Ancient China was a highly developed civilization whose many dynasties each had some kind of significant development, let it be in trade, invention, art, religion, government, or architecture. Two dynasties in particular, however, marked the Golden Age of Chinese history. This period is known for its large economic revolution. The two dynasties were called the Tang & Song Dynasty. The Tang & Song Dynasties were experiencing a Golden Age due to the fact that they had a fair system in granting government positions, brought highly advanced inventions to the world, and had very intricate architecture.
Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties In bountiful places all over the world during the Post-Classical era, between the sixth and thirteenth century, there were many innovations. Especially in China when the three prodigious dynasties thrived; the Sui, Tang, and Song. The Sui, Tang, and Song bestowed numerous changes, along with continuity. Two of the most evident changes during this dynasties were technology and the repercussion of Confucianism and Buddhism on the empires.
There where many factors that led China to political unification in contrast to India. One factor is, dynasties such as the Zhou Dynasty who kept the same political system as its predecessors, where India had changed many things and continued to change political and social systems. India was very fragmented in political unification because, India was and still is a land of diversity. Ancient India was also not as organized as Ancient China in ruling. When the Zhou kingdom had started to end and break apart into many powerful states a “relativity young state of Qin located in the original homeland of the Zhou, emerged as a key player in conflicts”(p. 78) that would eventually bring down the Zhou Dynasty and give way to the Qin Dynasty where it was ruled with ruthless efficiency(p.79).
Throughout Chinese history before the Tang and Song dynasties, the daily lives of women and issues from their perspective have not been adequately recorded, due to a male dominated society. However, from the Tang to the Song dynasty, visual and material sources appear which further explains the status of women in society, cultural values, but most importantly, examples of acts of courage, selflessness, and strength. The discussion of women starting with the Tang dynasty is especially important since this is the start of open-mindedness and liberal ideas resulting in women in politics, a woman as empress, and even freedom of expression through poetry and art. However, once shifting to the Song dynasty, the status of women declined further in
The Qin Dynasty was China’s first dynasty. A Dynasty is a line of hereditary rulers of a country. Because it was the first unified, multi-national and power-centralized state in China, it is considered to be one of the most popular Dynasties. The first person to call himself an emperor of the Qin Dynasty was Qin Shi Huang. The word ‘’emperor’’ has now been used for many thousands of years. His Dynasty was short lived and brutal, but gained many accomplishments. His reign lasted from 221 B.C to 210 B.C. From the way he treated his people to the way he ruled his country, his reign had an everlasting effect on Chinese history.
Another factor that connects both of these dynasties is the fact that both have very similar religions, Buddhism, Daoism, and folk religion. The Han and Song Dynasties were by far two of the greatest Chinese
Confucian ideas highlight the need to have a heir, thus the Emperor need to be sexually active, which explains the very large number of women in the inner court. However, according to Confucian ideals, the Emperor was not supposed to retain any pleasure from this encounters. therefore leading to a paradox hard to overcome by the Emperor and even harder to enforce by the outer court officials depute their moral concerns. Song women were also granted for the first time considerable legal rights. In fact, Song Dynasty is seen as a high point for women property point in China, further challenging Confucian traditional patrilinality.
They both lasted close to 300 years each. With strong leadership and strategic land being conquered, they were able to last a long time with power. The two dynasties are responsible for valuable productions in the Asian world such as printing and the fine arts. Both dynasties took a fall after wars and disasters damaged their
Han and Yuan Dynasties The Han Dynasty lasted from 206 BC up until 220 AD. The Han Dynasty was founded by Liu Bang. The Yuan Dynasty was about 1000 years later from 1271-1368. The Yuan Dynasty was founded by Kublai Khan, but he placed his grandfather on the imperial records as founder.
China, up until the Qin Dynasty, consisted of independent states controlled by kings fighting each other for land and power. This time period was called The Era of Warring States, which lasted two hundred years. After this time, the Qin Dynasty rose to power. They conquered all other dynasties, and established a centralized government, unifying China for the first time. The dynasty that succeeded the Qin, the Han, continued the centralized government and they started a westward expansion that would encourage trade and cultural diffusion.
1. Describe the key factors in the Sui-Tang era that made for the restoration of a strong, unified Chinese empire after centuries of turmoil? The restoration of a strong, unified Chinese empire after centuries of turmoil was made possible through the reestablishment of a centralized empire, the revival of Confucian ideas and the enhancement of the scholar-gentry administrators. The creation of a bureaucracy allowed for control from the imperial palace all the down to district level.
Throughout our ancient history, women have portrayed various different roles in different ancient civilizations. Whether it was taking care of their children and men at home, working in the fields, or doing hard labor, these women shaped the way women act, and the roles they portray today. The Han Dynasty was one of those ancient civilization where women portrayed different roles. During the Han Dynasty, which lasted from about 206 BCE to 220 CE, women led very limited lives as compared to men, similarly to many other ancient civilizations (Bowman). They were viewed as the bottom of the power hierarchy in addition to the gender hierarchy.
The roman and Han empire, although two completely different civilizations, yet despite that both fell due to similar key contributors. The Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty fell due to alike reasons. For both empires weak leadership and corruption, economic collapse and social disorder were three of the main contributor’s factors to their decline.
Prior to Empress Wu’s thrust to power, women were subordinate to men. They were expected to listen to the men in their lives which included their father, their husband and then their son. The women were living in a male dominated society that they did not have the ability to change their status, or be above men in any way. However, that changed following the rule of Empress Wu she showed people then that women were capable of much more than what they were expected of prior to her rule. Although many men were angered by her rule because they worried their power and control would diminish.
While the role and treatment of women in China and Persia were alike in that they were inferior to the men because of the patriarchal societies at the time. They differed in that woman in Persia had a greater role in government while women in China were overshadowed by the men in all aspects of society due to Confucius beliefs and filial piety. Unlike the male-dominated societies during this time, Persian women were viewed as important assets in Persian society and were given equality in almost all aspects of life, such as the military, business, religion, ruling and marriage. However, men held higher positions than women. In this current patriarchal world, women were expected to marry and have children, but in Persia, woman did not have