Dynasties of China
Global Studies 9
Mrs. Hart, Mrs. Costello, Ms.
Soddano, and Mrs. Suto
The Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty ruled
China from 618-907,
building their capital at
Xian. They forced
Vietnam, Tibet, and
Korea to become
tributary states.
Government
corruption, drought,
and rebellions all
contributed to the
collapse of the dynasty
in 907.
The Song Dynasty
In 960, a general
named Zhao
Kuangyin, reunited
China under a new
dynasty known as the
Song. They ruled
China for over 300
years, until they were
conquered by the
Mongols in 1279.
Government
Government was greatly
influenced by Confucian
beliefs, which stressed
social order based on
duty, rank, and proper
behavior. Tang rulers
revived the civil service
system, under which
people who wanted to
hold office, had to pass
difficult exams. This
system gave China a
highly educated ruling
class.
Chinese Society
Status of Women
Under the Tang and Song
dynasties, women held
great authority. At home,
they managed the
household and disciplined
the children. But boys
were still valued more
over girls. When a girl
married, she was required
to become part of her
husband’s family and
could never remarry.
Women and Foot Binding
Foot binding in China
began in the 8th century,
but spread during the Song
dynasty and eventually
became common among
all but the lowest of
classes. It was a way to
keep women dependent
on men, as it made it
difficult for women to
walk, and they were
unable to go very far.
Foot Binding
Foot binding became
popular as a means of
displaying status and
was adopted as a
symbol of beauty in
Chinese culture.
Women from wealthy
families who did not
need to work could
afford to have their
feet bound.
Economic Achievements
Under the Tang dynasty, land was taken from the
gentry and redistributed to the peasants. This
meant that peasants could pay taxes to the
government. Foreign trade also expanded with
areas like India, Persia, and the Middle East.
Economic Expansion
To improve trade, the government issued paper
money – the world’s first. Canals were built to
encourage trade and improve transportation. The
Grand Canal was the largest, and allowed food
from farms in southern China to be sent north.
Achievements in Literature and the Arts
• Short stories and
poetry
• Landscape painting
• Calligraphy
• The pagoda
• Porcelain
The Mongols in China
In 1279, Kublai Khan,
another grandson of
Genghis Khan, completed
the job of conquering China,
but also ruled Korea, Tibet,
and parts of Vietnam. He
set up his own dynasty and
called it the Yuan dynasty,
although he did not want
the Mongols to become
absorbed into Chinese
civilization.
The Ming Dynasty
In 1368, a peasant—led
rebellion successfully
over threw Mongol rule,
and the Ming dynasty
was established.
Confucian ideas, which
had been repressed
during the Mongol rule
of China, were again
stressed. The civil
service system, and
education became
important once more.
Zheng He
Zheng He was a Chinese admiral who set up trade
links with many distant centers of trade, and brought
back exotic animals for the royal zoo. After his death
though, the Ming emperor banned the build of large
ships and stopped its voyages of exploration. The
emperor complained that Zheng’s voyages had not
brought enough profits to China, and Confucian
scholars taught that China was the best civilization in
the world, so they did not need anything from any
other civilization.
Agricultural Advancements
• Advances in agriculture, like better fertilization
methods, meant more food could be grown.
• Corn and sweet potatoes from the Americas
helped support the growing population.
Trade with Europeans
The Europeans were
very impressed with
Chinese goods like silk,
porcelain, paper, guns,
and gunpowder and
wanted to trade with
the Chinese. But the
Ming leaders severely
restricted foreign trade,
believing European
goods to be inferior.
China’s Impact on Korea
Korea adapted the
civil service system
from the Chinese,
developed their own
type of blue-green
porcelain glaze
called celedon, and
were influenced by
Confucian teachings.
China’s Impact on Japan
Korea served as a cultural bridge, linking China with
the Japanese islands. Chinese missionaries brought
Buddhism to Japan, and they too were influenced by
Confucian teachings, the Chinese language and
architecture.
Chinese Impact on Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia was greatly influenced by traders from
China and India. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam all
entered this region. Vietnam, part of this region,
absorbed Confucian ideas, the civil service system, a
bureaucracy similar to China’s, and their architectural
style.