1. Song (Sung) Dynasty
Same dynasty but when N. Song was lost to N. tribes in the name changes
Sui, Tang and Song China

2. Song Overview prosperous economy/ trade along Silk Road
radiant culture with goods and entertainment from all over the world
Most urban Chinese culture
Beginning of modern China
Strongest empire in the world at this time
Sui, Tang and Song China

3. Sui, Tang and Song China

4. Song Politics effective centralized bureaucracy
Elite families important locally
Official must pass the Civil Service Exam
the mercantile class grew in power as they became wealthy
Zhao Kuang-yin founder of Song
Sui, Tang and Song China

5. Song Economics Agriculture improved = more food
paper currency used regularly
private trade grew, and a market economy began to link the coastal provinces and the interior.
Much trade along Silk Road, Grand Canal and coastal regions of China and SE Asia
Sui, Tang and Song China

6. Song Grain Mill
Sui, Tang and Song China

7. Song Religion
Confucianism remains the most important official philosophy
Neo-Confucianism added metaphysical answers to many Buddhist questions
Buddhism continued
Taoism also
Ancestor worship
Sui, Tang and Song China

8. Song Social Life
Poor farmers’ remain the same as always; women still oppressed
City life improves with better food, music, art, and great entertainment
Many opportunities for travel
Education increases in the city
House and architecture improve
Sui, Tang and Song China

9. Sui, Tang and Song China

10. Song Intellectual Life
magnetic compass and calculator (the abacus) invented
Education improved since schools were abundant. Woodblock printing made books more widely available.
Confucian scholars were respected
Military was not respected
Sui, Tang and Song China

11. Sui, Tang and Song China

12. Song Art monumental landscape painting
often done in a watercolor/ink wash style
Great poetry continues
FYI (no notes)
First panting called Games in the Jinming Pool, by Chinese artist Zhang Zerui, a silk painting with dimensions of 28.6 by cm, dated to the Northern Song Dynasty ( AD). It depicts the imperial gardens of Kaifeng, the capital city of China during the Northern Song
Sui, Tang and Song China

13. Sui, Tang and Song China

14. Sui, Tang and Song China

15. the artist captures the atmosphere of the southern China
The trees in the foreground appear as dark silhouettes against the misty mountains in the distance which are painted in pale ink washes.
Mi Youren is a son of Mi Fu ( ), one of the four great Song masters.
Sui, Tang and Song China

16. Fall of the Song
Heavy dependence on growth of civilian government at expense of military
By 1127, the Song court could not push back the Northern nomadic invaders
Cut the size of the Song about in half
Sui, Tang and Song China

17. 1279 Coming of the Mongols (Yuan Dynasty)
Empire fell because they stopped emphasizing military and relied on wealth
Often hired N. tribes to defend China
Corruption in govt lost confidence of the peasants
Sui, Tang and Song China