AP world 1

Bureaucracy and Meritocracy

The Song used the Civil Service Exam to shift power from hereditary aristocrats to a "Scholar Gentry" class

Confucianism and Social Hierarchy

Based on Filial Piety (respect for elders) and the Five Relationships, it reinforced a patriarchal society and stabilized the state

Song Economy (Commercialization)

Transitioned from local consumption to a market economy where people produced silk, porcelain, and iron specifically for trade

Proto-Industrialization

Song China’s iron and steel production was so advanced it rivaled 18th-century Europe, fueled by coal and the Grand Canal

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening, drought-resistant grain from Vietnam that caused a massive population explosion and urbanization

The Grand Canal (Impact)

An internal waterway system that allowed the Song to transport food from the fertile South to the political/military North

Sinification

The process where neighboring states (Japan, Korea, Vietnam) adopted Chinese culture, like Confucianism and the Civil Service Exam

Heian Japan (Comparison)

Unlike China’s centralized bureaucracy, Japan remained decentralized with power eventually shifting to regional military leaders (Shoguns)

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism that adapted to Chinese culture by incorporating deities and "heavens," making it more accessible to the masses

Neo

Confucianism

Flying Cash (Paper Money)

An economic innovation used to manage long

Song Naval Innovations,The Magnetic Compass and Junk Ships allowed China to dominate the Indian Ocean trade routes before the Ming Dynasty

Gunpowder (Spread)

Initially an accidental alchemist discovery, it spread via the Silk Road and revolutionized warfare across Afro

Tributary System

A diplomatic ritual where non

Labor Systems (Free vs. Unfree)

Song China relied heavily on free peasant labor and artisanal production rather than widespread chattel slavery