Podcast
Questions and Answers
What was one significant economic change during the Song dynasty?
What was one significant economic change during the Song dynasty?
What social advancement was facilitated by the civil service examination system in the Song dynasty?
What social advancement was facilitated by the civil service examination system in the Song dynasty?
Which of the following technologies advanced during the Song dynasty?
Which of the following technologies advanced during the Song dynasty?
How did Confucian beliefs impact women's roles in Song dynasty society?
How did Confucian beliefs impact women's roles in Song dynasty society?
Signup and view all the answers
What was a characteristic feature of the economy during the Song dynasty?
What was a characteristic feature of the economy during the Song dynasty?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Song Dynasty Overview
- The Song Dynasty's capital was Hangzhou.
- The dynasty's territory shrunk due to the Mongol conquest of the north.
- It was a Golden Age of art and literature.
- China maintained a monarchical system with a complex bureaucracy for governance.
Bureaucracy and Civil Service
- Bureaucrats were employed by the government (e.g., tax collection).
- A civil service examination system allowed capable individuals, mostly wealthy, to become bureaucrats.
- Bribery and cheating were prevalent in the examination system.
- Communities sometimes sponsored promising students to take the exam.
- Exams were based on Confucian principles.
Economic Revolution
- Population surged due to agricultural advancements (e.g., Champa rice).
- Urbanization and technological/industrial innovations flourished.
- Innovations included metallurgy, coal-powered industries, printing, shipbuilding/navigation, and gunpowder.
- A commercialized economy developed (internal waterways, cash taxes, paper money).
- People produced goods for sale (instead of subsistence farming/consumption).
Social Structure and Mobility
- Upper class social mobility existed due to the examination system.
- Confucian principles reinforced patriarchy, limiting women's opportunities (e.g., textile industry, foot binding, civil service exam).
- Women did have some rights (ownership of property, inheritance, dowry control), though education was frequently limited to preparing females to educate their sons.
- A tribute system existed with other nations, where the tribute payer would kowtow.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Explore the key features of the Song Dynasty, including its capital, governance, and cultural achievements. Delve into the complexities of its bureaucracy and the civil service examination system, as well as the economic revolution that transformed China. Gain insight into this influential era that fostered advancements in art, literature, and technology.
