East Asia 500-1500
P
R
S
I
A
N
- Sui take over from Han, doesn't last.
- Sui government: organized massive labor projects for the Grand Canal. Organized a decent army. Had a centralized form of government. Over taxation, over-extension forced decline of the Sui.
- 618 – Tang take over Sui. Last until 907.
- Tang government: founded by Li Shimin. It was decentralized. Local autonomy for local officials, religious authorities.
- Han tributary system: outside kingdoms stay independent, but acknowledge Tang supremacy.
- Scholar-gentry rose greatly during this period, even above established aristocrats. Scholars received better jobs.
- Wu Zhao was a female ruler. Claimed to be a Daoists/Buddhists in government, upsetting many Confucians
- 960 – Song founded. Last until 1279.
- Examinations for Government jobs.Better test scores got you a better job. The exam was a pretty big deal.
- System was expanded, test standards were lowered to allow more people into government bureaucracy.
- Alternated between war/diplomacy w/immediate neighbors in Korea, Vietnam, Japan
- Sui: centralized economy with government controlled industries. Large numbers of men needed for military campaigns & domestic building projects.
- Grand Canal: linked Yellow/Yangtze rivers & aided trade in Central China.
- Military campaigns in Korea cost a lot.
- Participated heavily in Indian Ocean trade. Maritime experts.
- Song: printed paper money which led to high inflation & was eventually abandoned. Spent most of their money on the military.
- Tax farming: private individuals employed by government to collect taxes. Led to high prices – tax farmers wanted a profit, so charged exorbitant amounts.
- Heavy industry, Textiles, Porcelain, Silk, Paper.
- Champa rice: rice from Vietnam, matured quickly & allowed a 2nd annual harvest.
R
- Sui – State Confucianism. Entrance exams for government jobs.
- Tang – Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana priests helped translate Buddhist texts into local languages. Also helped locals incorporate their gods into Buddhism. Daoism/Confucianism still major religions.
- After Tang were defeated by Arabs at Talas River, many Buddhists were discriminated against. Viewed as foreigners & against mainstream Confucianism. Buddhist monasteries were crushed, but Buddhism wasn't stamped out.
- Song: Zen Buddhism. Disciplined meditation.
S
- Tang – cosmopolitan capital: Chang’an.
- Tang state combined Central Asian/Chinese culture
- Trade made the city cosmopolitan
- Peasants = unhappy w/oppressive local lords & taxation. Rebellions spelled end for Tang state. Many foreigners also blamed in rebellions – resulted in massacring of outsiders.
- Tang struggles in war/rebellions resulted in xenophobia.
- Song: Pop growth due to agricultural/economic prosperity.
- Cities: large wooden, multi-story apts. Closely built together (allowed much crowding, disease – eventually new building codes were adopted)
- Class structure – non-government workers could become wealthy. Land wasn't the only thing that made you a profit any more.
- Women: subjugated. Confucians emphasized women’s traditional roles, did let women read (only to read books that told them to be subservient). Footbinding also became widespread – a visual embodiment of female subjugation. Strangely enough, it became a status symbol amongst the elite.
- Neo-Confucianism – Zhu Xi. New approach to Confucian texts: Human nature is still essentially good, moral, rational.
I
- Tang: facilitated the Silk Road. Employed credit for purchases like credit cards.
- song- printed paper money.
- Major trading routes to east Africa
- Civil service exams
A
- sui- Grand canal irrigation
- Tang crossbow and armed infantry.
- built many palaces, and new capital cities
N
- sui dynasty expanded to include the Chen Kingdom in Southern China.
- Tang- expanded into Central and East Asia.