China



APPARTS Chart:

What do we know about where this was created? What have we learned about this topic? Society that may be relevant? || Wu Bao sent this as part of a short story to a high government official in hopes to attach himself and achieve a higher power in the imperial bureaucracy. He hopes this story will touvh the general and in return he will grant him his wish for a small salary in exchange for some sort of service. || Who is the intended audience? How might they receive this? – quotes to support your claims? || This story is meant for a high government official. || What is the purpose of this document? Read between the lines, support claims with a quote || Wu is in dire need of help, as his position of office has ended and now has no job. He needs the general to show some sort of mercy and grant him some sort of salary. He has no one else to turn to and by praising him in the story/letter to the general he hopes the generalwill like him and do as he wishes. || Support with quotes || The main idea is || How does this relate to the big picture? What can it tell us as historians? Relate to ESPIRIT if possible || The theme of the story is about a man who praises a general and has high regards of respect towards him, and now in his time of need he wishes the general will show him mercy and grant him some sort of salary so he can continue with his life. ||
 * Ties that Bind - Paths to Power**
 * Author – Who created this? What do we know about the author? What might influence their opinions? || Tang Author named Wu Bao. ||
 * **Place** – Where and when was it created - || The tang Dynasty along with the Song, are the ones who reunified China after its collapse during the Classical Period. No prior knowledge about the author Wu Bao. ||
 * **Prior Knowledge**
 * **Audience**
 * **Reason for Creation**
 * **The Main Idea**
 * **Significance**

The Tang and Song Dynasties ESPIRIT: Technology & Interactions

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Tang and Song China


 * Tang || Song || Shared ||
 * Tang armies conquered central Asia * Buddah = economic factor


 * authority of elders was enforced by laws


 * women able to get high power (Empress Wu)


 * women had some freedom -> playing polo


 * scholar gentry occupied


 * familiy ties allowed even those who failed exams to get a government job


 * conducted by militar of rites


 * international trade system with routes from islamic empire to persia


 * great war of china


 * agricultural innovations


 * great river systems || * luxury goods= silk/wine


 * trade was activiely promoted


 * merchants used junks = Arab dhows


 * trade further promoted with use of flying money


 * extended family households


 * male dominated hierarchy


 * schools/temple = edcuation and religious services


 * commoner women = role as homemaker/mother


 * men able to practice premartial - favored in inheritance


 * footbinding = limitted women's mobility and freedom


 * no political/strength b/c of weakness of imperial policies


 * civil service exams = every 3 years || * Grand canal built by Yangdi


 * banks and paper money


 * Chinese economy was the worlds most advanced


 * trade promoted along with money economy


 * exports manufactured goods and imported


 * stature of wealthy women = modest signs of improvements


 * laws allowed divorced by mutual agreement


 * husband not allowed to divorce wife if he was poor before marriage or wife's parents are dead


 * government encouraged peasants to move to uncultivated areas


 * military garrisons


 * new inventions


 * examinations existed and run by bureaucracy


 * Grand canal made by sui -> tang -> song


 * commerical expansion


 * complex irrigation systems ||

Tang and Song Summary:

Following the fall of the Sui, Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, rose to power as the emperor of the Tang dynasty in hopes of restoring the Chinese empire. He began by expanding the empire and rebuilding the Great Wall. In order to restore the the chineses empire, the bureaucracy would have to be reestablished. The Tang stressed the examination tests run by the Ministry of Rites and only the elite of scholars passed, however the few that did were guarenteed high governmental posts. These high government jobs were obtained through hard work and study, or so it should have been. Family got you a long way in obtaining high rank jobs even if you weren't the best suited for the job as shown in "Ties that bind". Family influence counted for more than you scholar abilities and knowledge. Religion became a big thing during the era of the Tang and Song. The upper class were attracted to Zen buddhism which stressed medication and had a big attraction to the educated class. Pure land seemed to provide an escape from war and turmoil attracting the lower class. There was an uprising againt Buddism by the neo-Confucians who were the revivers of the ancient Confucius teachings. These teachings were stressed by the Song and dominated intelectual ife. Buddism exists to this day, however it was so heavily weakened during this time that it never again obtained the plitical and cultural importance and influence it once had over China. The Tang and Song were the basis of a Golden Age, a time of great intelectual and technological advancements as well as new forms of trade, money, and expansion. The new military forces, were at about 1 milion and the money to keep up such an army to defend against invaders was hard to maintain. Theyre most prised military weapon was knows as the Chinise dragon, or junks, which were excellent military chips equivilent to the Arabs dhows, at the time the best ships in the world. They also created flying money and early forms of a bank. Family was cruitial to the chinese way of life. Males still were dominant around the house, as women were confined into housework and childcare. Footinding became very popular in China and a way for women to obtain husbands. Footinding is the equivalent to the arab vail. This was the mens preference in small feet, women would bind their feet together to stop it from growing too much. Later on art was also part of chinese culture. Overall the Tang and Song dynasties reunified and improved the massive Chinise empire, through trade, expansion, technological advances, cultural ways, religious and philosophical manners and many more from the 7th century through the 10th and 11th century.