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Post Classical China

Song Dynasty

Post Classical China

Sui, Tang, Song

In Rome—political fragmentation

China regained unity under Sui Dynasty (589-618)

Great Canal system –”an engineering feat without parallel in the world of its time” Linked China north and south economically and

enabled prosperity

Tang and Song

Tang 618-907

Song 960-1279

Renewed unity

“Gold Age” of Chinese Achievement

Neoconfucianism—Confucianism incorporating insights of Buddhism and Daoism

Politically— created 6 ministries (finance, personnel, rites, army, justice, public works)

China’s “Mona Lisa”: Beijing Qingming scroll

What does this scroll tell you about China during the Song Dynasty?

Golden Age

Exam System—reinstated and further entrenched

Ability to print books

Placing numbers on exams not names—also, people were searched when taking the exam- prevent cheating

Basing system on merit- a challenge to aristocracy (usually found a way around it anyway)

Great inventions

Paper

Printing

Gunpowder

Compass

Song Economic Revolution

Made China “by far the richest, most skilled, and most populous country on earth”

Endured GREAT population Growth From 60 million during Tang to 120 million by 1200. Why would this be—must have to do with food production.

Remarkable achievements in agricultural production, particularly the adoption of a fast ripening and drought resistant strain of rice from Vietnam

MOST IMPORTANT: producing for the market, rather than for local consumption became a very widespread phenomenon.

Paper money contributed to Chinese commercialization

Urbanization

China became the most urbanized country in the world

Marco Polo would describe Hangzhou (city): “beyond dispute the finest and noblest city in the world”

Supplying cities with food—thanks to network of canals, rivers, lakes.

Cheap transportation: “world’s most populous trading area”

Iron Production

Industrial production soared

Supplied metal for coins, armor, arrowheads, tools, construction, bells in Buddhist monasteries

Women in Song Dynasty

LESS THAN GOLDEN AGE

Turning point in history of Chinese patriarchy

During Tang Steppe nomads had introduced a life that favored females (women rode horses, participated in social life)—however by Song Dynasty a restored Confucianism

Tightened patriarchal restrictions on women

Restored earlier Han images of female submission and passivity

Sima Guang on Women

“The boy leads the girl, the girl follows the boy’ the duty of husbands to be resolute and wives to be docile begins with this”

Women were distraction to men’s pursuit of a contemplative life

Foot binding

Began to spread during Tang

Elite families at first

New images of female beauty and eroticism that emphasized small size, delicacy, and reticence

In other ways there was progress for women– property rights expanded

Women were educated more– for the sake of educating their sons.

Thus tightened and gave women opportunities

China’s Many Interactions

How did China view its nomadic neighbors—visa versa

China is NOT self contained

China’s most enduring interaction with foreigners lay to the north—nomadic pastoral peoples of the steppes

They traded, were raided

Nomads also saw China as a threat The Great Wall was built in their face Prevented trading at some times Sometimes the Chinese sent military campaigns directed at nomads The Chinese needed nomad’s horses Skins, furs, hides were also valuable to Chinese Pastoral Nomads also controlled parts of the Silk Road

The Tribute System

Way of Chinese managing relationships with surrounding people

“A set of practices that required non Chinese authorities to acknowledge Chinese superiority and their own subordinate place in a Chinese centered world order.”

Kowtow—series of ritual bowings and prostrations and present their tribute to emperor

What did they get in exchange: access to trade

Tribute with Xiongnu

In reality– the Xiongnu were just as powerful

Xiongnu had the power to devastate China

Chinese promised Xiongnu grain, wine, silk as “gifts”

In reality, tribute in reverse or “protection money”

In return- Xiongnu would refuse military incursions into China

The Chinese were not always able to dictate the terms of the tribute system

Unlike the people of Southern China who absorbed Chinese culture, northern nomads maintained own culture

Tribute: Korea, Vietnam, Japan

Newly emerging states of Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.

Unlike northern nomads, these cultures were sedentary and agricultural

Unlike people in SOUTHERN China, these people were influenced by China but NEVER became Chinese

KOREA

Korea and China

Resisted Chinese political control

Participated in China’s tribute system Leaders embraced connection with China Wanted to become a “miniature China” To Korea from China:

Luxury goods Ceremonial clothing Silk Teas Confucian and Buddhist texts Artwork Korean students went to China—studied Confucianism, natural sciences,

the arts Confucian schools were set up in Korea HOW DO YOU THINK CHINESE CULTURE IMPACTED WOMEN IN KOREA?

KOREA

KOREA remained Korean

688—Political independence

Chinese influence was mostly towards the elite

Buddhism though was a great impact

Vietnam

Like Korea, the elite culture of Vietnam borrowed heavily from China

Adopted Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, administrative techniques, exam system, artistic and literary styles

Vietnam achieved political independence

Participated in tribute system

Differences with Vietnam

The Vietnamese heartland was incorporated into China for over 1000 years.

Chinese regarded Vietnamese as Southern Barbarians

Chinese saw them as another rice producing area

Elite were educated in Chinese culture

Some rebellions to go against Chinese rule/influence

Took to the 10th century for Vietnam to rebel as a separate state

Vietnam as a separate state

Emperors like China

Claimed the Mandate of Heaven

Chinese court rituals

More so than Korean—Chinese based exam system in Vietnam

Merit based scholar gentry class

Vietnamese remained committed to Chinese culture

Vietnam

Beyond the elite there remained much that was uniquely Vietnamese i.e. cockfighting Greater role of women in social and economic life Female Buddha Language

Japan

Unlike Korea and Vietnam, the Japanese islands were physical separated from China by 100 miles of Ocean

Thus Japan’s vey extensive borrowing from Chinese civilization was voluntary –not under threat

Began to develop a centralized bureaucratic state like China

Japan—not the same bureaucratic system

Japan would become decentralized

Would become feudalistic

Shinto was never replaced by Buddhism

Marriages were made and broken often

DEVELOPED MORE DISTINCT due to geographic location Separate from China physically