Chap 11.1 Flashcards
The Han dynasty ruled China from ______ to ______.
How long was their rule?
The Han dynasty ruled China from 206 BC to AD 220 (more than 400 years).
What happened after the Han dynasty?
What was this period called?
After the dynasty collapsed, military leaders split China into rival kingdoms, -period of disorder and warfare that historians call the Period of Disunion
What was the Period of Disunion like?
- Nomads invaded northern China, formed own kingdoms
- Many northern Chinese fled south to region of Yangzi River
- A number of southern dynasties rose, fell
How did Chinese civilization blend together?
- Nomadic invaders in north adopted aspects of Chinese civilization
- Northern Chinese immigrants’ culture blended with local cultures in south; arts, philosophy flowered
How long did the Period of Disunion last?
What ended it?
The Period of Disunion lasted more than 350 years, ending when a northern ruler named Wendi reunified China.
What dynasty came next, founded by Wendi?
Founding of the Sui dynasty.
What was the government like in Sui dynasty?
- Wendi: Built centralized government
- Restored order, created new legal code, reformed bureaucracy
- Created policies to provide adult males with land
What was the greatest achievement of Sui dynasty?
When was it completed?
Grand Canal
Greatest accomplishment of Sui dynasty, completed during reign of Yangdi, Wendi’s son
What was the Grand Canal?
1,000 mile waterway linked northern, southern China.
What led to end of the Sui dynasty?
Yangdi forced millions of peasants to work on canal;
led to discontent, rebellion
In 618, Yangdi assassinated, Sui dynasty ended
What dynasty came after the Sui ended?
When was this dynasty’s rule?
The Tang Dynasty
Tang dynasty ruled 618 to 907
What did the Tang dynasty achieve?
- Chinese influence spread
- China experienced period of brilliance, prosperity, cultural achievement
- Government, other institutions served as models across East Asia
Where was 1st capital of Tang dynasty?
Where was its 2nd capital?
- Established capital at Chang’an, Sui capital
- Second capital located at Luoyang
How was government during Tang dynasty?
- Government control remained centralized
- Government served as models across East Asia
How were people able to work for the government?
- To obtain talented officials, Tang expanded civil service examination system
- People had to pass written exams to work for government
What kind of law did Tang dynasty create?
Created flexible law code;
model for law codes in Korea, Japan
How did Tang dynasty conduct foreign affairs?
Which foreign places did Chinese influence reach?
- Tang expanded China, Chinese influence
- Gained influence over Korea
- Contact with Japan increased; Japanese scholars came to China to study
- Expansion, increased contact with others grew foreign trade
When did much of the expansion occur?
•Much of expansion occurred during reign of Taizong, 626 to 649
How did Taizong govern?
Who did he rely on?
- Taizong relied on talented ministers to help govern
- In addition to military conquests, Taizong had schools built to prepare students for civil service exams
- After his death, one of his sons became emperor
What dynasty came after the Tang?
The Song Dynasty
How did Tang dynasty end?
What happened to China after?
•China split apart after Tang dynasty (Rebellion, bad leadership, invasion…),
- did not reunify until 960 with Song dynasty
How long did Song dynasty rule?
What was China like during this dynasty?
- Song ruled for about 300 years.
- Under Song, Chinese civilization became most advanced in world
Where was capital during Song dynasty?
What was restored during Song dynasty?
Song established capital at Kaifeng,
restored centralized government control:
civil service examination system, Confucian ethics
What were the benefits of the civil service exams?
Those who passed the exams became ________
- Extremely difficult to pass; those who did became scholar-officials
- Received good salary, were respected
- Civil service exams became more open to ordinary people
- Exams pathway to gaining wealth, status
What part of China did Song dynasty rule?
Southern Song
- Song rulers never regained northern or western lands lost by Tang
- Tried to buy peace by sending gifts to Nomads
- Song lasted 150 more years in the South
Who ruled northern part of China?
•1120s, nomadic people, Jurchen, conquered northern China, founded Jin empire
What were the cultural achievements of the Tang and Song dynasties?
The Tang and Song dynasties were periods of great cultural achievement.
Art and literature flourished, and many inventions and advances occurred in science and technology.
What were achievements in Lterature and Art?
- Tang period produced some of China’s greatest poets
- Du Fu, Li Bo, two most famous
- Poems of Confucian ideals, joys of life
What were achievements in Painting?
- Reached new heights
- Wu Daozi, murals
What did artisans create?
What did Tang artisans make?
What did Song artisans excel at?
- Exquisite objects made from clay
- Tang: pottery figurines, often to go in tombs
- Song: excelled at making porcelain
What were achievements in architecture?
What were the famous structures?
- Indian Buddhist temples influenced design of Chinese pagoda
- Featured roofs at each floor curving upwards at corners
What were inventions during this time?
•Gunpowder major invention, used in fireworks, weapons
What was the magnetic compass?
- Uses Earth’s magnetic field to show direction
- Revolutionized sea travel, contributed to world exploration
What were achievements in printing?
- Paper, ink invented earlier
- Tang period, developed woodblock printing
- Text carved into wood, coated with ink, pressed on paper
What was invented that revolutionized printing?
Moveable Type
- Another type of printing
- Uses blocks on which letters, characters carved
- Blocks rearranged, reused to print many things
- Faster than woodblock, spread to Europe, revolutionized printing
What was another Song invention?
Paper Money
- Another Song invention
- Had used bulky metal disks placed on strings
- Paper money light, easy to use, quickly spread in use in China
What was the Tang and Song periods known for?
Prosperity and Society
In addition to cultural achievements, the Tang and Song periods were a time of growth and prosperity
What was achieved in agriculture?
How?
•Chinese agriculture became more productive
–New irrigation techniques
–New variety of rice
–Production of cotton, tea increased
- Increased food production contributed to population growth
- Tang population 60 million, Song population 100 million
What were achievements in trade?
- Improvements in roads, canals increased trade within China
- Foreign trade: Silk Roads
- Late Tang: advances in sailing, shipbuilding helped sea trade
- Song: merchants became important in society; money, banking began to develop
Where did most people live?
What was city life like?
- As farming, trade grew so did China’s cities
- China had largest cities in world
- Tang capital, Chang’an, population more than 1 million, many cultures
- Song dynasty, several cities had million or more
- Despite urban growth, most Chinese still lived, farmed in countryside
What were the social levels in society?
What new class developed?
Who were most people?
- Power of aristocratic families declined during period
- New class developed, gentry
- Included scholar-officials, leading landowners
- Most still peasants
- Paid most of taxes, little schooling
What was status of women?
What horrible custom developed?
- Status of women declined
- Desire for small, dainty feet led to custom of footbinding
- Painful process to keep feet from growing, deformed feet over time
- Symbol of husband’s authority
