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Rajesh Sharma Period 2 Shuler Chapter 12 Reading Guide & Vocabulary A.

How did the Sui and Tang reestablish a centralized empire in China? They struck alliances with the nomadic invaders, uniting traditional core areas of Chinese civilization, lowering taxes, and storing food in case of famine. B. What institutions did the Tang use to govern their empires? They greatly expanded the bureaucracy and used vassals to govern far off lands. They also reinforced the idea of having to take tests to become a part of the bureaucracy instead of simply being born into it because you are and aristocrat. C. What problems did religion cause in this period; how did the state resolve them? Buddhism was spreading throughout the empire but neo Confucians strongly opposed this. To compromise the Rang emperors continued to patronize Buddhism while at the same time promoting the education of Confucian classics. IL Identify Neo-Confucianism; how did it influence Chinese culture and the state? Neo-Confucianism was the revival of Confucian thought. They began looking at old forgotten Confucian texts and made academies devoted to such texts. They also created impressive libraries and schools of philosophy which focused on the teachings of Confucius. K What problems plagued the Song state and how did they attempt to solve them? The invading Mongols posed the biggest problem. They also had to pay protection to their northern boarders which were a big drain on resources. Also the great cost of the army hindered the empire. Wang attempted to hold off impending disaster with sweeping reforms but could not get them passed because the new emperor that just came to power wanted to continue traditional government policies. F. Describe the Chinese commercial revolution. New canals led to a great increase in international trade. China had the second best trading ship in the world at the time. They mostly exported manufactured goods and imported mostly luxury products. This commercial expansion was also greatly due to the enormous increase in cities and towns. G. How did the Chinese expand agricultural production? They moved to fertile lands in the southwest. The government also sent troops to newly settled areas to protect the peasants. New innovations like the wheelbarrow made it much easier to farm. New seeds were also introduced to the Chinese people like rice which became of Chinas most predominant crop. Farmers were also able to grow specialized crops due to the canals.

H. Describe family life and society during the Tang-Song era. The position of women increased in the Tang and early Song period and began to decrease in the late Song. There were harsh punishments to children who disowned their parents. Marriage took place only after puberty and some males preoccupied with studies would wait until they were over 30 to marry. Divorce was allowed as long as it was construal. I. How did gender relations change during the Tang-Song era? The status of women increased until the late Song dynasty where it began to decline. Women had some protections like me couldnt divorce them if the marriage brought the men into a lot of money or if the wifes parents were dead. Wealthy women in cities were very independent and were allowed to have contemporary husbands. J. Describe Chinese intellectual accomplishments during this period. Many new tools farming techniques and scientific discoveries were made during both dynasties. The two most important were the inventions of gun powder and explosives in the Tang dynasty and the use of the compass for sea navigation in the Song dynasty. Vocabulary y y y y y Ministry of Rites: Administered examinations to students from Chinese government schools or those recommended by distinguished scholars Pure land Mahayana Buddhism: Devotional form of Mahayana Buddhism holding that by faith in the grace of Amida, one will be reborn in the Pure Land realm Chan (Zen) Buddhism: Zen: school of Mahayana Buddhism asserting that enlightenment can come through meditation and intuition rather than faith; China and Japan Sinified: Extensive adaptation of Chinese culture in other regions; typical of Korea and Japan, less typical of Vietnam Neo-Confucians: a later development of Confucian thought (ca. 11th c. CE) which sought to establish a synthesis between Confucian social ethics and the metaphysical character of human existence Jurchens: Founders of the Qin kingdom that succeeded the Liao in northern China; annexed most of Yellow River basin and forced Song to flee to south Flying Money: Chinese credit instrument that provided credit vouchers to merchants to be redeemed at the end of the voyage; reduced danger of robbery Hangzhou: A city in eastern China, the capital of Zhejiang province, on an inlet of the Yellow Sea called Hangzhou Bay Footbinding: Practice in Chinese society to mutilate women's feet in order to make them smaller; produced pain and restricted women's movement; made it easier to confine women to the household Gunpowder: An explosive consisting of a powdered mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. The earliest known propellant explosive Li Yuan, duke of tang: took over empire following assassination of Yangdi; first emperor of Tang dynasty; took imperial title of Gaozu.

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Yang guifei: Young woman belonging to harem of Tang prince; raised to status of royal concubine during reign of Xuanzong; introduction of relatives into royal administration led to revolt Zhu xi: Most prominent of neo-Confucian scholars during the Song dynasty in China; stressed importance of applying philosophical principles to everyday life and action Xi xia: The Western Xia Dynasty or the Tangut Empire, was known to the Tanguts and the Tibetans as Minyak. Liao: A dynasty which ruled much of Manchuria and part of northeastern China Yangdi: Second member of Sui dynasty; murdered his father to gain throne; restored Confucian examination system; responsible for construction of Chinese canal system Wuzong: Chinese emperor of Tang dynasty who openly persecuted Buddhism by destroying monasteries in 840s; reduced influence of Chinese Buddhism in favor of Confucian ideology Zhao kuangyin: Founder of Song dynasty; originally a general following fall of Tang; took title of Taizu; failed to overcome northern Liao dynasty that remained independent Southern song: Rump state of Song dynasty from 1127 to 1279; carved out of much larger domains ruled by the Tang and northern Song Changan: Capital of Tang dynasty; population of two million, larger than any other city in the world at that time Li bo: Most famous poet of the Tang era; blended images of the mundane world with philosophical musings

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