Song Dynasty in Ancient China

Maintaining and Justifying Power in the Song Dynasty

• Song rulers maintained and justified their power through two main methods: Revival of Confucianism and Imperial Bureaucracy.
• Confucianism emphasized a hierarchical view of society, where unequal relationships are maintained through concern and benevolence from the superior to the inferior.

Confucianism

• Key idea: Filial Piety, which involves honoring one's ancestors and parents.
• Society is composed of unequal relationships, where the greater entity should treat the lesser entity with concern and benevolence.
• Neo-Confucianism emerged, which combined Confucianism with Buddhist and Taoist philosophical ideas, demonstrating historical continuity between ancient China and the Song period.

Women in Song China

• Women were relegated to a subordinate position in the hierarchy.
• Women's legal rights were restricted, and their property became their husband's after marriage.
• Foot binding was a common practice, where young girls' feet were broken and bound up tightly to make them smaller, often causing trouble walking or inability to walk.

Imperial Bureaucracy

• The Civil Service Examination was a requirement for eligible men to gain a good job in the bureaucracy, based on Confucian Classics.
• Bureaucratic jobs were awarded based on merit, increasing the competency and efficiency of the bureaucracy.

Cultural Influence on Other States

• Korea had a tributary relationship with China, adopting Confucian principles, civil service examination, and marginalizing women.
• Japan voluntarily adopted Chinese imperial bureaucracy, Buddhist traditions, and writing system.
• Vietnam had a tributary relationship with China, adopting Confucianism, Buddhism, literary techniques, and civil service examination, but did not adopt foot binding.

Buddhism in China

• Four Noble Truths: Life is suffering, we suffer because we crave, we cease suffering when we cease craving, and the Eightfold Path leads to the cessation of suffering and craving.
• Eightfold Path involves a moral lifestyle and practices of meditation, with additional features of karma and rebirth from Hinduism.

Spread of Buddhism in East Asia

• Buddhism originated in Sri Lanka as Terra Vada Buddhism, emphasizing escaping the cycle of birth and death and restricted to monks.
• Mahayana Buddhism emerged as Buddhism spread to East Asia, emphasizing that Buddhist teachings were available to all, and compassion, making the Buddha into a kind of God or object of devotion.
• Tibetan Buddhism developed in Tibet, emphasizing more mystical practices, such as lying prostrate and elaborate imaginings of deities.

The Song Economy

• Despite the Song Dynasty's emphasis on traditional Chinese ideas, Buddhism continued to play a significant role in their society.
• The Chinese developed their own distinct version of Buddhism, known as Chan Buddhism.
• China's economy prospered during the Song period, with the trend beginning in the Tang Dynasty.
• Four causes of China's economic prosperity were:

Learn about the Song Dynasty, a significant period in ancient and post-classical China. Discover how Song rulers maintained and justified their power, and the role of Confucianism in their hierarchical society.