Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty (960-1279) was a ruling dynasty in China. This dynasty is divided into two periods: Northern Song and Southern Song. Social life was vibrant in the Song dynasty. Literature and knowledge was enhanced by wood block printing and movable type printing. Confucianism infused with Buddhist ideals emphasized a new organization of classic texts brought out the core doctrine of Neo-Confucianism. The civil service examinations became more prominent in the Song period. Administrative sophistication and complex organization was during this era. Song Dynasty was prosperous in many respects of the society. Even though this dynasty was technologically and culturally advanced, Song people were not militarily powerful.
The civil service examination and the scholar-officials helped shape the educated class of Song and produce extraordinary men.
The most distinctive features of Chinese civilization were in the Song period. This was the scholar-official class certified through highly competitive civil service examinations. These elite were better educated than others in Chinese history. Aristocratic habits and prejudices largely disappeared when examination system was fully developed. This system came to be considered the normal ladder to success. The invention of printing should be given a little credit. The art of carving words and pictures into wooden blocks was developed by Tang craftsmen. They would ink the blocks then press paper onto them. An entire page of text and illustrations was held on each block. In the eleventh century movable type, on piece of type for each character, was invented. In China whole-block printing was cheaper. The spread of literacy was because printing dramatically lowered the price...
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...e partners. The decline in the status of women in Song times was sometimes blamed on Neo-Confucianism. Foot-binding also began during the Song Dynasty. This is the practice of binding the feet of girls with long strips of cloth to keep them from growing large. Moms wanted them to be judged more beautiful.
Printing and the booming economy allowed a great expansion of educated class in the Song period. This also dominated the government. The educated class in the Song period was shaped by the civil service examinations. Most educated men spent years or more studying but not always successful. Military leadership was at a disadvange even though there were high levels of education in literature, antiquities, philosophy, and art. The education of men, more books, and printing much of them was survived. This made it possible to see earlier periods and lives of women.
During the Tang and Song dynasty, many excellent achievements have been accomplished which are still being preserved and used widely over centuries. Their citizens were excelled in many fields with several of new and practical inventions which all directly affected the citizens’ lives.
Zhao Ji was the eleventh son of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty. Being so far down the line for succession to the empire, he spent his time devoting himself to his loves of literature, art, and Daoism; surrounding himself in luxury and sophistication. He built up and catalogued an extensive painting collection, Xuanhehuapu, with over 6,000 paintings. To date, no earlier collection, neither court or private, is known to have as much detail as Huizong’s because book length catalogues of his paintings, calligraphies and antiquities all survived (Ebrey, p.5). Huizong wanted to reform court music that had been degenerated during the Five Dynasties Period and was an avid believer in ruiying, Heaven’s way of communicating with the earth. He is thought of as the only accomplished artist in a line of emperors all who loved and appreciated the arts (Oxford Art Dictionary). It is his love of the arts, and his decisions to favor art and religion over politics that is associated with the fall of the Great Northern Song Dynasty, a dynasty that ruled from 960 until it was lost at the hand of Huizong in 1127.
Chinese culture has been evolving for more than one thousand years with one of the most significant influences being the development of the Han dynasty. This paper analyses the ways in which the development of the Han dynasty influenced Chinese culture, to what extent, and why. Knowledge of the Han period’s impact on Chinese culture, is obtained through the analysis of written and archaeological sources depicting the Western Han dynasty (206 B.C.–9 A.D) and Eastern Han dynasty (25–220 A.D).
One of the eras of a majestic ancient civilization that has left a lasting impression upon the world of today is the Chinese Song Dynasty. Established by General Zhao Kuangyin this dynasty lasted from 960–1279 AD and brought a new stability to China after many decades of civil war, and ushered in a new era of modernization. It was divided into the Bei (Northern) and the Nan (Southern) Song periods. This brilliant cultural epoch gave birth to major advances in economic reform, achievements in technology, and helped to further medical knowledge.
The Han dynasty was in power for over 400 years from 206 BCE-220 CE. Throughout its expansive history many great advances were made, many of which had a lasting impact on both China and the world. This essay will analyse three of the most significant achievements of the Han dynasty; achievements that improved the political, social, educational, and cultural aspects of the Han empire and caused “All subsequent Chinese dynasties to look back to the Han period as an inspiring model of a united empire and self-perpetuating government” (Violatti et al., 2016)
Before the Communist Revolution, China had a dynastic system for their form of government. A dynastic system consisted of China being ruled by emperors and it started around 221 BC. The first known dynasty in China is the Shang Dynasty. The social classes included the upper class of nobles, the working class, and slaves. In the Shang Dynasty, China was well- known for their well- organized armies and the chariots they used. Their system of writing consisted of pictures called ideograms, pictograms and phonograms. The dynastic system left China in 1911 when the Qing Dynasty ended. A republican form of government was introduced where warlords governed the country. This type of government was weak for China and Sun Yat-sen, the leader of the Nationalist Party, searched for help from other countries to try to bring down the warlords. Unfortunately, western countries did not give their help, and China went to the Soviet Union for help instead. The Soviet Union agreed to help them out but they pushed for China to become communist. This decision eventually led to the civil war that occurred in China.
Although the history of footbinding is very vague it lasted for at least one thousand years.Early text referred to the Han Dynasty as people who preferred that the women have small feet (Vento, 1). Vento also acknowledged the first documented reference to actual binding of the feet was from the Tang Dynasty in Nanjing (1). Before the Sung Dynasty Binding was only slightly constricting, allowing for free movement, they were also thought to have used footbinding to suppress women. The Yuan Dynasty introduced binding into the central and southern parts of China. It may have been emphasized to draw a clear cultural distinction between the Chinese and their large footed conquerors, the Mongols.
Of the many dynasties that make up China’s history, one of the most notable is the Han Dynasty, which lasted from 206 BCE to 220 CE, under the rule of numerous emperors. It made many contributions to China’s history and made lasting changes, some of which remained for millennia following the dynasty’s collapse. They made changes to China’s economy, technology, social order, religion, philosophy, and education that revolutionized the way China operated. Also, as the Han Dynasty expanded greatly during its rule, many of the territory that the dynasty conquered became part of what would later be modern day China. These changes helped to shape the country that China became.
The Song dynasty is actually divided into two separate periods: The Northern Song from 960-1126 A.D. and the Southern Song from 1126-1279 A.D. The northwestern part of the country had been taken over by the nomadic tribes, forcing the emperor move the capital to Kaifeng, then later to Hangzhou during the southern Song period. They also lost control of Tibet. (Duiker, & Spielvogel, 2009) While they struggled with territory control, the Song strived in economic development and cultural achievement.
The Han Dynasty, the amazing Chinese era to have said to unified China for over 400 years old. This era in China’s history began in 206 B.C when a rebel armies rose up against the Qin army. One rebellion, led by Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang was later joined by Xiang Liang, Xiang Yu, Ying Bu, and Peng Yue joined forces with Liu Bang. The people of the Qin Dynasty were unhappy under the rule of Qin Shihuang who was ran his empire with an iron fist. His rule was absolute and disagreeing was punishable by death, though Emperor Qin was the one who to end the Warring States as well as complete the conquering of China in 221 B.C, thus expanding the Chinese state. After the takeover, Liu Bang took the name as Emperor of China and changed his given name to Emperor Gaozu and the Qin laws were abolished.
China grew to be the largest and most populous country of Asia. IT developed a unique culture by being isolated and having little contact with any other civilizations. After time, its methods of production and system of government here highly advanced for its time. China’s history is shown through the ruling of several different dynasties, their schools of thought and religion, and the vast spreading of their culture to its surrounding countries.
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.
Due to a shift in views in Chinese masculinity, sewing was deemed manly. Men began to stop their wives from sewing materials such as silk, decreasing their roles in the household. The Song dynasty collapsed in 1279 due to Mongol invasions.
A significant part of the ancient Chinese civilization was that it shared a common background that is longer than any other ethnic group on Earth. China mostly isolated and unknown to the outside world, was quietly progressing at a rate greater than or equal to other notable civilizations of the prehistoric world. China was composed of several dynasties. The dynastic cycle played a definitive role in the successions of Chinese empires. Each era’s achievements and failures influenced the next. The combined contributions from all the regimes, not only led to the success and progress of China, but defined it as well. Technological discoveries, inventions, creations and its ability to adapt all participate in its maturity. The evolution of ancient Chinese dynasties provided the cultural, economical and governmental structure that developed and shaped their country into one of the marvels of ancient times.