Chapter 12, Section 1

“Tang and Song China”

The Sui Dynasty After the collapse of the Han Dynasty,

no emperor was strong enough to hold China together until, in 589, an emperor named Wendi united northern and southern China.

Wendi was the first emperor of the Sui (sway) dynasty, which built the Grand Canal.

The Tang Dynasty After the Sui Dynasty came the Tang

Dynasty, which lasted for nearly 300 years. Tang Taizong was the first ruler in the Tang

Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty strengthened the central

government of China, including a network of roads, canals, and an expanded bureaucracy.

The Song Dynasty After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, rival

warlords divided China into separate regions. Then, in 960, a general named Taizu reunited China and proclaimed himself the first Song emperor.

Song emperors tried to buy peace with their northern enemies. They paid tributes of silver, silk, and tea.

Prosperity and Innovation China grew in many ways during the Tang

and Song Dynasties:– Population – nearly doubled– Science and Technology – movable type,

gunpowder, porcelain, clock, paper money, compass

– Agriculture – new variety of fast-ripening rice that could be harvested twice a year

– Trade – Korea, Japan, India, Persian Gulf, Africa

Changes in China During Tang & Song

More people moved into the cities. The power of the old aristocratic

families began to fade. A new class of scholar-officials rose in influence.

Women’s status declined further and women’s work was deemed less important. Foot-binding was practiced for upper-class women.