Untitled Flashcard Set

Sui Dynasty (581-618): Capital at Chang'an; Emperor Yangdi; built Grand Canal. Tang Dynasty (618-907): Capital at Chang'an; Emperor Taizong, Empress Wu; expanded empire and exams. Song Dynasty (960-1279): Capital at Kaifeng (later Hangzhou); Emperor Taizu; economic growth but weak military. Sui Government Changes Rebuilt centralized bureaucracy, built Grand Canal. Tang Government Changes Expanded civil service exams, strengthened bureaucracy, promoted Equal-Field System. Buddhism Attraction Peasants, women, and merchants (offered equality and spiritual comfort). Buddhism's Impact on China Spread widely, influenced art/architecture, supported by Tang rulers early on; later persecuted as a threat to Confucian/Daoist traditions. Empress Wu First and only female emperor; promoted Buddhism, expanded bureaucracy, strengthened state power. Reactions to Empress Wu Buddhists praised her rule; Confucian scholars criticized her as unnatural for a woman to rule. Song Dynasty Problems Weak military, reliance on tribute payments, pressure from nomadic groups (Khitan, Jurchen, Mongols). Conflicts of the Song Dynasty Liao (Khitan), Xi Xia, Jin (Jurchen), and later the Mongols. Tang vs. Song Dynasties Tang: Strong military, expanded exams, Equal-Field System, supported Buddhism. Song: Economic boom, urban growth, paper money, Champa rice; weaker military, more focus on Neo-Confucianism. Grand Canal A major waterway linking north and south China, built by the Sui. Grand Canal's Economic Impact Increased trade and food transport, unified regions, spread culture, and supported population growth. Silk Road Importance Carried silk, porcelain, and ideas; spread Buddhism/Islam; linked China with Central Asia, India, Middle East, Europe. Tang/Song Economic Developments Commercial expansion, use of paper money, credit, urban markets, maritime trade, agricultural growth (Champa rice). Neo-Confucianism vs. Confucianism Added spiritual elements from Buddhism/Daoism to traditional Confucianism; focused on morality and family order. Post-Classical Technologies Printing, paper money, gunpowder, compass, and porcelain. Impacts of Technologies Spread knowledge (printing), revolutionized warfare (gunpowder), boosted trade (compass, porcelain), expanded economy (paper money). Footbinding Practice of tightly binding girls' feet to restrict growth; symbol of status and beauty in Song elite society. Footbinding's Effect on Women Limited mobility, reinforced patriarchy, but also became a marker of elite status.