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Postclassical China (450 C.E. – 1450 C.E.)
(During this period, China ruled mostly by 2 dynasties)
Tang Dynasty
(618 C.E. – 907 C.E.)
Song Dynasty
(960 C.E.– 1279 C.E.)
Background: China Leading Up to Postclassical Period
Late 100s C.E.
220 C.E. – 589 C.E.
China experienced Era of Division (China politically divided)
Han Dynasty collapsed (had ruled China through most of classical period)
Era of Division (220 C.E. – 589 C.E.)1. Regional kingdoms fought
for control
2. Nomadic groups attacked and conquered much land
3. Great Wall divided by regional kingdoms and became weak
4. Landowning aristocracy held great political power
5. Non-Chinese nomads ruled most of China, and foreign idea like Buddhism grew
6. Cities shrank, trade decreased, and little new technology
So Long Era of Division, Welcome Sui Dynasty
Sui rose to power in
580s, ending 400 year Era of Division
Wendi
First emperor of Sui Dynasty
Got support of nomadic military commanders and conquer southern China
Yangdi
Beat back nomadic invaders to expand China’s
borders
As scholar-gentry gained power, aristocrats and
nomadic military commanders lost power
Improved education, restored exam system, and promoted scholar-gentry
class (educated elites)
Murdered his father, Wendi, to take power
Yangdi = CrazyYangdi became irrational and
overspent greatly on public works
Forced thousands of peasants to work (built canal system)
Launched failed war against Korea
Due to overspending and failed war, many in empire revolted
Li Yuan
Became emperor of China after the assassination of Yangdi, beginning the Tang Dynasty (618 C.E. -907 C.E.)
Tang DynastyCompleted repairs on
Great Wall that Sui had started
Built frontier armies by recruiting nomadic
peoples
Tang expanded China by defeating nomadic
groups which had long plagued China
Defeated nomads by playing one group
against another
Tang rebuild the Chinese bureaucracy – key to reviving China
Tang used scholar-gentry class as leaders,
and Confucian ideas used
Rise to power of scholar-gentry class
meant loss of power of aristocratic families
The Return of the Bureaucrats
Growing Importance of Examination System
Tang set up academies to train future bureaucrats
More scholar-
gentry than under Han
Tang expand exam system (determined
job)
Ministry of Rites
Ministry of Rites established to administer the exam. Exams were
open to all, but having family connections helped. Government jobs (bureaucracy) given based on
exam performance
Chinese Buddhism
2 Major Buddhist Sects in China:
1) Pure Land Buddhism
2) Chan Buddhism (a.k.a. Zen Buddhism)
By time the Tang took over, Buddhism was major force in China
Buddhism flourishes early in
Tang Dynasty under leadership of Empress Wu
(690 C.E.- 705 C.E.)
By 850 C.E., China had over 50,000
Buddhist monasteries and Buddhism was
major force in China
Chinese Buddhism Comes Under Attack
Tang promoted Confucian teachings and Buddhists lost
power
Confucians upset with growth of Buddhism and
begin to persecute Buddhists
Tang leaders convinced Buddhism posed economic
threat (monasteries not taxed)
Buddhism criticized as a foreign religion
(from India)