1. Sui Dynasty (A.D )

2. How did this dynasty rise to power?
In 589, Yang Jian conquered Chen kingdom and unified China for the first time in 400 years
Chien founded Sui Dynasty at Changan and became emperor; was later called Wen Di

3. How did this dynasty govern China?
Emperors Wen Di and Yang Di are remembered for harsh rule
Forced many peasants to fight in army or to work on public works projects

4. What belief systems did this dynasty encourage? Discourage?
Wen Di, though himself a Buddhist, encouraged practice of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism

5. How did this dynasty affect daily life in China?
Grand Canal promoted domestic trade by connecting Yellow and Yangzi rivers
Rebuilding of Great Wall provided security from northern raiders

6. Two ways this dynasty helped unite China
Undertook extensive public works projects
Extended military control over large stretches of China

7. Tang Dynasty (A.D )

8. How did this dynasty rise to power?
In 618, Li Shi Min captured Changan and Luoyang
Li Shi Min made himself Emperor Dai Zong in 626

9. How did this dynasty govern China?
Under Wu Zhao, China’s only empress, the Tang ruled one of the most geographically extensive empires in Chinese history
Government composed of departments, each with its own area
Bureaucrats upheld Confucian ideals by acting as artists and politicians

10. What belief systems did this dynasty encourage? Discourage?
Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism flourished, though Buddhism was repressed during the reign of Emperor Wu Zong

11. How did this dynasty affect daily life in China?
Equal-field system limited power or rural aristocracy
Scholar class became new ruling elite
Land reform gave some peasants a chance to gain wealth

12. Two ways this dynasty helped unite China
Emperors directly controlled the army
Equal-field system benefitted both government and commoners

13. Song Dynasty (A.D )

14. How did this dynasty rise to power?
Tai Zu emerged after 50 years of civil war to found Song dynasty at Kaifeng

15. How did this dynasty govern China?
Mongolians and Manchurians harassed China’s northern borders for 200 years
Government officials came from southern China because the north was under foreign rule
Bureaucrats selected according to scores they obtained on a civil service exams

16. What belief systems did this dynasty encourage? Discourage?
Chan (Zen) Buddhism became popular in China and East Asia

17. How did this dynasty affect daily life in China?
Power of the merchant class rose as large scale trade thrived
Cambodian strain of rice allowed Chinese farmers to double output
Technological advances produced new products

18. Two ways this dynasty helped unite China
Moved center of Chinese culture to Kaifeng
Used meritocracy to make government efficient and reliable

19. Yuan Dynasty (A.D )

20. How did this dynasty rise to power?
Dynasty founded by Kublai Khan, grandson of powerful Mongol leader Gengis Khan
Kublai Khan fought Song for 40 years before founding China’s only foreign-ruled dynasty

21. How did this dynasty govern China?
Civil-service system maintained by staffed Turks and Persians
Strict hierarchy of social service classes developed
Tax-free Mongols
Non-Chinese civil servants
Northern Chinese
Southern Chinese

22. What belief systems did this dynasty encourage? Discourage?
Kublai Khan retained shamanism
Chinese belief systems largely unaffected by Yuan rule
Under Kublai Khan’s encouragement the number of Buddhist monasteries increased

23. How did this dynasty affect daily life in China?
Yuan dynasty’s bloody wars of conquest led to the destruction of farmland
Kublai Khan maintained China’s roads and canals, but later Yuan emperors let them deteriorate

24. Two ways this dynasty helped unite China
Retained civil service, but staffed it with foreigners
Allowed Chinese belief systems to coexist with Mongol shamanism

25. Ming Dynasty (A.D )

26. How did this dynasty rise to power?
Chinese took advantage of chaos of late Yuan rule to rebel against Mongols
Rebel leader and founder of Ming Dynasty, Hong Wu, named his dynasty “brilliant”

27. How did this dynasty govern China?
Reintroduced the Civil-Service Exam
Emperors extremely powerful, often ruled as despots
Briefs periods of overseas exploration although later Ming emperors prohibited foreign trade

28. What belief systems did this dynasty encourage? Discourage?
Rebirth of adherence to Confucianism
Many Chinese combined belief in Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism

29. How did this dynasty affect daily life in China?
Rebuilt bridges, canals, roads, temples, shrines, and the walls of 500 cities
Heavy taxation and careless government produced peasant rebellion and civil war

30. Two ways this dynasty helped unite China
Secured borders of China to prevent foreign invasion
Rebuilt bridges, canals, roads, temples and shrines