Chapter 12

Post Han Dynasty

• After the Han Dynasty fell, China remained divided for 400 yrs in warring factions

• China escaped societal disruption after Rome's decline, so technology, science, & art continued to flourish due to emphasis on education & Confucian ideas of order

• Buddhism prospered & spread across East Asia

• Foreign invaders usually adopted Chinese customs instead of demolishing it

Building an Empire

• Li Yuan was general in short lived Sui dynasty

• His son convinced him to overthrow Sui

• Son forced dad to abdicate & took throne with new name Tang Taizong (still most admired emperor)

• Tang pushed into Central & East Asia, making Vietnam, Tibet, & Korea tributary states

Li Yuan, 1st Tang

Government & Economy

• Revived Han system of uniform govt

• Bureaucracy promotion by civil service exam, not aristocracy.

• Students memorize philosophy & classical literature for exam

• Test = Nine Books of Confucianism + write poetry based on fixed meter + calligraphy (why is calligraphy important?)

Spring & Autumn Annals - one major work of the Five Classics of Confucianism

Land Reform

• Tang broke up aristocratic family land and redistributed it to poor peasants

• Strengthened central govt, weakened landed gentry's power

• increased govt revenue because more landowners = more taxes

Decline

• Tang lost territory in Central Asia to Muslims

• Corruption, high taxes, drought, famine, and rebellions hastened downfall

• AD 907 emperor overthrown

• short period of instability for the next 60 years (cf. ~400 years between Han & Tang)

Tejaprabhā Buddha & Five Planets, 897

Prosperity Under the Song

• In AD 960, 1st Song Emperor takes thrown

• Song ruled China for 319 yrs

• North invaded a lot, had to retreat to South (thus, China has current North-South power orientation vs East-West under Han)

• Southern Song ruled another 150 yrs

Emperor Taizu, 1st Song

Keeping an Empire

• Population drifted South due to rice farms along Yangzi (strain imported from Vietnam)

• Warmer, wet climate = grow food year round

• Doubled in size ~120M ppl

• Jin took over North in 1127

Tang vs Song territory

Chinese Society

• More social mobility than Europe

• Why did gentry support Confucianism?

• Peasant kids studied for Civil Service Exam

• Merchants could buy land (peasant) or send kids to school (gentry)

Technology

Three of most important inventions during these 2 dynasties later adapted by Europeans to give them "competitive advantage."

Moveable Type

each character could be placed on a stamp to quickly copy long texts

Gunpowder

first used for ceremonies; then used for warfare

Compass

first used for divination to tell fortunes; then used for navigation

Art & Literature

• Poetry, painting, & calligraphy important skills for social advancement

• Natural scenes & Buddha very popular

• 200 major & 400 minor writers from these dynasties

• Li Bo (Tang) wrote 2000 poems

• Li Qungzhao (Song) = woman

Guanyin, Buddha of Compassion, North Song

Li Qingzhou - "Like a Dream"

I will always recall that day at dusk,

the pavilion by the creek,

and I was so drunk I couldn't tell

the way home. My mood left me,

it was late when I turned back in my boat

and I strayed deep among lotuses —

how to get through?

how to get through?

and I startled to flight a whole shoal

of egrets and gulls.

https://www.johnderbyshire.com/Readings/liqingzhao1.html

Building the Mongol Empire

• Mongols were nomadic peoples from Central Asia

• Bands of warring tribes ruled by strong chieftains called Khans.

Why are Mongols usually depicted as savages in art?

(L) Chinese

(R) Persian

Genghis Khan

• born in modern Mongolia in 12th century

• After uniting Mongol tribes in Central Asia focused attention on China

• Had to adapt warfare to conquer China (defenses like walls, towers, unknown on steppes)

• Pushed Westward into modern Georgia, Ukraine, and Russia, largest land empire

Bust of Genghis Khan in Presidential Palace, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Pax Mongolica

• Mongols allowed conquered people to live life as before, except pay tribute

• Khans ruled subjects with tolerance & justice across diverse cultures & religions)

• Ushered in stability along Silk Road (low crime rate)

• Even more cultural exchange between East & West.

Marco Polo visited Kublai Khan (Genghis grandson) in China while trading, inspiring Asian exoticism in Europe

Kublai Khan

• Genghis grandson Kublai Khan ruled over China, Korea, Tibet, and Vietnam.

• Passed laws to preserve "Mongolianess" of his troops (forbidden to marry Chinese)

• established Yuan Dynasty from Beijing

• trade flourished between East-West, received Marco Polo

Kublai Khan

Ming Restore Chinese Rule

• Yuan dynasty declined after Kublai Khan's death

• Zhu Yuanzhang united peasants to push Mongols beyond Great Wall & founded Ming ("Bright") Dynasty

• Restored Confucian government and civil service exam (made it even harder)

• Revived Chinese art (vases) & literature

朱元璋 first Ming Emperor

China & The World

• China opens itself to trade with world

• Zheng He explored the sea to open trade with Africa & Pacific Islands

• 7 expeditions, 62 hugh ships, hundreds of small ones, 25k sailors

• After China isolation

Voyages of Zheng He

Chinese Society

• More social mobility than Europe

• Why did gentry support Confucianism?

• Peasant kids studied for Civil Service Exam

• Merchants could buy land (peasant) or send kids to school (gentry)

Technology

Three of most important inventions during these 2 dynasties later adapted by Europeans to give them "competitive advantage."

Moveable Type

each character could be placed on a stamp to quickly copy long texts

Gunpowder

first used for ceremonies; then used for warfare

Compass

first used for divination to tell fortunes; then used for navigation

Li Qingzhou - "Like a Dream"

I will always recall that day at dusk,

the pavilion by the creek,

and I was so drunk I couldn't tell

the way home. My mood left me,

it was late when I turned back in my boat

and I strayed deep among lotuses —

how to get through?

how to get through?

and I startled to flight a whole shoal

of egrets and gulls.

https://www.johnderbyshire.com/Readings/liqingzhao1.html