Chinese Dynasties: Song Government, Economy, and Society

Meritocracy

A system where people are chosen for government jobs based on ability and achievement rather than social class.

Civil Service Exam

An exam used to select educated people for positions in the imperial bureaucracy.

Imperial Bureaucracy

Government officials who administered the empire and carried out the emperor's policies.

Scholar-Gentry

Educated class of government officials who gained power through education and civil service exams.

Bureaucracy

A system of government run by appointed officials.

Champa Rice

A fast-growing, drought-resistant rice from Southeast Asia that increased food production in China.

Heavy Plow

A stronger plow that allowed farmers to cultivate previously difficult or unusable land.

Irrigation

Systems that bring water to farmland to improve crop production.

Manure

Animal waste used as fertilizer to improve soil.

Gunpowder

An explosive invention from China that was later used in weapons.

Coal

A fuel source used in China to produce heat for manufacturing.

Cast Iron

Iron shaped by pouring molten iron into molds.

Steel

A stronger metal made primarily from iron and carbon.

Porcelain

Fine, durable Chinese ceramic that became an important export.

Silk

A valuable fabric produced from silkworms and widely traded by China.

Proto-industrialization

Early manufacturing in which rural households produced goods for sale.

Compass

A navigation device that helped sailors determine direction.

Grand Canal

A major Chinese waterway connecting northern and southern China and supporting transportation and trade.

Navigation Charts

Maps used by sailors to navigate waterways and open seas.

Tribute

Payments or gifts given by one state to another, often in exchange for protection or trade relationships.

Tributary State

A state that acknowledged a more powerful empire by paying tribute.

Taxes

Payments collected by the government to fund government activities and projects.

Surplus

Extra goods or wealth remaining after needs have been met.

Economic Development

Growth in production, trade, wealth, and economic activity.

Trade

The exchange of goods and services between people or regions.

Aristocracy

The highest social class, consisting of wealthy and powerful noble families.

Farmers

Agricultural workers who produced food and were ranked relatively highly in Chinese society.

Artisans

Skilled workers who made goods by hand.

Merchants

People who bought and sold goods.

Peasants

Poor agricultural workers who generally had limited wealth and social power.

Urban Poor

Poor people living in cities who sometimes received government assistance.

Patriarchal Society

A society in which men hold greater authority and women are expected to defer to men.

Filial Piety

The duty to respect, obey, and care for one's parents and family elders.

Foot Binding

The practice of tightly binding girls' feet; among elite families it became a symbol of status and beauty.

Polygyny

A marriage system in which a man has multiple wives.

Paper

A Chinese invention that made writing and record keeping easier.

Woodblock Printing

A printing method in which text or images are carved onto a wooden block and transferred to paper.

Buddhism

A religion that originated in India and spread to China through trade routes.

Theravada Buddhism

A form of Buddhism emphasizing meditation and self-discipline, especially influential in Southeast Asia.

Mahayana Buddhism

A form of Buddhism emphasizing the possibility of enlightenment for all beings; influential in China and Korea.

Tibetan Buddhism

A form of Buddhism associated with Tibet that emphasizes practices such as chanting.

Four Noble Truths

Buddhist teachings explaining that suffering exists, is caused by desire, can end, and can be overcome by following the proper path.

Eightfold Path

Buddhist teachings and practices that lead toward enlightenment and the end of suffering.

Nirvana

The Buddhist state of enlightenment and freedom from suffering and desire.

Chan Buddhism

A form of Buddhism that developed in China by combining Buddhist ideas with Chinese traditions; emphasizes meditation and direct experience.

Zen Buddhism

The Japanese name for Chan Buddhism, emphasizing meditation and direct experience.

Daoism

A Chinese philosophy/religion emphasizing harmony with nature and living according to the Dao.

Confucianism

A Chinese philosophy emphasizing social order, education, respect, and proper relationships.

Neo-Confucianism

A revival of Confucian ideas that incorporated some Buddhist and Daoist concepts.

Heian Period

Period in Japanese history (794-1185) when Japan adopted many Chinese cultural traditions.

Feudalism

A political and social system in which powerful landowners controlled territory and relied on warriors.

Daimyo

Powerful Japanese landowning aristocrats who controlled territories and fought for power.

Rice Farmers

Japanese agricultural workers who formed a large part of the population.

Landed Aristocracy

Wealthy landowners who held significant political and social power.

Civil Service System

A government system in which officials are selected to administer the state, often through examinations.

Merit-Based Bureaucracy

A government system where educated officials gain positions based on ability and achievement.

Nuclear Family

A family consisting primarily of parents and their children.

Extended Family

A family structure that includes relatives beyond parents and children, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles.

Political Centralization

The concentration of political power under a central government.

Village Autonomy

The ability of individual villages to govern themselves with limited control from a central government.