Tang, Song and Ming Dynasties

World History - Libertyville HS

Post Han China• Han Dynasty ended in

220 AD• Jin Period (265-618 AD)– Political fragmentation– Three main forces

fighting for dominance• Northern kingdom• Southern kingdom• Nomads

• Sui Dynasty unified China for 40 years but lost to Tang Dynasty

T’ang Dynasty (618-907 AD)• Economic, cultural

flowering of China• Buddhism established as

state religion• Int’l trade routes

maintained (traders in China)

• Two main trade routes– Silk Road (Persians, Indians,

Muslims – 639 AD)– Ocean Trade throughout E.

Asian coastal areas incl. Korea, Japan (70+ countries!)

T’ang Culture & Government

• At height, T’ang China / allies / client states controlled from Caspian Sea to SE Asia

• Ideal T’ang Man– Scholar, Poet, Painter,

Statesman– Ideal person today?

• Perfection of civil service– Hard tests based on Conf.– Career bureaucrats were

commoners, not nobility (no ambition for Imperial throne)

T’ang Government & Culture• Rice cultivation greatly

expanded (pop to 100 million)

• Roads, canals, irrigation built

• Poetry, literature & arts flourished– Painting with strong

Taoist influence• New Social Order

Emperor & Royal

Family

Gentry (Civil

Servants)

Urban middle class (merchants)

Urban lower class (laborers, soldiers, servants)

Peasants (worked farms of rich)

T’ang Dynasty• Inventions of T’ang– Block printing (carve

into block, stamp on paper)

– Gunpowder (fireworks)– Mechanical clocks

(wind, w/ gears)– Porcelain (hard white

ceramic)

Oldest dated block print from China, 868 AD

Fall of the T’ang• Lost fights against

Persian & Indian Muslims• After 816 AD, rebellions

weakened state• High taxes sped the

disintegration of the state

• Ten Kingdoms Period (907-960 AD)– Political fragmentation– 10 kingdoms, 5 dynasties

rule

Song Dynasty (960-1279)• General finally took

over, est. Song Dynasty• Empire smaller than

T’ang, but stable• Early 1100s – invasion

by Jurchens from N– Loss northern half of

China– Jurchens est. own

Empire, the Jin– Jin invaded by Genghis

Khan

Song Dynasty Accomplishments• Ten cities of one

million + inhabitants• 1020s – paper money,

making trade easier• 1040 – invented

magnetic compass (navigation)

• Algebra advancements

• Refined gunpowder– Cannon– Primitive flamethrower

Chinese flamethrower;2 pistons shot out Stream of flaming oil /Gas combo

Song Dynasty “Industrial Revolution”

• By 1078, Song Dynasty producing 125,000 tons of iron, per year!

• Equal to 1.5 kg per person

• Compare to Europe, at same time: 0.5 kg / per person

• Iron used to mass produce tools, esp. plows, hammers, etc

Chinese blast furnace;Waterwheel driving furnace

Fall of Song Dynasty• Long, bitter struggle

against Mongols eventually ended with defeat of Song

• Defeated by 1279• Estimated 50 million

Chinese killed during war – about 50% of population

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)• Nobility Resurgence– Population of China back

to 120 million by 1600– Regained past prestige,

power• Exploration: Zheng-He– Eunuch in service of

emperor– Seven voyages in

Treasure Ships– Purpose: expand trade,

contact new peoples• Isolation and stagnation– New emperor cut off

further exploration, trade– Closed borders, threw out

foreigners cut off contact with rest of world

Dimensions:350-400 feet long, 150 feet wide; weighed 14,000+ tons displacement

Fleets had 62 ships, 27000 crew, incl. soldiers, merchants, etc

Treasure Ship – compared to size of Columbus’ Santa Maria

Fall of Ming Dynasty• Ming Dynasty

conquered by Manchu

• Manchu were nomads from the North

• Manchu est. dynasty that lasted until 1912