Asia & the Mongols

1. Asia & the Mongols 500 – 1600 AD

2. Sui China: 589 – 618

3. The Sui Era • Northern Zhou dynasty conquered southern Chen in 589 • Wendi, a Zhou noble, united traditional China; won support by lowering taxes and establishing granaries • Yangdi: murdered his father Wendi to gain throne; made meaningful reforms but angered peasants and was defeated in wars against nomads

4. The Tang Dynasty: 618 – 907

5. Li Yuan, Duke of Tang, took control of China after the Sui dynasty failed • Beat back Turkic nomad invaders & repaired Great Wall • Turks were integrated and neutralized: used as soldiers and intermarried • During the Tang, Korea was conquered and China spread in many areas that resemble modern China

6. Imperial bureaucracy, staffed by well-educated officials, grew during the Tang • At the same time, the aristocrats’ power decreased • Emperors funded academies to teach effective administrators • Highest offices could be obtained only by those who passed strenuous exams • Corruption still took place: “Merit & ambition counted for something, but birth & family often counted for a good deal more.” (269)

7. Tang Religion • Buddhism flourished in pre-Tang China • Tang emperors supported Buddhism as well as Confucianism • Confucian bureaucrats began convincing Tang emperors that Buddhism was a threat to the empire. Why? (hint, MONEY!) • In the 800s, many Buddhist monasteries were destroyed in China, and monks forced to return to civilian life • Chinese Buddhism survived, but was weakened • Confucianism would be main Chinese ideology until communism in the 20th century

9. Song Dynasty: 960 – 1279

10. Tang Emperor Xuanzong’s love affair with Yang Guifei weakened Tang dynasty beyond repair • Zhao Kuangyin establishes Song in 960 • Though Zhao is a strong ruler, he is unable to defeat northern Mongols and has to pay tribute so they will not attach China (continued for 300 years) • Song kept military weak in order to quell possible rebellions by provinces

11. Greatly favored scholar-gentry administrators and Confucianism and Daoism over Buddhism • Emphasis on Confucianism caused China to, over time, be suspicious of foreign ideas and influence • Costs of paying tribute bore heavily on Song peasants, and lack of focus on military weakened empire • Reforms by Wang Anshifail in 1080s, and Song is invaded • The Song flee south to form Southern Song empire, but not nearly as successful

13. Golden Age of Tang & Song • Grand Canal: built by Yangdi, allowed movement of people and goods between north & south China; took 1 million to build • Junks: best ships in the world, had compasses & gunpowder propelled rockets! • Changan: Tang capital, largest city in the world w/ 2 million pop. • Hangzhou: Song capital, 1 million pop., even more impressive; visited by Marco Polo

15. Status for upper-class women increased during Tang & early Song • Overall, Confucian belief in male dominance meant worsening conditions for women • Confucians stressed women’s role as homemaker & mother • Footbinding: strangest thing you will learn about in AP World History (according to Mr. Anderson)

16. Ouch! and gross…

17. Science & Art • Important: bridges, coal, compass, abacus, printing, gunpowder, flamethrowers, poisonous gas, rocket launchers?!?! • Cool, but not so important: chairs (yawn), kites, and tea • Art, music, & poetry flourished