1. Post Classical China

2. Song Dynasty

3. Post Classical China Sui, Tang, Song In Rome—political fragmentation
China regained unity under Sui Dynasty ( )
Great Canal system –”an engineering feat without parallel in the world of its time”
Linked China north and south economically and enabled prosperity

4. Tang and Song Tang 618-907 Song 960-1279 Renewed unity
“Gold Age” of Chinese Achievement
Neoconfucianism—Confucianism incorporating insights of Buddhism and Daoism
Politically— created 6 ministries (finance, personnel, rites, army, justice, public works)

5. China’s “Mona Lisa”: Beijing Qingming scroll

6. What does this scroll tell you about China during the Song Dynasty?

7. Golden Age Exam System—reinstated and further entrenched
Ability to print books
Placing numbers on exams not names—also, people were searched when taking the exam- prevent cheating
Basing system on merit- a challenge to aristocracy (usually found a way around it anyway)

8. Great inventions
Paper
Printing
Gunpowder
Compass

9. Song Economic Revolution
Made China “by far the richest, most skilled, and most populous country on earth”
Endured GREAT population Growth
From 60 million during Tang to 120 million by 1200.
Why would this be—must have to do with food production.
Remarkable achievements in agricultural production, particularly the adoption of a fast ripening and drought resistant strain of rice from Vietnam
MOST IMPORTANT: producing for the market, rather than for local consumption became a very widespread phenomenon.
Paper money contributed to Chinese commercialization

10. Urbanization China became the most urbanized country in the world
Marco Polo would describe Hangzhou (city): “beyond dispute the finest and noblest city in the world”
Supplying cities with food—thanks to network of canals, rivers, lakes.
Cheap transportation: “world’s most populous trading area”

11. Iron Production Industrial production soared
Supplied metal for coins, armor, arrowheads, tools, construction, bells in Buddhist monasteries

12. Women in Song Dynasty LESS THAN GOLDEN AGE
Turning point in history of Chinese patriarchy
During Tang Steppe nomads had introduced a life that favored females (women rode horses, participated in social life)—however by Song Dynasty a restored Confucianism
Tightened patriarchal restrictions on women
Restored earlier Han images of female submission and passivity

13. Sima Guang on Women
“The boy leads the girl, the girl follows the boy’ the duty of husbands to be resolute and wives to be docile begins with this”
Women were distraction to men’s pursuit of a contemplative life

14. Foot binding Began to spread during Tang Elite families at first
New images of female beauty and eroticism that emphasized small size, delicacy, and reticence
In other ways there was progress for women– property rights expanded
Women were educated more– for the sake of educating their sons.
Thus tightened and gave women opportunities

15. China’s Many Interactions
How did China view its nomadic neighbors—visa versa
China is NOT self contained
China’s most enduring interaction with foreigners lay to the north—nomadic pastoral peoples of the steppes
They traded, were raided
Nomads also saw China as a threat
The Great Wall was built in their face
Prevented trading at some times
Sometimes the Chinese sent military campaigns directed at nomads
The Chinese needed nomad’s horses
Skins, furs, hides were also valuable to Chinese
Pastoral Nomads also controlled parts of the Silk Road

16. The Tribute System
Way of Chinese managing relationships with surrounding people
“A set of practices that required non Chinese authorities to acknowledge Chinese superiority and their own subordinate place in a Chinese centered world order.”
Kowtow—series of ritual bowings and prostrations and present their tribute to emperor
What did they get in exchange: access to trade

17. Tribute with Xiongnu In reality– the Xiongnu were just as powerful
Xiongnu had the power to devastate China
Chinese promised Xiongnu grain, wine, silk as “gifts”
In reality, tribute in reverse or “protection money”
In return- Xiongnu would refuse military incursions into China
The Chinese were not always able to dictate the terms of the tribute system
Unlike the people of Southern China who absorbed Chinese culture, northern nomads maintained own culture

18. Tribute: Korea, Vietnam, Japan
Newly emerging states of Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.
Unlike northern nomads, these cultures were sedentary and agricultural
Unlike people in SOUTHERN China, these people were influenced by China but NEVER became Chinese

19. KOREA

20. Korea and China Resisted Chinese political control
Participated in China’s tribute system
Leaders embraced connection with China
Wanted to become a “miniature China”
To Korea from China:
Luxury goods
Ceremonial clothing
Silk
Teas
Confucian and Buddhist texts
Artwork
Korean students went to China—studied Confucianism, natural sciences, the arts
Confucian schools were set up in Korea
HOW DO YOU THINK CHINESE CULTURE IMPACTED WOMEN IN KOREA?

21. KOREA KOREA remained Korean 688—Political independence
Chinese influence was mostly towards the elite
Buddhism though was a great impact

22. Vietnam
Like Korea, the elite culture of Vietnam borrowed heavily from China
Adopted Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, administrative techniques, exam system, artistic and literary styles
Vietnam achieved political independence
Participated in tribute system

24. Differences with Vietnam
The Vietnamese heartland was incorporated into China for over 1000 years.
Chinese regarded Vietnamese as Southern Barbarians
Chinese saw them as another rice producing area
Elite were educated in Chinese culture
Some rebellions to go against Chinese rule/influence
Took to the 10th century for Vietnam to rebel as a separate state

25. Vietnam as a separate state
Emperors like China
Claimed the Mandate of Heaven
Chinese court rituals
More so than Korean—Chinese based exam system in Vietnam
Merit based scholar gentry class
Vietnamese remained committed to Chinese culture

26. Vietnam
Beyond the elite there remained much that was uniquely Vietnamese
i.e. cockfighting
Greater role of women in social and economic life
Female Buddha
Language

27. Japan
Unlike Korea and Vietnam, the Japanese islands were physical separated from China by 100 miles of Ocean
Thus Japan’s vey extensive borrowing from Chinese civilization was voluntary –not under threat
Began to develop a centralized bureaucratic state like China

29. Japan—not the same bureaucratic system
Japan would become decentralized
Would become feudalistic
Shinto was never replaced by Buddhism
Marriages were made and broken often
DEVELOPED MORE DISTINCT due to geographic location
Separate from China physically