Chapter 8 Flashcards
What did the collapse of the Han dynasty lead to
300 years of political fragmentation
Where did the Chinese migrate after the collapse of the Han
southward to the Yangzi river valley
Who extended the Chinese canal systems vastly and started the golden age
the Sui dynasty
What exhausted the Sui’s state resources
their ruthlessness and failure to conquer Korea
What two dynasties were built on Sui foundations
The Tang and Song
What did the Tang and Song create in their governments
six major ministries and a Censorate
What did the Censorate deal with
surveillance over the government to ensure order
What Tang and Song policy led to the proliferation of schools and colleges
the revision of the exam system
What happened in the Song dynasty that contributed to it’s prosperity and to the golden age
an economic revolution
What contributed to Song prosperity
rapid population growth, improvement in agricultural production, urbanization, great network of internal waterways, improvements in industrial production, inventions of gunpowder and printers, and superior shipbuilding and navigational tech
What was most production in China for
the market rather than local consumption
What type of money starting growing in China
paper money
Although it was the golden age what inequality was worse than before in the Song and Tang
gender hierarchy
Which women had more freedoms in the Tang
elite in the north
What were the purposes of foot binding
restriction of women and association with female beauty and eroticism
What were women’s traditional role in the industry before large scale production displaced them in the Tang and Song
textile production
What jobs did elite prosperity create demand for
concubines, entertainers,
courtesans, and prostitutes
In what ways were the position of women improved
property rights were expanded and women were more educated
With who was China’s more enduring interaction
the northern nomads
What did pastoral societies need from China
grain and other farm products
What did pastoral society leaders want from China
manufactured and luxury goods
What was a constant factor in Chinese history from the steppe people
intrusion and pressure
Why did the nomads feel threatened by the Chinese
Chinese military attacks on the steppes and the Great Wall
Why did the Chinese need the nomads
steppes provided horses and other goods and they controlled much of the silk road
What did the Chinese understand themselves as
the center of the world
What was established to manage relations with non-Chinese peoples
the tribute system
What did the tribute system require
non-Chinese authorities must acknowledge Chinese superiority (through a series of bows named kowtow) and present a tribute to the emperor
What did a non-Chinese person gain from the tribute system
he would receive trading privileges and
“bestowals” in return (often worth
more than the tribute)
What problems were presented with the tribute system
strong nomadic states would simply extort China
What states extorted China
Xiongnu confederacy (established
around 200 B.C.E.) and other Turkic empires of Mongolia
Although steppe nomads usually did not want to
conquer and rule China, where did several nomadic states invade
Northern China
Which nomads adopted Chinese ways
nomads who ruled parts of China
What did interaction between the nomads and Chinese take the form of
trade, military
conflict, negotiations, extortion, and some
cultural influence
Where in China did steppe culture influence
Northern China
What was special about the ethnicities of the founders of the Tang and Song
they were mixed Chinese and steppe nomad
What was a fad among elites in the Tang dynasty that came from outside influence
anything connected
to “western barbarians”
