Song dynasty: 960-1279
After the Tang Dynasty fell, warring warlords divided China into separate kingdoms until 960, when a general named Taizu reunited China and named himself the first Song emperor. The Song Dynasty lasted three centuries, about as long as the Tang. Although the Song had a smaller empire than the Han or Tang Dynasties, their rule was much more stable and prosperous.
Song armies were unable to reclaim the western lands, lost to the Muslims in 751. The northern lands were also lost- for a time. Song emperors started on a campaign of peace, trying to buy it with fees of silver, silk, and tea. Even this hefty price was unable to stop the northern people from attacking. In the early 1100's, a group of Manchurian people called the Jurchen attacked and conquered northern China, establishing the Jin Empire. The Jurchen pushed the Song back across the Huang He, and the Song were stuck in southern China for the rest of their rule. They established a capital city, Hangzhou, a coastal city south of the Chiang Jang. Even though they had military troubles, the Song prospered economically, becoming rich and populated.
During this time, China's population was growing, reaching over 100 million. China was by far the most populated country, and the most advanced. Scholars made major technological advances during this time period, such as movable type and gunpowder. Movable type was a way of printing such that printers could arrange letters on a large block to press onto a page. Previously, they had had to carve out each panel as an individual page, unable to be changed. With movable type, they just had to switch out the letters to make a new page, increasing the education level of the entire country. Gunpowder led to explosive devices for both warfare and entertainment. Other important inventions were paper money, a magnetic compass in sailing, and a mechanical clock. The Chinese also made incredible discoveries in mathematics, like negative numbers, which spread out from China to the rest
Farmers made advances in agriculture, especially in the cultivation of rice. Around 1000, China imported fast-growing rice from Vietnam, which allowed farmer to grow twice as much each year. Chinese officials distributed seedlings to farmers, spreading the word of this amazing new rice. These improvements were necessary to sustain the growing urban population.
The Tang were able to trade using the powerful Silk Roads, but these were lost during their decline. The Song turned to sailing, using advanced techniques such as the magnetic compass to accurately and quickly trade with other nations. Merchants sailed to Japan and Korea, to Persia, even along the coast of Africa. Not only were goods exchanged, but ideas were spread around the world. Buddhism spread out from China and gained followings in other countries, especially in India. Ideas came into China as well, like Eastern Christianity, which gained a small following in some of the port cities.
Painting was one of the most pronounced art forms during the Song Dynasty, emphasizing Daoist influence with beautiful natural landscapes and objects. Artists would focus on a tree branch, or a flower, making them the most beautiful objects in the painting. They did not use bright colors, rather, they used a lot of black ink. One Song artist is quoted as saying, "Black is ten colors".
Many social changes were also instigated in this dynasty. Rural families sought better opportunities in the cities, migrating in the thousands. Also, the power of aristocrats faded, replaced with a much larger upper-class made up of scholar-officials, and their families. This was called the gentry, which means they became wealthy through education and civil service rather than land ownership. Below the gentry was the urban middle class, including merchant, shopkeepers, some government officials, and others. At the very bottom of the urban pecking order were the laborers, soldiers, and servants. The largest class were the peasants, who lived in rural communities.
Unfortunately, the role of women declined throughout this period, and they became more and more subservient to men. When a girl was very young, cloth was wrapped tightly around her foot, breaking the arch and eventually curling the big toe underneath her other toes. This was admiringly called "lily-foot", and the men who could afford to have such beautiful and impractical wives were held in high esteem.
Song armies were unable to reclaim the western lands, lost to the Muslims in 751. The northern lands were also lost- for a time. Song emperors started on a campaign of peace, trying to buy it with fees of silver, silk, and tea. Even this hefty price was unable to stop the northern people from attacking. In the early 1100's, a group of Manchurian people called the Jurchen attacked and conquered northern China, establishing the Jin Empire. The Jurchen pushed the Song back across the Huang He, and the Song were stuck in southern China for the rest of their rule. They established a capital city, Hangzhou, a coastal city south of the Chiang Jang. Even though they had military troubles, the Song prospered economically, becoming rich and populated.
During this time, China's population was growing, reaching over 100 million. China was by far the most populated country, and the most advanced. Scholars made major technological advances during this time period, such as movable type and gunpowder. Movable type was a way of printing such that printers could arrange letters on a large block to press onto a page. Previously, they had had to carve out each panel as an individual page, unable to be changed. With movable type, they just had to switch out the letters to make a new page, increasing the education level of the entire country. Gunpowder led to explosive devices for both warfare and entertainment. Other important inventions were paper money, a magnetic compass in sailing, and a mechanical clock. The Chinese also made incredible discoveries in mathematics, like negative numbers, which spread out from China to the rest
Farmers made advances in agriculture, especially in the cultivation of rice. Around 1000, China imported fast-growing rice from Vietnam, which allowed farmer to grow twice as much each year. Chinese officials distributed seedlings to farmers, spreading the word of this amazing new rice. These improvements were necessary to sustain the growing urban population.
The Tang were able to trade using the powerful Silk Roads, but these were lost during their decline. The Song turned to sailing, using advanced techniques such as the magnetic compass to accurately and quickly trade with other nations. Merchants sailed to Japan and Korea, to Persia, even along the coast of Africa. Not only were goods exchanged, but ideas were spread around the world. Buddhism spread out from China and gained followings in other countries, especially in India. Ideas came into China as well, like Eastern Christianity, which gained a small following in some of the port cities.
Painting was one of the most pronounced art forms during the Song Dynasty, emphasizing Daoist influence with beautiful natural landscapes and objects. Artists would focus on a tree branch, or a flower, making them the most beautiful objects in the painting. They did not use bright colors, rather, they used a lot of black ink. One Song artist is quoted as saying, "Black is ten colors".
Many social changes were also instigated in this dynasty. Rural families sought better opportunities in the cities, migrating in the thousands. Also, the power of aristocrats faded, replaced with a much larger upper-class made up of scholar-officials, and their families. This was called the gentry, which means they became wealthy through education and civil service rather than land ownership. Below the gentry was the urban middle class, including merchant, shopkeepers, some government officials, and others. At the very bottom of the urban pecking order were the laborers, soldiers, and servants. The largest class were the peasants, who lived in rural communities.
Unfortunately, the role of women declined throughout this period, and they became more and more subservient to men. When a girl was very young, cloth was wrapped tightly around her foot, breaking the arch and eventually curling the big toe underneath her other toes. This was admiringly called "lily-foot", and the men who could afford to have such beautiful and impractical wives were held in high esteem.
Song Dynasty Art: http://pic1a.nipic.com/2008-10-31/200810311865986_2.jpg