Transcript RESURGENCE OF EMPIRE IN EAST ASIA

RESURGENCE OF
EMPIRE IN EAST
ASIA
CHINA UNDER THE SUI,
TANG, AND SONG
ANARCHY IN CHINA
• Three Kingdoms 220-280
– Shu Han 221 – 263
– Wei 220 - 265
• Most powerful,
eventually
conquered Shu
• Built an army of
Chinese infantry
and nomadic
cavalry as mounted
bowmen
• These assimilated
nomads later
overthrew Wei and
founded own
dynasties
– Wu 222 – 280
• Jin Dynasty 265-420
– Western Jin 265 – 316 and Eastern Jin 317 – 420
• Only time during interregnum when China
was united
• Intermixture of nomads and Chinese
accelerated
– Sixteen Kingdoms 304 – 420
• Common Chinese subject to taxes, warfare, drafting into
into army, frequent invasions, bandits
Southern and Northern
Dynasties 420-589
Southern Dynasties
• Liu Song 420 –
479
• Southern Qi
479 – 502
• Liang 502 - 557
• Chen 557 ~589
Northern Dynasties
• Later [Northern]
Wei 386 – 534
• Eastern Wei 534 550
• Western Wei 535 –
556
• Northern Qi 550 –
577
• Northern Zhou 557
~581
Period Resembled Western
European history after the
collapse of the Romans
– Disunity and civil war between nomads and Chinese
warlords
• Rival states, dynasties, each controlling a part of the
old Han state
• Aristocrats, provincial nobles held land and real
influence
• Many of the northern dynasties were nomadic, both
Turkish and Mongol
• Confucianism in decline, Buddhism in ascendancy
due to its relationship with the nomads
• Confucian trained bureaucrats still held much
influence
– Common Chinese subject to taxes, warfare, drafting
BUDDHISM ARRIVES IN CHINA
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Foreign religions in China: Nestorian, Muslim,
Buddhist merchant communities
– Oases on the Silk Road were very mixed
– Became location for foreign settlements,
transmission of foreign faiths to China
Buddhism in China
– Attraction: moral standards, intellectual
sophistication, salvation, appeal to women,
poor
– Monasteries became large landowners, helped
the poor and needy
– Posed a challenge to Chinese cultural traditions
Buddhism and Daoism
– Chinese monks explained
Buddhist concepts in Daoist
vocabulary
– Dharma as dao, and nirvana as
wuwei
– Teaching: one son in monastery
would benefit whole family for 10
generations
Different types of Buddhim
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Mahayana Buddhism
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Buddhism blended with Chinese characteristics
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Buddha as a man became Buddha as a god, saint
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Stupa became a pagoda; Buddha became fat or
feminine
Chan Buddhism
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A further evolution of Buddhism
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Chan (or Zen in Japanese) was a popular Buddhist
sect
• Emphasized intuition and sudden flashes of insight
• Mediation techniques resembled Daoist practice
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Monasteries appeared in all major cities
NOT ALL HAPPY With
BUDDAH
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Hostility to Buddhism
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Resistance from
Daoists and Confucians
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Popular criticism
focused on celibacy,
alien origin,
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Governmental criticism:
unproductive land,
could not tax
Persecution
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Critics of Buddhism
found allies in the
imperial court
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Tang emperor ordered
closure of monasteries
in 840s
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Buddhism survived
because of popular
support
SUI DYNASTY
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After fall of the Han, turmoil lasted for more
than 350 years
– Three major states contended for rule;
further fragmentation
– Nomads constantly invaded, created their
own states, dynasties
• The rule of the Sui
– Reunification by Yang Jian in 589
– Constructions of palaces and granaries,
repairing the Great Wall
– Military expeditions in central Asia and
Korea
– High taxes and compulsory labor services
The Grand Canal
– One of the world's largest
waterworks before modern times
– Purpose: bring abundant food
supplies of the south to the north
– Linked the Yangtze and the
Huang-Hi
– The canal integrated the
economies of the south and north
The fall of the Sui
– High taxes and forced labor
generated hostility among the
people
– Military reverses in Korea
– Rebellions broke out in north
China beginning in 610
– Sui Yangdi was assassinated in
618, the end of the dynasty
IMAGES OF SUI CHINA
THE TANG DYNASTY
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Founding of the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE)
– A rebel leader seized Chang'an, proclaimed a new dynasty, the Tang
– Tang Taizong
• 2nd Tang emperor, a ruthless but extremely competent ruler
• China enjoyed an era of unusual stability and prosperity
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Extensive networks of transportation and communications
Adopted the equal-field system
Bureaucracy of merit
– Recruited government officials through civil service examinations
– Career bureaucrats relied on central government, loyal to the dynasty
– Restored Confucianism as state ideology, training for bureaucrats
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Foreign relations
– Political theory: China was the Middle Kingdom, or the center of civilization
– Tributary system became diplomatic policy
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Tang decline
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Casual and careless leadership led to dynastic crisis
Rebellion of An Lushan in 755, weakened the dynasty
The Uighurs became de facto rulers
The equal-field system deteriorated
A large scale peasant rebellion led by Huang Chao lasted from 875 to 884
Regional commanders gained power, beyond control of the emperor
The last Tang emperor abdicated his throne in 907
TANG CHINA
TANG ART
SONG DYNASTY (960-1279 C.E.)
• Song Taizu
– Reigned 960-976 C.E.
– Founder of the Song dynasty
• Song weaknesses
– Song never had military, diplomatic strength of Sui, Tang
– Financial problems
• Enormous bureaucracy with high salary devoured surplus
• Forced to pay large tribute to nomads to avoid war
– Military problems
• Civil bureaucrats in charge of military forces
• Military was largely foot soldiers at war with cavalry nomads
– External pressures
• Semi-nomadic Khitan, nomadic Jurchen attacked in north
• Constant drain on treasury to pay tribute to nomads
– The Song moved to the south, ruled south China until 1279
• Nomads invaded, overran northern Song lands
• Song retreated to the South along Yangtze, moved capital
• After defeat, constantly forced to pay tribute
THE SONG WORLD
NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN
DYNASTIES
THE SONG ARTISTIC WORLD
DEMOGRAPHIC AND
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENTS
• An agricultural revolution
– Twice flowering, fast-ripening rice increased food supplies
– New agricultural techniques increased production
– Population growth
• 45 to 115 million inhabitants
• Between 600 and 1200 C.E.
• Urbanization: China most urbanized country in period
– Chang'an had about 2 million residents
– Hangzhou had about 1 million residents
– Many cities boasted population of 100,000 or more
• Commercialized agriculture
– Some regions depended on other regions for food
– Extreme surplus of southern rice allowed cities to flourish
– Necessitate vast grain shipments to cities
CH’ANG-AN & HANGZHOU
NEO-CONFUCIANISM
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Taoist, Buddhist Synthesis with Confucianism
– Early Confucianism focused on practical issues
• Politics, Public Morality, Social Relationships
– Confucians drew inspiration
• From Buddhism Spirituality
– Logical thought
– Argumentation of Buddhism
• From Taoism Cosmology
– Metaphysical issues: nature of soul
– Man's relation with cosmos
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Xenophobia Contributes, too
– Invasions by nomads, Turks and Mongols threatened state
– Foreign ideas began to circulate
– Too many threats to society, traditions
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Zhu Xi (1130-1200 C.E.), most prominent Neo-Confucian scholar
Neo-Confucian influence
– Adapted Buddhist, Taoist themes, reasoning to Confucian interests
– Made Buddhism Chinese but stressed Chinese roots, values
– Influenced East Asian thought
• In China, it was an officially recognized creed
• Influenced Korea, Vietnam, and Japan for half a millennium
PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY
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Developments reinforced patriarchal society
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Chinese reaction to foreign ideas
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Reaction to Buddhist’s gender equality
Neo-Confucianism emphasized patriarchy
Ancestor worship revived
Preserving of family
Family wealth became paramount
Results
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Tightening of patriarchal structure
Reinforcing of male domination
Foot binding gained popularity during the Song
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Emphasized dependence of women on men, home
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Wealthy, aristocrats could afford practice, hire servants to do work
Feet of women broken, reformed around stilts
Women could not walk without pain but had to shuffle
Forced women to remain at home, dependent on others
Male sense of beauty at women’s expense
Poor, peasant women not subject to footbinding
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Women had to work with men to support family
Men could not afford to have women at home, idle
TECHNOLOGY & INDUSTRY
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Porcelain
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High quality porcelain since the Tang, known as chinaware
Technology diffused to other societies, especially to Abbasid Arabia
Exported vast quantities to southeast Asia, India, Persia, and Africa
Metallurgy
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Improvement: used coke instead of coal in furnaces to make iron, steel
Iron production increased tenfold between the early 9th and 12th century
Gunpowder
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Discovered by Daoist alchemists during the Tang
Bamboo "fire lances," a kind of flame thrower, and primitive bombs
Gunpowder chemistry diffused throughout Eurasia
Printing
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Became common during the Tang
From block-printing to movable type
Books became widespread
Naval technology
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"South-pointing needle" - the magnetic compass
Double hulled junks with rudder, water-tight compartments
SONG LIFE
A MARKET ECONOMY
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Merchants in Charge
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Only period in China where merchants socially superior to aristocrats
Merchants attempted to intermarry with aristocrats, become landowners
Merchants attempted to have sons admitted as Confucian bureaucrats
Merchants tended to espouse Confucianism as way into traditional elites
Most large cities had large merchant communities
Financial instruments
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Banking and credit institution
“Flying money " were letters of credit
Paper money backed by state, treasury
A cosmopolitan society
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Foreign merchants in large cities of China
Mostly Arab (Muslim), Indian, S.E. Asian
Chinese merchants journeyed throughout region
Economic surge in China
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An economic revolution in China
Made China the wealthiest nation in the world at time
Promoted economic growth in the eastern hemisphere