Book 1, Chapter 4, Set 5 Flashcards

Question

Describe China between the Tang and Song dynasties. (page 162)

Answer 1

In 907 CE, the nomadic Qian people founded the Liao dynasty. From 947 CE, the Qidan Liao ruled over part of northern China, while the south fragmented into the Ten Kingdoms. Northern rule of China then fell under the control of a short succession of Five Dynasties until China was reunified under the first emperor of the Song in 960 CE.

Answer 2

Zhao Kuangyin was a general under the Later Zhao, the last of the Five Dynasties. In 960 CE, he usurped the throne and founded the Song dynasty, taking the imperial name Taizu. With a mixture of guile and persuasion, he reunified the states of China, except for the lands of the Qidan Liao. Taizu established his capital at Kaifeng, reviving the administrative system of the Tang government in a modified form.

Answer 3

There was a renewed interest in literature and the arts. Song architecture also became famous during this period, especially for its pagodas, palaces, and temple roofs. Administrative and technological progress created an economic boom. Sichuan merchants had begun to exchange notes instead of carrying massive amounts of copper coins, and this practice became so popular that the government created its first paper currency in 1024 CE. An integrated system of waterways also extended both the communication and trade networks. Large junks with four or six masts were developed, the magnetic compass was first used, and seafaring skills were improved. This led to increased trade with the rest of East Asia, as well as with India and the east coast of Africa. New methods of rice farming increased food output and doubled the population, and towns and cities grew along the main waterways and the southern coast. Kaifeng became the most populous city in the world, doing nearly 50 percent more trade in parts of the 12th century than London did at the turn of the 18th.

Answer 4

Under the Song, the examination system of the Han was revived and expanded, with quotas now set for the number of candidates who could pass with each degree. Steps were taken to guard against cheating and to ensure anonymity. Scholars would constantly proposed reforms for the Song government. One of the most famous and the greatest reformer was Wang Anshi, tasked with solving the nation's problems by Emperor Shenzong. Targeting the dynasty's lack of funds (which was determined to be the dynasty's key weakness), Anshi imposed a government monopoly on tea, challenged wealthy families who evaded taxes, and offered interest-free loans to peasants burdened with debt. To reduce the cost of the army, he required every household to supply men for a local militia. These reforms caused an outcry, and the controversy of them permanently weakened the dynasty.

Answer 5

The Song dynasty constantly had to deal with challenges from peoples to the north. The Qidan Liao still controlled part of northern China, and in 1115 CE, the Jurchen, a semi-nomadic people from Manchuria, established the Jin dynasty. In 1125, they overran the Qidan Liao, and two years later they captured Kaifeng. The Song court had to flee south, creating the Southern Song. The Song emperors would eventually fix their new capital at Hangzhou. Although militarily weak, the Southern Song presided over a period of economic growth and social change. Under the Southern Song, Neo-Confucianists borrowed ideas from Daoism and Buddhism, and their ideas were synthesized by the scholar Zhu Xi. He emphasized the Dao, or "Way", as a philosophical path that one could follow through self-cultivation and the study of Confucian classics. Neo-Confucian values also led to a decline in the rights of women. The marriage of widows was discouraged, and women's property rights were curtailed. Unfortunately, foot binding also became established during the Song period.

Answer 6

The Mongols destroyed the Jurchen Jin dynasty in 1234 CE., taking control of north China. After 50 years of fighting, the Song fell to Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, in 1279.