Were the Sui and the Tang the Qin and the Han redeux?

Qin BCE

Han 206 BCE CE

Sui Dynasty

Sui Dynasty Like the Qin, come from north; reunite China Builds Grand Canal from south to north– what’s the significance? Short-lived: corvee labor, high taxes, constant wars Moral: can’t act like conquerors and run a country – re: Qin

Tang

Tang Dynasty ( ) Reinstate Confucian educational system, bureaucracy – common culture of administrators throughout China Equal field system - land was regularly reapportioned to ensure equal holdings. Why? Expand borders into Central Asia. What ’ s the danger? Develop the “ Tribute ” system with Central Asian tribal peoples Technological improvements: steel, gunpowder, smallpox vaccine, abacus, moveable wooden type, canals “Fast-growing rice” – adopted from Vietnamese

“Terracing hillsides” to flood the rice paddies – fast growing rice produced two crops a year

Tang Dynasty Decline ( ) Political and economic systems start to break down after 150 years More land in the hands of rich – transfer of wealth to the gentry Tenant farming, bad times lead to peasant revolts: less income for imperial government Rebellious generals Emperors invite the barbarians to cross the borders – Uighurs (like Germanic tribes in Rome?) Moral: Keeping power centralized in a big state is a never-ending struggle

Northern Song

Song Dynasty State-Building: Institute Confucian exams as we think of them today Pay off barbarians, but also institute policy of “using barbarians to fight barbarians” Make a big mistake in dealing with barbarians in the early 12 th century; repeat it 100 years later

Oops! Southern Song

Song Dynasty Economic and demographic growth: 45 million population in 600 – 100 million in 1100 Development of cash crops – extensive trade Huge tax revenues available to state Perhaps 20% of population lives in cities What is the downside of the big city? Inequality, poverty also grows Moral: Was Song economic and foreign policy wise or misconceived?

China’s Grand Canal

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Great Wall