LATER DYNASTIES OF CHINA
Sui
Tang
Song
Yuan
Ming
Qing
• After the fall of the Han Dynasty, military leaders split
China into rival kingdoms, which led to a period of
warfare called the Period of Disunion
– Lasted for more than 350 years and ended when a
northern ruler named Wendi reunified China and
founded the Sui dynasty
Sui Dynasty 581 to 618
• Wendi was the first emperor of the dynasty and was also
known as Yang Jian
– He reunified China
– He also established a centralized gov’t and restored
order
• His son, Emperor Sui Yangdi, built the Grand Canal that
linked northern and southern China
– It was a 1,000 mile waterway that made it easier to
trade and ship rice
– Millions of peasants were forced to work on the Grand
Canal and hundreds of thousands died
• High taxes and military failures led to Yangdi’s
assassination and the end of the dynasty
Tang Dynasty 618 to 907
• A Sui general seized power and founded the Tang
dynasty, which was a period of prosperity and cultural
achievement
– Tang rulers began by instituting reforms, such as
giving land to peasants, and restoring the civil service
exam
– China also expanded, regaining lands in Central Asia,
along with gaining influence over Korea
– Many early Tang rulers were Buddhists, although
Buddhism lost official favor later on
– Trade revived and the Silk Road once again prospered
– Wu Zhao – first and only female emperor
• Inventions
– Invented gunpowder – used mostly for fireworks
• Fire-lance: weapon that shot out flame and
projectiles up to 40 yards
– Perfected the magnetic compass
• Sailors could more accurately determine direction
and navigate
– Developed woodblock printing
• Books could be mass produced
• Gov’t corruption, high taxes, nomadic invasions, and
peasant rebellions all led to the decline of the Tang
dynasty
– A powerful general killed the emperor, ending the
dynasty
Song Dynasty 960 to 1279
• After the Tang, China once again split apart until it was
reunified under the Song Dynasty
– Under the Song, Chinese civilization became the
most advanced in the world
• Enlarged the gov’t bureaucracy and reformed the civil
service exam
– Exams tested students’ knowledge of Confucianism
– Those who passed the exam became scholar-officials,
the elite educated members of the gov’t
• The exams were a pathway to gain wealth and
status
– Scholar-gentry = landed aristocrats who produced
most of the candidates for the civil service exam –
political and economic elite of China
• Invasions by northern tribes forced the Song to move
the imperial court farther south, but eventually they
were conquered by the Mongols, leading to foreign rule
in China
The Mongols
• The Mongols were nomadic people who were fierce
warriors and skilled horsemen
– Were divided into separate clans, each ruled by a
khan, or chief
– One khan, Temujin, conquered his rivals and united
the Mongol clans
• He took the title Genghis Khan, which means
“universal ruler”
• Genghis Khan organized the Mongols into a powerful
military machine and his armies were highly mobile and
could strike quickly
– Used brutality and psychological warfare
– Many people surrendered without a fight
• With his armies, Genghis Khan created the largest land
empire in history, controlling much of the Eurasian
landmass
– On his death, his empire was divided into four parts
and given to his heirs
– His grandson, Kublai Khan, completed the conquest
of China
Yuan Dynasty 1279 to 1368
• Kublai Khan defeated the last Song ruler and had
himself declared emperor
– This was the first time foreigners ruled China
– He established his capital at future Beijing
• Explorer Marco Polo was greatly impressed by this
city
• Kublai Khan kept the Chinese gov’t system in place, but
its highest positions were staffed by Mongols
– He distrusted the Chinese and limited their power
– Mongols were made to live apart from the Chinese
• Kublai Khan tried to expand his empire
– Sent several invading forces into Southeast Asia,
which all failed
– He also tried to invade Japan twice, but failed again
• These military losses, along with Chinese resentment of
foreign rule, led to rebellion that ended the Yuan
dynasty
Ming Dynasty 1368 to 1644
• A peasant and his rebel army overthrew Mongol ruled
and established a new dynasty, taking the title Emperor
Hongwu
– Hongwu reduced taxes and passed reforms to
improve agriculture and trade
– He also greatly expanded his powers as emperor,
taking over more control of the gov’t
• Ming emperors were more powerful than
previous emperors
• Ming rulers gained control of Korea, Mongolia, and
parts of Asia
• The Ming capital was established at Beijing
– In the center the vast Imperial City was built, also
known as the Forbidden City
• One Ming ruler sponsored overseas voyages
– Chinese admiral Zheng He led seven voyages that
explored Southeast Asia, India, the Arabian
Peninsula, and the east coast of Africa
– Zheng He travelled with 300 ships
• Made contact with the first Europeans since Marco
Polo, the Portuguese
– Restricted foreign trade to a few ports
– Ming disliked the influence of Europeans, especially
the missionaries – wanted to preserve China’s
traditions
– The Ming emperors decided to isolate China from
the outside world
• The main artistic achievement was the porcelain Ming
vases
• Decline due to weak rulers, corruption, and high taxes,
which all leads to a peasant revolt
– The Manchus, a group of people who live in
Manchuria, invade and conquer the peasant revolt
– The last Ming emperor commits suicide and the
Manchus establish a dynasty
Qing Dynasty 1644 to 1911
• The Manchus established the Qing dynasty, which would
be the last dynasty of China
• The Manchus adopted the Chinese political system and
shared power with them
– Showed respect for Chinese customs and maintained
Confucian traditions
– Remained separate from the Chinese and placed
restrictions on them
• In order to better identify rebels, the Qing gov’t ordered
all men to adopt Manchu dress and hairstyles
– Men had to adopt the queue = hair style in which the
front is shaved with a braid or ponytail in the back
• Missionaries were allowed to enter China
– Qing emperors entertained Jesuit priests to learn
about European intellectual advances
• Foreign relations
– Conquered Taiwan and Tibet
– The Dutch began a thriving trade in Chinese goods
• Had to accept China’s terms
• The Qing dynasty would eventually fall to rebellion in
1911, mostly due to increasing Western influence and
the efforts of European imperialism in the 1800s