golden age dynasties of china · 2019. 10. 29. · golden age dynasties of china sui – ming...
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Golden Age Dynasties of China
Sui – Ming Dynasties
Sui Dynasty 589 - 618 CE
Important Because: Last of the Pre Golden Age Dynasties, Many public works projects
• After a long period of disunion the empire was again reunified
• Equaled Qin dynasty in amount of public works – Rebuilt Great Wall
– Grand Canal
Grand Canal
• Construction started during Wu Dynasty, ended during Sui
• Largest Canal in the world
• Constructed for North South Transportation
Goguryeo-Sui Wars (598-614 C.E.)
• Started as small border conflicts between Sui and Goguryeo
– 4 wars in total
• Was a humiliating defeat for Sui forces
The Second Goguryeo-Sui War
• Sui led by Yangdi – Mobalized up to 5
million soldiers
• Most of army tried attacking Sui forces in Manchuria – A small group attacked
Pyongyang – Ambushed on way
home (Battle of Salsu) – Both failed, only 2700
survived
• Hampered by…
– Supply problems
– No autonomy of Generals
Impacts of the Goguryeo-Sui War
• Millions of dead in Sui lands
• Discontent with Regime across empire
– Led to overthrow of Empire and assassination of emperor
• Sui Defeated by…
– Disease
– Weather
– Ambushes
Tang Dynasty 618 – 907 CE
Important Because: Start of Golden Age
• Construction of canals allowed for economic advancements
• Land distribution – Based on family size and potential taxation
• Expanded Administration
• Military advances – Cavalry in North
– Infantry in South
Tang Dynasty
Goguryeo-Tang Wars (645-668 C.E.)
• First Goguryeo-Tang War – Tang Forces invaded and initially has success
– Had to retreat because of winter and supply issues
• Second Goguryeo-Tang War – Revenge for First, Tang defeated in almost every
battle
• Third Goguryeo-Tang War – Goguryeo defeated by combined Tang and Silla
Army
Gunpowder
• Mentioned in 850 CE in Taoist book (earlier forms mentioned)
• Made by combination of Saltpeter, Charcoal, and Sulfur
Chinese Golden Age 710 – 755 CE
• Economics and Government stabilized
• Census taken
• Development of poetry
• Rising importance of alcohol, tea, and salt
• Ended by military uprising
Song Dynasty 960 - 1279 CE
Important Because: End of Aristocratic domination in Government
• Song Confucian Revival
• Northern China Conquered (Jin), South remains under song control
• Economic Growth based on Trade
• Renaissance of China
Chinese Printing Press • Developed around 1000 C.E. (439 years before
Gutenberg)
• Allowed printers to arrange letters on frames to create pages to be reproduced
• Prior forms include scrolls
The Two Songs
• Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) – Centered at Kaifeng
• Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) – Centered at Hangzhou
Foot Binding • Considered to be very attractive
• Lasted from 950 ce to 1949 ce
• Bound the toes and effectively broke arches
• Golden Lotus (3-3 ½ inches)
Central Question
Would you compare foot binding to any modern day afflictions in the pursuit of beauty?
Yuan Dynasty 1279 – 1368 C.E. Important Because: Beginning
of the break up of China
• Established under Kublai Khan
• Sought to expand empire built by Grandfather Ghengis Khan
• Once done with China sought to expand to Japan and South of Himalayas
Yuan China
Mongol Empire
Policies of the Yuan
• Four Social Classes – Mongolians
– Semu – Allies and Inner-Asians
– Han – Northern Chinese
– Nan – Southern Chinese
• Less strict taxation and penal codes the higher up you were
Marco Polo
• Venetian Trader
• 1271 – Traveled with Father and Uncle to Cathay (China)
• Invited to participate in Yuan Court
• Polo worked as semi-official ambassador for Khan
– Traveled all over the Kingdom
The Travels of Marco Polo
Ming Dynasty 1368 – 1644 C.E. Important Because: Re-
establishment of Chinese rule
• Rapid population growth
• Considered one of the most prosperous of the Chinese Dynasties
• Fell after string of weak rulers and Mongolian and Japanese attacks
Hung Wu • Born as a commoner
– Zhu Yuanzhang
• Exploited Yuan weakness
• Gifted military leader
• Very Paranoid
• Advancements in administration and public works
• First Ming Emperor
The Building of the Forbidden City
• Home of the Emperors
• Constructed from 1406-1420 – Anywhere between
200,000-1 million workers
• Opened with grand celebration – Followed by fire that
destroyed half
– And again in 1644
Eunuchs and Concubines
Eunuchs
• Served as royal servants
• Could be executed on a whim
Concubines/Wives
• Emperors had many
• Served as…different sort of servant
• The more she was chosen to be with the emperor the higher her standing
Ocean Exploration
• Zheng He – Led massive treasure fleet
to western Asia….and beyond? (1421)
– First person recorded to use a compass (they had been around since 850 C.E.)
• Expeditions stopped in 1433 – China took isolationist stand – Thought China was perfect
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