David Z PERSIAN Chart: East Asia 500 - 1500

Political Economic Religious Social

China is politically fragmented for several centuries following the fall of the Han dynasty; The Sui dynasty begins in 589; Following a futile military campaign against Korea, the Sui dynasty falls and the Tang dynasty emerges in 618; The Tang and Song dynasties create a lasting state structure; Korea resists Chinese control; Vietnam is incorporated into Chinese territory until 939; The Sui dynasty expands Chinas canal system, linking north and south China economically; China expands its use of paper money; peasants grew specialized crops for sale and purchased food staples; China practices the tribute system when trading with foreign entities; Neo-Confucianism emerges, which combines elements of Buddhism and Daosim; Buddhism engrains itself into China; Buddhism particularly popularizes in times of chaos (ie following the end of the Han dynasty); Government examinations give the opportunity for some to advance socially; Chinas population reaches about 120 million people by the year 1200; patriarchal constraints on women increase by the Song dynasty; female subordination is emphasized; female foot binding becomes popular; womens property rights expand as well as education to some degree;

Foot Binding Books are able to be printed, both wood block and movable type emerge; Chinas iron industry nnovation increases production; navigation and shipbuilding innovations are among the best in the world (ie compass); gunpowder is invented;

Arts

Wood Block Printing Chinese Fireworks (gunpowder) During the Tang and Song dynasties, China experiences a golden age with improvements in arts and literature, poetry, landscape painting, and ceramics such as porcelain;

Near
geographic

Porcelain A large network of canals, rivers, and lakes provides a transportation system; China expands its territory, controlling parts of Vietnam and the northern steppes though its borders fluctuate; Drought resistant strain of rice enables many Chinese people to live south of the Yangzi River;

Map of Tang Dynasty Territory

All information is from Ways of the World 2nd ed., by Robert Strayer.