CHINA DYNASTY TIMELINE

189 AD: han collapse
—3 kingdoms period: anarchy, political turmoil—
581 AD: sui begins
+ dictatorship; reunited China with violence
+ transportation innovations: grand canal (food transport)
+ emperor assassinated; long-standing resentment
618 AD: tang begins
+ peace, stability, “golden age”
+ built on sui’s advancements: improved transport (less risk of bandits)
+ re-established cse/bureaucracy, expanded bureaucracy with education growth which also led
to economic growth
+ extended territory; influence over neighbors (tributary system, “middle kingdom”)
+ growth of buddhism in china from india
+ emperor hsuan tsung irresponsible —> military coup —> uighurs intervened against military
(high casualty war) —> tang restored, but power gone to uighurs (tribute)
960 AD: song begins
+ another “golden age” building on tang
+ ruled over smaller region than tang (jin, manchurian pastoralists, controlled northern part)
+ expanded education for cse —> more social mobility (meritocracy)
+ bureaucracy expansion; eventually too big (salaries decreased surplus wealth, military
officials lack of expertise)
+ nomad threats —> moved capital several times
+ paid tribute to mongols to avoid conquest but ultimately failed
1279: yuan begins

SPICE-T DEVELOPMENTS

SOCIAL more social mobility with CSE • scholar gentry class replaced aristocracy as most influential • farmers/artisans/merchants lower classes • patriarchy, limiting women (foot binding) • confucianism-influenced hierarchies based on unequal relationships: father/child, emperor/subject, etc. • yuan changed social structure, placing mongols first

POLITICAL CSE-instituted bureaucracy (meritocracy) • confucian-based gov • song: 6 sections under one censorate • mandate of heaven • sui dictatorship • foreign influence from mongol kublai khan in yuan:

INTERACTION interaction between southern/northern china (grand canal) • strong participation in sea/land trade • strong influence on neighbors: korea, japan, vietnam • tributary system • control over south china sea trade • korea: direct rls w/ china b/cs of land border, paid tribute, imitated centralized gov, adopted written characters, korean CSE not open to peasants (not meritocracy) • Japan: never directly conquered by china only indirect influence, asuka period implementation of Chinese practice—centralized bureaucracy, construction, buddhism/confucianism, failed equal-field system • Vietnam: china conquered North, unwilling to give up identity but sinification still occurred through buddhism/language

CULTURE native religions confucianism/daoism • filial piety, unequal relationships • trade crossroads —> cultural blending • buddhism from India, only popular in tang • syncretic religions: Zen Buddhism (Buddhism/daoism), neo confucianism (Buddhism/confucianism) • tang resented Buddhism, song friendlier but still preferred confucianism • tang/song education emphasis —> “renaissance men” • printing —> increased access to books, education • urbanization increase

ECONOMIC stable gov —> focus on economy • shift from metal to paper money • primitive banking systems (flying cash) • exported porcelain, tea, gunpowder, silk, paper • trade flourished (seas/land) • agricultural reform —> economic growth • increasingly commercialized • strong iron industry

TECHNOLOGY porcelain, tea, paper, silk, gunpowder, magnetic compass, paper money, coke (reinforced iron), transportation (grand canal), better irrigation, champa rice, woodblock printing —> books, proto-industrialization • land reform: equal field system in tang, kublai khan land reform in yuan

CHANGE AND CONTINUITIES

CONTINUITIES
+ confucianism
+ CSE/centralized bureaucracy remained relatively dominant (political stability)
+ mandate of heaven
+ trade/geographical/spheres of influence dominance
+ women treated as inferior, high restrictions and little rights
+ major participation in trade (silk road, south China sea, Indian ocean trade)
+ buddhism’s major influence

CHANGE
+ syncretic religions with Buddhism introduction
+ Buddhism influence: disliked by tang, welcomed more by song
+ new technology
+ land reform (equal field system)
+ economic changes (paper money, banking systems)
+ foreign influence (uighur, mongols)