World History Ch. 11 Section 1 Notes

Cultures of East Asia Section 1


Preview

• Starting Points Map: East Asia

• Main Idea / Reading Focus

• Sui and Tang Dynasties

• Faces of History: Wu Zhao

• The Song Dynasty

• Map: Tang and Song Dynasties

Chinese Empires


Preview, continued• Cultural Achievements

• Quick Facts: Innovations

• Prosperity and Society

Chinese Empires


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Reading Focus• How did the Sui and Tang dynasties reunify China?

• How did the Song dynasty strengthen China?

• What were some Tang and Song cultural achievements?

• How was this period a time of prosperity and social change?

Main Idea1. The Sui dynasty reunified China, after which the Tang and Song dynasties produced an age of prosperity and achievement.

Chinese Empires


The Period of Disunion lasted more than 350 years, ending when a northern ruler named Wendi reunified China, founding the Sui dynasty.

The Han dynasty ruled China from 206 BC to AD 220—more than 400 years. After the dynasty collapsed, military leaders split China into rival kingdoms. These events began a period of disorder and warfare that historians call the Period of Disunion.

• Nomads invaded northern China, formed own kingdoms

• Many northern Chinese fled south to region of Yangzi River

• A number of southern dynasties rose, fell

The Period of Disunion

Sui and Tang Dynasties

• Despite these events, Chinese civilization thrived, developed

• Nomadic invaders in north adopted aspects of Chinese civilization

• Northern Chinese immigrants’ culture blended with local cultures in south; arts, philosophy flowered

Civilization Thrived


• Greatest accomplishment of Sui dynasty, completed during reign of Yangdi, Wendi’s son

• 1,000 mile waterway linked northern, southern China

• Yangdi forced millions of peasants to work on canal; led to discontent, rebellion

• 618, Yangdi assassinated, Sui dynasty ended

Grand Canal• Wendi worked to build

centralized government

• Restored order, created new legal code, reformed bureaucracy

• Created policies to provide adult males with land, ensure availability of grain

Centralized GovernmentThe Sui Dynasty


2. Period of Brilliance• Tang dynasty ruled 618 to 907; Chinese influence spread• China experienced period of brilliance, prosperity, cultural achievement • Government, other institutions served as models across East Asia

Civil Service• To obtain talented officials, Tang expanded civil service examination system• People had to pass written exams to work for government• Created flexible law code; model for law codes in Korea, Japan

Built on Sui Foundations• Established capital at Chang’an, Sui capital• Second capital located at Luoyang• Government control remained centralized, based on bureaucracy of officials

The Tang Dynasty


Expansion• Much of expansion occurred during reign of Taizong, 626 to 649• 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

Foreign Affairs• Tang expanded China, Chinese influence• Regained western lands in Central Asia, gained influence over Korea• Contact with Japan increased; Japanese scholars came to China to

study• Expansion, increased contact with others grew foreign trade


Wu Zhao

New emperor was weak, sickly • Emperor’s wife, Wu Zhao gained power

• Following death of husband– Wu Zhao ruled through her sons

– Eventually became emperor herself—the only woman to do so in Chinese history

• Wu Zhao overthrown, 705– Dynasty reached height under Xuanzong

– During reign, 712 to 756, empire prospered


From India• Buddhism first came to China from India during Han times• During Period of Disunion many Chinese turned to Buddhism• Taught people could escape suffering, appealed to people in turmoil

Tang Decline• 750s, decline began, government weak, nomadic invasions, rebellions• Military defeats lost Tang lands in Central Asia and the north• 907, emperor killed, Tang dynasty ended

State Religion• Under Tang rule, Buddhism became state religion• Buddhist temples appeared across land, missionaries spread Buddhism • 400 to 845 in China, Age of Buddhism; ended when lost official favor

The Age of Buddhism


Summarize

How did the Sui and Tang dynasties unite and expand China?

Answer(s): built centralized government; reformed laws and policies; built Grand Canal; Tang regained land in Central Asia and gained influence over neighboring states; increased contact with other peoples


• Song established capital at Kaifeng, restored centralized government control

• Enlarged government bureaucracy, reformed civil service examination system

• Neo-Confucianism gained favor, emphasizing Confucian ethics, spiritual matters

Government and Civil Service

• China split apart after Tang dynasty

• Did not reunify until 960 with Song dynasty

• Song ruled for about 300 years, created achievement, prosperity

• Under Song, Chinese civilization became most advanced in world

After Tang DynastyThe Song Dynasty


Southern Song• Song rulers never regained northern, western lands lost by Tang

• Tried to buy peace with threatening nomads by sending lavish gifts

• 1120s, nomadic people, Jurchen, conquered northern China, founded Jin empire

• Song continued in south as Southern Song dynasty 150 more years

Civil Service Exams• Extremely difficult to pass; those who did became scholar-officials• Scholar-officials received good salary, were respected

• Civil service exams became more open to ordinary people

• Exams became pathway to gaining wealth, status


Compare

How did the Song strengthen China’s government?

Answer(s): established capital at Kaifeng and restored centralized government control, enlarged bureaucracy, reformed civil service exam


3. 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.

• Tang period produced some of China’s greatest poets

• Du Fu, Li Bo, two most famous

• Poems of Confucian ideals, joys of life

Literature and Art• Reached new

heights

• Wu Daozi, murals celebrating Buddhism, nature

• Landscapes of great beauty

• Some used only black ink

Painting• Exquisite objects

made from clay

• Tang: pottery figurines, often to go in tombs

• Song: excelled at making porcelain

• Admired, sought after worldwide

Artisans

Cultural Achievements


Architecture• Indian Buddhist temples

influenced design of Chinese pagoda

• Featured roofs at each floor curving upwards at corners

Magnetic Compass• Major Tang technical advance• Uses Earth’s magnetic field to

show direction• Revolutionized sea travel,

contributed to world exploration

Inventions• During Tang, Song periods,

China became a world leader in technology, science

• Gunpowder major invention, used in fireworks, weapons

Printing• Paper, ink invented earlier• Tang period, developed

woodblock printing• Text carved into wood, coated

with ink, pressed on paper

Inventions and Innovations


Paper Money• Another Song invention

• Had used bulky metal disks placed on strings

• As economy grew, lighter, more useful form of currency developed

• Paper money light, easy to use, quickly spread in use in China

Moveable Type• Song dynasty invented another type of printing, moveable type

• Uses blocks on which letters, characters carved

• Blocks rearranged, reused to print many things

• Faster than woodblock, spread to Europe, revolutionized printing


Identify Cause and Effect

How did Chinese innovations affect world history?

Answer(s): Gunpowder dramatically affected how wars were fought; the compass allowed for world navigation; printing innovations led to increased sharing of ideas.


In addition to cultural achievements, the Tang and Song periods were a time of growth and prosperity.

• 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

Agriculture• Improvements in roads, canals

increased trade within China • Foreign trade expanded,

mostly over land routes like Silk Roads

• Late Tang: advances in sailing, shipbuilding helped sea trade

• Song: merchants became important in society; money, banking began to develop

Trade

Prosperity and Society


• As farming, trade grew so did China’s cities• China had largest cities in world at the time• Tang capital, Chang’an, population more than 1 million, many cultures• Song dynasty, several cities had million or more; sea trade caused port cities

to boom• Despite urban growth, most Chinese still lived, farmed in countryside

• Power of aristocratic families declined during period

• New class developed, gentry• Included scholar-officials, leading

landowners• Most still peasants, farmers• Paid most of taxes, little schooling

Society• Status of women declined, most

visibly in upper classes• 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

Women

City Life


Draw Conclusions

How did footbinding reflect changes in attitudes toward women in China?

Answer(s): became symbol of husband's authority over wife; women's status declined

World History Ch. 11 Section 1 Notes

Education

Transcript of World History Ch. 11 Section 1 Notes