Global 13.1 Two Golden Ages of China

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Global I Index

The Influence of China

 * After the collapse of the Han Dynasty, China remained divided for almost 400 years.
 * An emperor named Sui Wendi reunited most of the Han dynasty under his rule.
 * After the Sui dynasty ruled for just 29 years, it started to crumble. The 16-year-old son of the leading general of the Sui dynasty convinced his father to lead a revolt in order to establish his own rule.
 * The Tang Dynasty
 * Li Yuan
 * Li Shimin, the "Grand General of Heavenly Strategies"

Golden Ages of China
Many people today view Buddha as a Chinese god because of the vast amount of sculptures of Buddha in China.
 * Eight years after he and his father established the Tang dynasty, Li Shimin asked his father to step down and took the throne himself.
 * Calling himself "Tang Taizong," Li Shiminbecame China's most admired emperor.
 * He supported government reform, filling his court with educated advisors, and often listening to those brave enough to criticize him.
 * He reformed the court system.
 * He established a hierarchy of clans based on their accomplishments and was willing to promote or demote based on performance.
 * The Tang dynasty conquered many territories, forcing them to become "tributary states" (places that keep their independence but pay the Tang emperor).
 * Under the Tang, schools were set up to train students for jobs as government officials. Land was given to peasants and trade was increased.
 * Grand Canal- used to transport food from the south to the capital in the north. It is 1,200 miles long and at the time it was the longest man-made waterway in the world.
 * Eventually the Tang Dynasty also fell. Soon after, another general, Zhao Kuangyin reunited China under his rule.
 * The Song dynasty increased trade in China. Chinese ships brought goods to the Middle East and even into Africa.
 * Improved farming methods allowed for a surplus of food to be produced under Song rule.
 * In order to improve trade, the government issued paper money.
 * Three levels of Chinese society
 * Gentry: Wealthy landowners that typically valued scholarship and spent their time studying Chinese philosophy.
 * Peasants: Working class that farmed and produced handmade goods.
 * Merchants: Confucian teachings said that merchants were even lower that peasants because their wealth came from the work of others. Merchants would often buy land and educate a son in order to improve their social rank.
 * "Footbinding" was a Chinese tradition that became widespread during the Song Dynasty. The feet of young girls were bound tightly with long strips of cloth in order to create a lily-shaped foot.
 * This tradition soon spread throughout China as parents were worried that their daughters with large feet would be unable to find a husband.
 * India influenced Chinese art and architecture greatly.
 * A pagoda is a multi storied temple with eaves that curve up at the corners. These temples borrowed architecture from India and became very prevalent in China.