned Inward • 1433 – Zheng He died – Ming emperor banned ship making – traveling and sailing declined – Confucian leaders looked at bettering China, rather than abroad