The Ancient Civilizations Of Classical And Post-Classical China

Christian Mckee
Mrs. Trahan
English 10
1 November 2016
Classical and Post Classical China

The Ancient Civilizations of China are often compared to each other, probably due to their similar dynastic structure, and how many of them are very similar to other dynasties of different times. The primary dynasty of the time period called “Classical China” is the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 CE) which is the second imperial dynasty of China, the first being the Qin Dynasty. The major dynasties of the time period called “Post Classical China” are the Tang Dynasty (618 CE- 907 CE) and the Song Dynasty (960 CE- 1279 CE). These dynasties had great influence on the cultures, politics, and economics of the empires and nations following them, and they are perhaps
The Tang Dynasty was a prosperous empire, at its peak reaching populations between 50 and 60 million people. The Tang Dynasty experienced another ‘Golden Age’ of technology, inventing several key inventions such as wood block printing and an early form of gunpowder. Wood block printing was invented by Buddhists for religious texts, and spread all across the continent, increasing literacy (Wu 4). The gunpowder created by the tang was an early form, which was later perfected by other societies. The Tang society was less patriarchal than the Song dynasty, but didn’t let women work as much as the Song did. The Tang Dynasty had a complex relationship with Buddhism. Originally, Buddhism was rejected by China, due to the fact that it’s a barbarian religion, but was later accepted when the Chinese changed the religion, monasteries became incredibly prosperous and the Confucian officials didn’t like this, and Buddhism eventually lost state support (Cite). The Tang Dynasty was economically successful because it used the tribute system, which originally involved traders giving gifts to the Chinese emperor to gain access to the lucrative Chinese trade, but eventually evolved into large scale extortion of the lands under Chinese control. This economic prosperity led to a politically calm empire, with the most eventful things being government officials not acting according to the confucian law codes. Hey Mrs Trahan, if
The Song Dynasty was started by Zhao Kuangyin who usurped the current empire which was in a coup, then used his diplomatic skills to persuade his rivals into joining him as powerful officials (Britannica 1). The Song perfected and expanded on inventions such as gunpowder and wood block printing. The Song was very successful in trade, mainly due to the trade routes set up by past societies such as the grand canal and the silk road. This success allowed for major population growth in cities that benefited off the trade. The Song made use of the government structures of past dynasties, using a civil service consisting of hand picked, competent officials with the highest power being the emperor, who controlled the elite military units. When nomads such as the mongols attacked, the intricate bureaucracy fell apart, reverting back to the Han’s form of government. Before the collapse of the Song started, the arts thrived. A revival of Buddhism happened and icons and literature was made, skillful artists often had places in the courts of the song, and the Song Dynasty even had an art enthusiast as one of it’s last emperors. The fall of the Song Dynasty was brought about by the Nomads from northern China, who attacked and took a large portion of the Song Dynasty, but never expanded to the south. These nomads called themselves the Jin Dynasty, and were eventually taken over by the Mongols. The Mongols