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Tang and Song Dynasties in China during the 6th and 7th centuries essay
Tang and Song Dynasties in China during the 6th and 7th centuries essay
Essay on tang and song dynasty
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The Tang Dynasty arose in China in the seventh century, and almost immediately its economy and arts flourished. The capital cities of Chang’an and Luoyang became the cosmopolitan centers of East Asia, as a wide array of goods and ideas were being exchanged between the Tang and surrounding nations. The Tang created an institutional government divided into departments, similar to the agencies of modern governments, and many great works of poetry were composed around this time. Yet in the eighth century, the empire faced problems, such as a rebellion led by General An Lushan, and Turkish invaders taking control of the northern provinces. The poet Bo Juyi describes the circumstances of the Emperor during An Lushan’s rebellion in his poem “Song of Everlasting Sorrow.” As a result of this rebellion and the loss of control to the Turks, the cultural attitudes of the Tang Dynasty shifted as there was an increase in resentment towards foreigners and foreign ideas. Evidence of this attitude can be seen in two texts, “Memorial on Buddhism” by Han Yu and “Imperial Edict of 845 Regarding Foreign Relations” by Emperor Wuzong. The first is a critique of Buddhism by a famous poet Han …show more content…
There was indeed a thriving trading system that brought goods and people from surrounding countries into China and vice versa. We see evidence of ideas and practices coming into China from Central Asia. For example, Buddhism took a strong foothold in the seventh century and Buddhist monasteries were established across the empire by the ninth century. Clothing and music from India was introduced to Tang culture, as well as the religions of Zoroastrianism and Nestorian Christianity (McKay 190) Yet this assertion that the Tang were a completely open and accepting society fails to consider what occurred in the later stages of the
Since the introduction of Buddhism into China, it was not well received by the population as its foreign beliefs clashed with pre-existent principals of Confucianism and Taoism. On top of that, it was alienated by the Confucianism-based government in the late Han Dynasty. All in all, Buddhism was not a common nor a popular religion throughout China at first. Nevertheless, this all changed after the rise of the Tang Dynasty. There is no doubt that Buddhism and the Tang administration under Wu’s reign formed a critical symbiotic relationship with one another. Buddhism played a pivotal role in justifying Empress Wu’s rule. She enthroned herself as the monarch of China, an extraordinarily difficult achievement for a woman in a male-dominant society, by associating herself with Buddhism: proclaiming herself as the Maitreya and that she will bring an utopian era for the Chinese. (Smarr, 17 Feb. 2012) At the same time, Buddhism benefitted handsomely from government support, as monasteries are exempted from tax and that they are financially supported by the state, as seen in A Pilgrim’s Visit to the Five Terraces Mountains, which ultimately resulted in the substantial growth in attraction of Buddhist converts and Buddhism itself. Wu’s extensive support of the religion with ostentatious gifts and donations contributed to the rapid proliferation of Buddhism. Evidently, the mutually benefitting relationship between Buddhism and the state are crucial to each other’s survival during Wu’s sovereignty, but to what extent did her financial support (donations to monasteries) of Buddhism bettered the government overall?
This East Asian study will define the historical and literary elements of Chinese xenophobia, the regionalism of Chinese Taoism, and the importance of The Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution in the writings of Han Yu. Han Yu (768-824) defines the religious xenophobia that is attributed to Chinese culture during the Tang Dynasty, which reflects the policies of the Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution under Emperor Wuzong. These values were generated through regional prominence of Anti-Buddhist propaganda that was defined through a predominantly Taoist and Confucian religious culture in China. Han Yu defines the overarching anti-Buddhist propaganda that diminishes the power of leaders, which perceived Buddhism as a “tribal” religion that had corrupted Chinese officials and Emperors. The Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution was a major part of religious xenophobia during the late 8th and 9th centuries that reflected an intolerance for religious diversity. In essence, an analysis of Chinese xenophobia, the regionalism of Chinese Taoism and Confucianism, and the importance of The
Wu Zhao, the first female emperor of China, rose to power during the Tang Dynasty and her active role with Buddhism fabricated a perpetual impact in the Chinese society as a whole. There is no doubt that Buddhism and the Tang administration, under Wu’s reign, formed a symbiotic relationship with one another. She is considered to be one of the most prominent advocators of the religion during the era. Her efforts to spread of Buddhism and the monetary support help Buddhism to expand throughout the people significantly, which provide the religion another source of financial income to spread even further. Regardless of Empress Wu’s intention, she has furnished the religion in numerous ways, but what did she receive in return? This proposes the question: To what extent did Empress Wu’s support of Buddhism, politically and financially, help Wu and better her empire overall?
Religion has always had an impact on an individual’s perspectives and the government, and this can clearly be seen with Buddhism and the Tang Dynasty. Before Buddhism pervaded China, the traditional religion in China was Confucianism, and the majority of individuals strictly followed the rules and principles of Confucianism. When Buddhism was introduced, every person engendered their own views on Buddhism and the influences the religion would have on the government. The Tang Dynasty generated a prosperous time in China, until the dynasty spiraled down into its demise in c. 750 (Smarr “Tang China”). Many individuals believed that the reason why the collapse of the Tang Dynasty occurred was because of Buddhism and foreign ideas. A Chinese poet, named Han Yu, believed in the concept that Buddhism was the ultimate cause for the destruction of the Tang Dynasty, and his ideas were very influential. Han Yu’s ideas promoted the riddance of Buddhism values and monasteries in China (Smarr “An Lu-shan Rebellion”). Therefore, the question that arises from such observations is was this an accurate portrayal of perspectives during the Tang dynasty and how influential was this portrayal? Although, one portrayal of the Tang Dynasty’s collapse was Emperor Xuanzong’s carelessness, Han Yu persists that the accurate portrayal of the collapse was brought about by Buddhism through monasteries and monks, and selfish values.
Seeing the change that Buddhism has caused Tang Wu was not at all fond of it and wanted it stopped, “Having thoroughly examined all earlier reports and consulted public opinion on all sides. this evil should be eradicated.” Buddhism looked beyond classes and was made for everyone. When it came to China, it was the perfect time for the Chinese scholars, but not for the government and strict Confucianists. With the Chinese scholars, it gave them a sense of new direction in their lives and it was their escape from all the chaos around them.
Xuanzang was a highly educated Buddhist monk from China, who in 629 C.E. made the long and treacherous journey along the Silk Road to India. His main objectives in his sixteen years away from home were fundamentally religious; he only wanted to study more complete scriptures to answer questions he had, which he deemed unsolvable in his own country. It is important to understand Xuanzang’s own position within the Chinese society and the type of situation it was in: Chinese Buddhists had many disagreements
Today we can look around ourselves and see thousands of technical innovations that make life easier; But if we take a step back and ask ourselves “How?” we will soon realize that most often, these technological advancements did not just “poof” into existence, but are usually the outcome of building upon yesterday’s technology. If we follow this cycle back into time, we can attribute almost any modern day invention to an ancient civilization during its golden age. China was no exception. China’s Song and Tang dynasties fostered scientific advances comparable to Rome’s during its Pax Romana. The most significant and impacting of these were the development of primitive gunpowder and porcelain of the Tang and paper money, and the magnetic compass of the Song Dynasties. Although these may seem very far off, if you look hard enough, you can see traces of their impacts in society today because most of the advancements today we owe to them.
During the early Ming Dynasty, China was one of the most economically and technologically advanced countries in the world. As Ebrey pointed out, “Europe was not yet a force in Asia and China continued to look at the outer world in traditional terms.” China was regarded as the center of Asia at the beginning of the 15th century and the idea of “Middle Kingdom” (Zhong guo) began to take off at that time. The early Ming Emperors were not interested in promoting commercial trade at all. Emperor Hongwu, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, implemented the Hai jin policy which forbade maritime shipping and private foreign trade outside of the tributary system (Ebrey, p. 209).
Chapter 1: The Wan-Li Emperor, begins by explaining the major premise of the work: The concept of looking at a single year in the history of the leadership of China and evaluating the implications for understanding other aspects of history, including the decline of the Ming Dynasty. In this initial chapter, Huang provides an anecdotal history of some of the events that occurred, and includes within it a discussion of the set up of the leadership, the repercussions that occurred in the event of certain actions, including the prospects of an audience with the emperor. Huang reviews these issues as he considers that actions taken by the Wan-li emperor, who was only twenty-four in 1587 and who had been a veteran of ceremonial proceedings, and considers his history as an element of understanding the progression of leadership.
Chinese-Americans authors Amy Tan and Gish Jen have both grappled with the idea of mixed identity in America. For them, a generational problem develops over time, and cultural displacement occurs as family lines expand. While this is not the problem in and of itself, indeed, it is natural for current culture to gain foothold over distant culture, it serves as the backdrop for the disorientation that occurs between generations. In their novels, Tan and Jen pinpoint the cause of this unbalance in the active dismissal of Chinese mothers by their Chinese-American children.
The Tang dynasty was founded in 618, and lasted until 907. The emperor was supreme and government officials were chosen by examination. A census was taken to simplify tax collection and to draft citizens to perform labor for the empire. This was a period of great land expansion. (Halsall, 1998) The emperor also had a great love of the arts, and the Tang became known as the golden age of literature and art. Block printing was invented and made writing more available. (Unknown, 2003) Shipbuilding and firearms development were also refined during the era. Art was heavily influenced by Buddhism, especially rock sculpture. One major problem that arose was the heavy burden of taxation. Many were unable to meet their heavy tax burden. To escape this, many placed themselves under the protection of great landlords who were exempt from taxes, or became bandits. (Halsall, 1998)
...e seen as angry manifestations of heavens, of divine powers. After this things began to unravel. Eunuchs obtained more power turning court officials into a bloody political field. Peasant uprising called the Yellow Turban Rebellion threatened the imperial Capital. Then in 190 CE a war lord, Dong Zhou, took control of the imperial capital and placed a child, Liu Xie, as ruler. Although Liu Xie was a member of the Han family as he was placed there by Dong Zhou he was the one with true control. He killed the eunuchs and burned Luoyang. After time battle after battle to the imperial order until Liu Xie was removed from the throne in 220 CE, the last years of the Han dynasty. Wars continued and China would not be unified for another 350 years. This was the vast history of the Han dynasty that had unified china for over 400 years and paved the way for future generations.
In the early fifth century due to the weak Sui dynasty (561-617). The Emperor taxed heavy on its citizens and forced them to build large monuments and buildings with little to no pay. Many people as a result of this hard labor died. Fed up with heavy taxation and forced labor, rebellions occurred trough out Sui China and put the emperor to its grave 618. That same year Li Yuan, who was a Sui Governor in a Chinese province, later became emperor Gaozu of Tang declared himself ruler of the new Tang Dynasty. During his eight year reign, he united parts of China, relaxed harsh laws and promoted trade. After his retirement his son Li Shimin became the next Emperor of the Tang. He was also known as Emperor Taizong. During the reign of Emperor Taizong, China flourished economically and militarily. After his death, China enjoyed prosperity and peace brought about the soil faction of imperial protection over the Chinese regions.1 Also for the first time in this time period , China had trade relations with Yamato Japan. China also had strong diplomatic relations with the western world for the first time. In 674 the Sassanid Persian royal house fled the advancing Arab army and arrived in the Tang capital, Chang’an. Which became the most populist city in the world at the time, with two million
The four hundred years between the collapse of the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.- C.E. 220) and the establishment of the Tang dynasty (618-906) mark a division in the history of China. During this period, foreign invasion, transcontinental trade, and missionary ambition opened the region to an unprecedented wealth of foreign cultural influences. These influences were both secular and sacred. Nomads, merchants, emissaries and missionaries flooded into China, bringing new customs, providing exotic wares, and generating new religious beliefs. Foremost among these beliefs was Buddhism, born in India, but which now took root in China. These new influences entered China by a vast network of overland routes, popularly known as the Silk Road
The Tang Dynasty’s rise is similar to the rise of the Han Dynasty, which began over 800 years earlier. The first emperor of the tang, Kao-tsu (618-626 C.E.), implemented many of the practices and ideas established during the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Kao-tsu carried on the tradition of local government rule, and also awarded each adult male in China equal amounts of land, in exchange for taxes. Emperor Taizong, who began rule in 626 C.E., was the son of Kao-tsu, also played an important role in the economic expansion of China and ruled during the beginning decades of the Tang. Emperor Taizong’s reign beg...