Song+Dynasty

Following the Tang, the Song Dynasty ruled one of the three great post-classical civilizations, China. After a period of turmoil following the decline of the Tang, China was reunited in 960 under the military leader Zhao Kuangyin. The Song's agriculturally based economy, focused on rice, was also successful due to its part in both the Silk Road and Indian Ocean trade networks and the demands from the rest of the world for Chinese luxury items such as silk, porcelain, and manufactured goods. They used a banking system with a form of credit called "Flying Money". Under the Song came a renewal of Confucian thought as seen through the many neo-Confucians of the period such as Zhu Xi. Socially, the position of women continued its decline through brutal practices such as footbinding. Because of the Song's failure to defeat the Khitans of the Liao Dynasty of Manchuria during its rise to power, a long lasting weakness to this dynasty was established, and the Song were eventually forced to pay tribute to the Khitans. It possessed a large focus on defense of territory rather than expansion as seen in the Tang. Eventually, the Song fled to the south, reestablishing its capital at Huangzhou. The southern Song dynasty ruled from 1127 to 1279.

Created by: Frances Grimball November 9, 2008