1. Early Chinese Empires CE

2. Ancient China Qin Dynasty Han Dynasty 206BCE - 220CE
Founded by Emperor Gaozu
Briefly interrupted by Xin Dynasty (Wang Mang)
“Golden Age”
Succeeded by Three Kingdoms CE
Fell due to internal corruption and natural disasters
Confucianism prevalent
Fragmented for several centuries
Reunited under Sui Dynasty

3. Sui Dynasty 581-615 Father & son rulers Capital at Chang’an
Built the 1,100 mile Grand Canal linking Yellow & Yangzi Rivers
Facilitate communication & trade with the south
Also constructed irrigation systems in Yangzi valley
Improved the Great Wall
Military ambitions toward Korea, Vietnam, and Inner Asia
Required organization & mustering resources
Overextension compounded political dilemma stemming from military defeat & assassination of second Sui emperor
Defeated by Turks from Inner Asia

4. Tang Empire 618-907 Li family took dynastic name Tang
Descended from Turkik elites that built small states in northern China after the Han
Appreciated pastoral nomadic culture of Inner Asia & Chinese traditions
Li Shimin (r ) extended power into Inner Asia
Retained many Sui governing practices
Avoided overcentralization by allowing local nobles, gentry, officials, and religious establishments to exercise power
Combined Chinese weapons with Inner Asian horsemanship

5. Buddhism & Tang Empire
Rulers followed Inner Asian precedents in political use of Buddhism
Interpretations of doctrine accorded kings & emperors spiritual function of welding humankind into a harmonious Buddhist society
Protecting spirits were to help the ruler govern & prevent harm from coming to his people
Mahayana Buddhism prevalent
Permitted absorption of local gods & goddesses
Encouraged translating scripture into local languages
Accepted religious practices not based on texts
Adaptable to different societies & classes of people
Invigorated travel, language learning, and cultural exchange
Monasteries collaborated with princes
Princes enlisted monastic leaders to pray for them, preach on their behalf, and contribute wealth to the war chest
Monasteries received tax exemptions, land privileges, and gifts in return
Complexity of influence increased as Tang Empire expanded westward
Many people visited Chang’an, taking away recent ideas and styles
Regional cultures & identities remained strong
Historians denote Tang China as being “cosmopolitan” due to its breadth & diversity

6. Upheavals & Repression 750-859
Increasing turmoil as result of conflict with Tibetans and Turkic Uighurs
Backlash against “foreigners” which included Buddhists according to Confucians
Tang elites saw Buddhism as undermining Confucian idea of the family as the model for the state
Also attacked for encouraging women in politics
840 – government moved to crush monasteries whose tax exemptions allowed them to accumulate land, serfs, and precious objects
4,600 temples destroyed within 5 years
Some centers protected by local warlords
Buddhism never recovered the influence of early Tang times

7. End of Tang Empire
Campaigns of expansion in 7th century left empire dependent on local military commanders & complex tax collection system
Reverses led to demoralization & underfunding of military
Rebellion on the frontier for 8 years
Resulted in new powers for provincial military governors
Thereby weakening central power
Uprising between
Led by Huang Chao, a member of the gentry
Attracted poor farmers & tenants who had oppressive bosses or landlords
New hatred of “barbarians” spurred murder of thousands of foreign residents in Canton and Beijing
Local warlords finally wiped out rebels
Tang society didn’t find peace
Refugees, migrant workers, and homeless people common sights
Never regained power after Huang Chao’s rebellion

8. After the Tang Liao Empire Tanggut State Song Empire Khitan People
Nomadic peoples of the northeastern frontier
Mahayana Buddhism
Tanggut State
Minyak People
Inner Asian frontier in northwestern China
Tibetan Buddhism
Song Empire
Central China
Chinese-speaking
Came into being in 960
Confucian

9. Song Empire 960-1279 Divided into two distinct periods
Northern Song
Capital in Bianjing
Controlled most of inner China
Southern Song
Period after Song lost control of northern China to the Jin Dynasty
Court retreated south of the Yangtze River
Bolstered naval strength
Developed new military technology, incl. gunpowder
Fought with northern rivals for control of mines for iron and coal

10. Song Achievements First government to nationally issue paper money
Establish permanent standing navy
First known use of gunpowder
First discernment of true north using a compass
Introduced use of fractions
Precise calendar
Junk – oceangoing ship
Movable-Type Printing Press – each character is cast on separate piece of metal, replacing woodblock printing & making printing cheaper

11. Song Society Civil man outranked the military man
Private academies became influential in culture and politics
Neo-Confucianism – new approaches to understanding Confucian texts
Popular Buddhist sects also persisted
Meditation by Buddhists and Confucians
Examinations to fill civil service positions
Hereditary class distinctions meant less than in Tang times
Men from wealthy families still had advantage
Shift from an aristocratic elite to a bureaucratic elite
Population Growth
Growth of merchant class
Women subordinate, disenfranchised, and restricted
Fashionable to be moderately literate
Footbinding spread among elites
Vibrant culture
Spread of literature & knowledge
Public festivals
Lively entertainment quarters in cities

12. End of the Song Dynasty
Kublai Khan led assaults against the Song through the 1260s
Officially declared the creation of the Yuan Dynasty in 1271
Defeated Song troops again in 1275
Most Song territory captured by 1276
Finally crushed Song resistance in 1279
8 year-old emperor committed suicide, along with Prime Minister and 800 members of royal clan
Rest of imperial family unharmed

13. Yuan Dynasty Basics Established by Kublai Khan
Mongols had ruled northern China for decades, but not in traditional Chinese dynasty style
Isolated from other khanates
First foreign dynasty to rule all of China
Lasted until 1368
Considered both a successor to the Mongol Empire and an imperial Chinese dynasty
Bore the Mandate of Heaven in Chinese histories
Replaced by the Ming Dynasty

14. Primary Sources
Analects for Women – Outlines roles and expectations for women as inferred from Confucian teachings
Remonstrance Against New Laws – a scholar and official’s opinion about new laws designed to address declining tax revenue & increasing government expenses
Tang Law Code – Defines the Ten Abominations in Tang society