The Song Dynasty
960-1279 C.E.
emphasis on administration, industry, education, and the arts
Military not emphasized
Confucius ideals were really strong
Confucianism
most influential religious philosophy in the history of China; existed for over 2500 years; inner virtue, morals, and respect for community and its values
Bureaucracy
Vast organization of appointed officials who carry out Emperor policies
Since Ancient China
Expanded educational opportunities to lower class men to help pass civil service exams
Civil Service Exams
required exams to qualify for bureaucratic jobs; helped people move up the social ladder
Meritocracy
Chinese system that allowed for more upward mobility than any hiring system of the time
Poor were underrepresented
Bureaucracy became so large it increased the cost of government
Grand Canal
United North and South China, made China the most populous trading area globally
Gunpowder
Invented in previous dynasties; Songs made guns; spread west with Silk Road
Agricultural Productivity
Champa Rice is brought from Vietnam, able to grow in lowlands, riverbanks, and hills (new places)
Power moves to where rice is grown
Irrigation systems increased productivity
Population grew
Proto-industrialization
Economic changes when rural people make more than they can sell; relied on home and community based production with simple equipment
Artisans
skilled craftspeople who produced steel, porcelain, and silk under government supervision
Manufacturing and Navigation
Compass developed; ships were redesigned to carry more goods; printed paper used for navigational maps
Money
Letters of credit replaced coins after shortages of copper
promissory notes and checks
Independently produced paper money developed, though unstable
Government claimed monopoly on money production
Tributary System
Arrangement in which other states had to pay money or provide goods to the emperor, originated with the Han Dynasty
Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Southeast Asian kingdoms were tributary states
Reps of these states had to kowtow (bow) to the emperor
How the Song Dynasty received income
Urbanization
China was really urbanized with many cities with 100,000+ people
Scholar gentry
Educated in Confucian philosophy, most influential social class, farmer artisan and craftsmen classes ranked below
Footbinding
Binding the feet of young girls to keep them from growing naturally; increased likelihood of finding suitor; banned in 1912