The Postclassical Era
China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam
Rebuilding the Sui/Tang Era
• Wendi conquered the Chen Kingdom
• Reunited the core of Chinese civilization for the first time in
3 ½ centuries
• Yangdi (son of Wendi) murdered his father to get the
throne
• Sought to restore the examination system and promote the
scholar-gentry class
• Fond of luxury and extravagance and also failed to win
against Korea
• He was then assassinated by his own ministers ending the Sui
Dynasty
Emergence of the Tang
• Li Yuan, and his son, Tang Taizong, laid the basis
for the golden age of the Tang
• Tang armies conquered deep into central Asia
• Turkic tribes posed the greatest threat
• Tang rulers took the title heavenly khan
• Empire was extended even larger than the early
Han Dynasty
Rebuilding the Bureaucracy
• The restoration, rebuilding and expanding of the imperial
bureaucracy was key to Chinese unity
• Scholar-gentry class/elite played a central role and offset the power of
the aristocracy
• From Tang era onward, political power in China was shared by
imperial families and bureaucrats
• Examination system was expanded-different levels of exams
were given
• Those that achieved highest levels were called jinshi-they were then
eligible for the highest positions available
• Birth and family connections continued to be important in securing
high office positions
State and Religion
• State patronage of Confucian learning threatened
Buddhism
• Masses followed Mahayana Buddhism, elite followed Chan
• Tang rulers patronized Buddhism while promoting
Confucian education
• Backlash against Buddhism:
• Didn’t have to pay taxes, received grants of land, so restrictions
were placed on Buddhism which turned into persecution
• Buddhism survived but was severely weakened
• Confucianism emerges as central ideology
Tang Decline-Rise of Song
• 907 C.E.- last emperor of Tang Dynasty forced to resign
• 960 C.E.- military commander Zhao (renamed Emperor
Taizu), reunited China under single dynasty- Song
• Strongly promoted the interests of the Confucian scholar-gentry
• Neo-Confucians popped up-applying philosophical principles to
everyday life
• In general, women saw worsening conditions-stressed the
women's role as homemaker and mother-footbinding was
practiced
Tang/Song Accomplishments
• Tang:
• Science, technology, agricultural tools, banks, paper
money, Grand Canal, bridges, explosive gunpowder,
flame throwers, rocket launchers, coal, kites, drinking
tea
• Song:
• Compass, abacus, moveable type printing
• Chinese education was focused on turning out
generalists rather than specialists
Japan
• Western Europe and Japan developed full
feudal political systems
• Developed more centralized government
• Aristocratic lords controlled masses of peasants
• Highly militaristic
• Relied heavily on group and individual loyaltynot confirmed by contracts
Korea
• Koguryo resisted Chinese rule and established
independent state
• Sinification- adoption of Chinese culture
• Tang strategists defeated Koguryo and put an end to the
dynasty that played key role in Korea’s early
development
• Silla rulers strove to make mini Tang Empire
• Favored Buddhism over Confucianism
Vietnam
• Han Dynasty conquered Viets and Chinese administrators
co-oped with local lords
• Drawn into Chinese culture-schools, texts, Confucianism,
exams, irrigation
• Viets wanted to resist Chinese
• Peansants rallied, lords undermined Chinese, hostile towards
Confucianism
• Stronger links to Buddhism
• Bureaucrats couldn’t control peasants
• Became masters of their own land for a long time