China
China Reunifies
When the Han fell and China split apart this was known as the Period of Disunion
During this time many nomadic people settled in China They adopted Chinese names, language and dress
The nomadic and Chinese cultures mixed As a result new types of art, music, food and clothing became popular
The Sui Dynasty Yang Jian ended the Period of Disunion He unified China and created the Sui dynasty The Sui Dynasty
The dynasty didn’t last long but they restored order to China
They connected northern and southern China with the Grand Canal
Under the Tang dynasty China grew to include many parts of Asia
The Tang dynasty is viewed as the golden age of China Taizhong is viewed as one of its greatest rulers
He unified China by: Reforming the military, Creating law codes and Land reforms (equal field system)
After the Tang dynasty fell China became divided again This period is known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
During this time a new religion, Buddhism, spread throughout China
Buddhism taught that people can escape suffering and achieve a state of peace
Many wealthy people donated land and money to help establish Buddhism in China Chinese missionaries introduced Buddhism to Japan, Korea and the rest of Asia
Buddhism was so important to China that the period from 400-845 is called the Age of Buddhism
Later people began to blend elements of Buddhism with Confucianism & Daoism to create a new way of thinking
China was again reunified under the Song Dynasty
Tang and Song
Advances in Agriculture During the Song dynasty farming improved with new irrigation techniques Advances in Agriculture
They dug underground wells and used the dragon backbone pump
The amount of farmland under cultivation increased
A new fast-ripening rice allowed farmers to grow two or three crops in the amount of time they used to grow one
Food was abundant So farmers started growing cotton and tea
Cities and Trade City Life China’s capital and largest city was Chang’an It was the largest city in the world It was known as a religious and philosophical center Cities and Trade
Trade in China and Beyond Much trade took place within China through the use of its rivers Trade in China and Beyond
The Grand Canal linked major cities The Grand Canal allowed goods and crops to be moved from agricultural areas to cities
China traded with other lands and people too Trade routes were on land They exported tea, rice, spices, jade, silk
Arts and Inventions Cai Lun invented paper Later wood block printing was created Arts and Inventions
Gunpowder was created to be used in fireworks It was later adapted for use in guns and bombs
The compass used Earth’s magnetic field to show direction
Moveable type was used to print books
Also invented paper money to replace the use of heavy coins
Confucianism and Government
The dominant philosophy in China was Confucianism
Confucius’ teachings focused on ethics
People should conduct their lives according to two basic principles ren – concern for others li – appropriate behavior Confucius argued society would function best if everyone followed these
Confucianism was not widely accepted and was officially suppressed Later became the official state philosophy
Neo-Confucianism was similar to the older philosophy But also incorporated Buddhist and Daoist concepts
The Song dynasty ran their government under a large bureaucracy Bureaucracy – body of unelected government officials Scholar-Officials
They had to pass civil service exams Passing the difficult exam made them a scholar official and an elite member of society Benefits included respect, wealth and reduced penalties for breaking the law
The Yuan and Ming Dynasties
Genghis Khan organized the Mongols into a powerful army and conquered most of Asia and part of Eastern Europe The Mongol Empire
By the time he died the Mongols ruled all of northern China
Genghis Khan’s grandson, Kublai Khan became ruler of the Mongol Empire and completed the conquest of China
Mongol Ascendancy He declared himself emperor of China This was the beginning of the Yuan dynasty which some people call the Mongol Ascendancy Mongol Ascendancy
The Mongol rulers belonged to a different ethnic group than the Chinese They spoke a different language Worshipped different gods Wore different clothing and had Different customs
The Chinese resented being ruled by foreigners The Mongols didn’t force the Chinese to accept the Mongol way of life Some Mongols did adopt Chinese culture
The Chinese had to pay heavy taxes The tax money paid for public works like extending the Grand Canal, building new roads and a new capital, Dadu (Beijing)
Mongols also protected overland trade routes and sea trade
Italian merchant, Marco Polo provided much of what we know about the Yuan dynasty He traveled around China for 25 years and served in Kublai Khan’s court When he returned to Europe he wrote about his travels
After failed attacks against Japan, a weak economy, and Chinese resentment, a rebellions broke out
A former monk named Zhu Yuanzhang led an army to victory over the Mongols
Zhu Yuanzhang became the emperor of China establishing the Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty was one of the most stable and prosperous times in Chinese history
The Forbidden City The Forbidden City was the imperial residence It included hundreds of temples, residences and government buildings Common people were forbidden from entering The Forbidden City
Ming rulers also restored the Great Wall of China They rebuilt collapsed portions of walls, connected existing walls and built new ones The wall was 2,000 miles long The Great Wall of China
Having rid China of the Mongols, the Ming worked to eliminate all foreign influence from China China Under the Ming
They got rid of many powerful officials and controlled the government themselves
In the 1430s a new Ming emperor banned foreign trade and entered China into a period of isolationism Isolationism – a policy of avoiding contact with other countries
The consequence was that the Ming dynasty was overthrown China grew weak, and the Western world was able to gain influence in China