1. Post-Classical China Notebook Page 5: Period 1: 1200 CE – 1450 CE
© Morgan AP Teaching
Notebook Page 5:
Post-Classical China
Period 1: 1200 CE – 1450 CE

2. Dynasties During Post-Classical Era
© Morgan AP Teaching
Dynasties During Post-Classical Era
Dynasties and their Primary Contributions
Sui - ( ) – Reunited China after Post-Han warring period and built Grand Canal
Tang – ( ) – Established lasting state system, expanded borders, opposed Buddhism with the Edicts on Buddhism
Song – ( ) – Incorporated Neo-Confucianism, enhancing commercialization and trade, and instituted foot binding
Yuan – ( ) – Kublai Khan and Mongol rule
Ming - ( ) – Han (Chinese) rule returns for the final time & Admiral Zheng He connects China with Dar-al-Islam

4. © Morgan AP Teaching
Tang China
The Tang Dynasty inherited the united Chinese kingdom from the Sui
With political and economic unity, the Tang setup a strong, lasting imperial state system, allowing China to thrive as a unified central government
A new drought-resistant strain of rice (Champa Rice) was brought in from Vietnam, and population increased substantially during the Tang/Song
The Tang emperors were also particularly anti-Buddhist, as Buddhism was a foreign religion/philosophy, and needed funds for expansion (gold)
Edicts on Buddhism (800s) demanded monasteries pay taxes and destroyed shrines and idols, eradicating Buddhism in China

5. © Morgan AP Teaching
Song China
The Song Dynasty was known for its official re-establishment of Confucian (known as neo-Confucianism) ideals following the advent of Taoism and Buddhism through the writings of Han Yu
Neo-Confucianism reinstated the fundamentals of patriarchy, education, moral examples, and rituals to maintain social harmony after the impact of Buddhism and warring states
It (and Tang) also allowed wealthy land-owning elites to further encroach on peasant lands, causing some domestic discontent
Foot binding also started under the Song Dynasty first as a distinction of elite/high-class women in the 10th century
It was seen as a form of feminine beauty, remaining small, fragile, and indoors, submissive to men, and also symbolized family wealth is foot been women were unable to work in the fields

6. © Morgan AP Teaching
Commercialization
The Song Dynasty cultivated certain competitive industries, such as iron, to flourish in some regions while setting up its opposite of strict government-regulated and monopolized production and trade in others
Accompanying the widespread printing of paper money was the beginnings of what
one might term an early Chinese industrial revolution in the steel and iron industries
In the smelting process of using huge bellows driven by waterwheels, massive amounts of charcoal
were used in the production process, leading to a wide range of deforestation in northern China
The Song dynasty actively promoted overseas trade and engage with
over 50 various states-- including Egypt, Japan, Korea, India, and others
To promote overseas trade and maximize government profits in control of imported
goods, in 971 the government established a Maritime Trade Supervisorate to tax
imports and issued government purchases of imports for the purpose of sale
Iron goods poured out of China as the state grew immensely wealthy even with the later
Ming Dynasty commissioning a voyage by Adm. Zheng He which demonstrated Chinese
power and connected China to the Muslim states through trade in the Indian Ocean

7. Foot-binding X-ray Image

8. The Tribute System
© Morgan AP Teaching
During the Tang and Song, China began to see itself as the most-civilized and enlightened kingdom in the world (condescendingly known as The Middle Kingdom – the ‘center of civilization’)
This ‘Golden Age’ of imperial China also saw the incorporation of the Tribute System, which required submission of foreigners to trade with the Chinese who ‘already had what they needed’
Foreign envoys would send gifts of tribute and submission to the emperor, and if accepted, the emperor, or an imperial official, would allow trade and present bestowals (gifts)
Additionally, and distribute system, protectorate tribute states would issue payments and gifts to the Chinese in order for the protection by and continued trade with China ( examples: Japan, Champa, etc.)
On occasion, the Tribute System was not used to show Chinese superiority. Example: Xiongnu Nomads, and Mongols at times were seen as ‘equals’