China Golden Age. Notes

Transcription

1 China Golden Age Notes

2 I. Tang Dynasty - Food Dynasty A. Geography 1. One of the largest empires in Chinese history a. Mongolia in north to Vietnam in south b. Korea in east to Kashmir in west

3 I. Tang Dynasty - Food Dynasty B. Rice 1. increased production a. developed faster growing rice could now plant 2 or 3 crops/year b. increased irrigation c. redistribution of land d. increase in wealth among all classes a surplus was produced and traded development of market towns

4 I. Tang Dynasty - Food Dynasty C. Trade 1. Silk Road a. connected China to central Asia and the Middle East b. followed a string of oases c. Chinese goods traded for foreign goods e.g. silk, porcelain, jade, bronze, & tea traded for glass, rugs, horses, cotton, spices, medicines

5 I. Tang Dynasty - Food Dynasty 2. Ideas a. Chinese technologies went west paper, printing, agriculture, weapons b. Western ideas came to China Christianity, Islam

6 I. Tang Dynasty - Food Dynasty D. Rule 1. governed according to Confucius a. scholarly class of servant b. used a bureaucracy c. civil servants were multi-talented poets, artists, historians, etc. Secretariat Minister of Personnel Minister of Revenue Emperor Chancellor Minister of Rites Minister of War Commandant Minister of Justice Minister of Works

7 I. Tang Dynasty - Food Dynasty 2. becoming an official a. difficult process, studied for years to take test originally only aristocrats could afford it later, servants recruited from all classes 3. Meritocracy a. early on officials served for life b. soon developed system based on merit do well, rise high do poorly, get fired

8 I. Tang Dynasty - Food Dynasty 4. Land Reform a. scholar class became ruling elite b. "equal-field" system limited power of aristocracy took land away and redistributed it land assigned according to rank between 13.7 acres and 1370 acres

9 I. Tang Dynasty - Food Dynasty c. 3 kinds of tax according to land agricultural, textiles, labor d. benefited commoners too gave chance to gain wealth ability to study

10 I. Tang Dynasty - Food Dynasty E. Empress Wu - only woman in Chinese history to rule as emperor 1. The good: a. Devout Buddhist b. Encouraged sculpture, painting c. Made peace with nearby countries d. Encouraged farming, silk production 2. The bad: a. Known to be cruel and ruthless b. Had all enemies destroyed, even if they were family

11 II. Song Dynasty - "Money Dynasty" A. Geography 1. Smaller than Tang Dynasty a. Confined to provinces south of Great Wall 2. Primary threats were from foreign groups to north

12 II. Song Dynasty - "Money Dynasty" B. Rise to Power 1. After Tang, China split a. 60 year time period known as the Five Dynasties b. Period of civil war c. Followed by attacks from the north 2. North falls to foreigners 3. Song move to south & establish capital on East China Sea 4. Unite southern Chinese families/ merchants

13 II. Song Dynasty - "Money Dynasty" C. Rise of Meritocracy 1. Took idea from Tang and perfected it a. Gov't went to schools to recruit best & smartest regardless of social class

14 II. Song Dynasty - "Money Dynasty" 2. Civil Service Exam a. Covered classics, poetry, government, administration, calligraphy b. Took all day c. Usually taken around age 23 d. 2-10% passed e. No cheating All tests hand copied to insure no favoritism f. Passing did not guarantee a position, only ability to apply

15 II. Song Dynasty - "Money Dynasty" D. Rise of the Merchant Class 1. Merchants considered low under Confucius a. Did not work land or produce product 2. Song realized benefits of taxing commerce a. Encouraged trade Both in China and overseas Surplus rice traded 3. Chinese ships carried goods all over Southeast Asia

16 II. Song Dynasty - "Money Dynasty" E. Money Economy 1. To facilitate trade, merchants started to use copper coins to pay for goods a. Too heavy b. Led to development of paper currency 2. Soon, paper money was item most often traded for goods 3. New economy led to new jobs

17 II. Song Dynasty - "Money Dynasty" F. Innovations 1. Printing a. Hastened spread of knowledge throughout China b. Woodblock printing c. Moveable type 1045 AD

18 II. Song Dynasty - "Money Dynasty" 2. Travel a. Astronomical charts b. Compass 3. Gunpowder a. Discovered in 600s AD Used mainly for fireworks and fumigant b. Widely used by 1200s AD Weapons Fire arrows, rockets, fire cannon

19 Timeline Sui AD Tang AD Song AD Water Dynasty Food Dynasty Money Dynasty