China
Tang Dynasty:
Accomplishments:
- Peak of civilization & became center of trade
- discovered source of diabetes
- created gunpowder and air-conditioning
Ruled: 618-907 AD
Key Players:
- Li Yuan – known for as Taiyuan Gong – a chancellor of the Sui Dynasty who rebelled
- Li Shimin– powerful ruler of military strategy and Chinese calligraphy
- Li Zhi – considered a weak ruler because was assisted by Empress Wu Zetian
Before/After?
- Before: Sui Dynasty – fell due to chaos of tyranny of Emperor Yang
Fall of Tang Dynasty:
- Hard to make a living, people rebelled, Haung Chao led an army of soldiers and declared himself emperor
- Rebellion lasted for a decade but was defeated, but dynasty never recovered
- Haung surrendered to Tang forces, then Zhu Wen took throne for himself and renamed it to the Liang Dynasty
Where?
- Imperial Dynasty of China – capital: Chang’an
SCIENCE POETRY TECHNOLOGY ARTS:
Science – Tang:
- Monk Yixing – first to successfully measure length of meridian line
- Sun Simiao, medicine king, wrote a medical book Qianjin Fang (Thousand Golden Prescriptions)
- Yi Xing led a national project to observe, identity, and located stars
Science – Song:
- Acupuncture
- Shen Kuo was first to discover magnetic declination of true north with a compass
- Astronomer Yang Zhongfu made The System of Astronomical Calendar, and took 365.2425 days as one year
Poetry - Tang:
- Around 50000 poems – poetry very important
- Professional and social life of literate class
- Imperial examinations –test given in order to have government jobs
Poetry - Song:
- New form of poem called the ci lyric – new lyric written to rhythm of a pre-existing song
- Titled as “To the tune of….” – expressed feelings of desire
Technology – Tang:
- First clock escapement mechanism by Yi-Xing – called astronomical clock
- Gunpowder – no life threatening properties but exploded when around fire
- Air conditioning – cool hall built in palace – called the Tang-Yulin (water powered fan wheels)
Technology – Song:
- Movable type of printing helped spread woodblock printing to teach Confucian students
- During 13 century, windmill started use
- Paper-printed money was another advancement of currency
- Ag – new developments of rice cultivation
- Iron production increased almost sixfold
Art:
- Tang period “Golden Age of Literature and Art”
- Toward beginning of Tang dynasty, most common was landscape
- Painting and calligraphy were viewed as some of most noble arts & put onto scrolls so they could be hung on walls
- Shanshui –painting of landscapes
Weapons, Army, and Strategy:
- Drafted from landowners, peasants, court officials below 6th rank of social class
- Provided own clothing, weapons, and food
- Drafted at 21 and served until 60
- Fu military system was replaced by Mercenary system which weakened Tang Dynasty
Strategy – Tang:
- Used Fu Military System (very military)
- 3 categories with a certain number of men – upper: 1200, middle: 1000, low: 800
- However, Fu system was left because prevented agriculture which economy depended on
- Adopted the mercenary system causing a great loss in dominance because it was more economic
Strategy – Song:
- Military like the US – used flanks
- Soldiers rated on athletic ability and divided into companies, platoons, and cross bowers
Army – Tang:
- Each Fu had regiments, companies, and huos(10 soldiers)
Army – Song:
- A lot of generals are now considered a “God” or legendary leader
- Che Kung appeared in villagers’ dreams who suffered from plague and saved them
- If wanted a successful career, he’d join military
- Du was basic combat unit in army, smallest permanent unit (100 men)
- Then split into 2, Xiang Bing( local provincial forces) and the Jin Bing( formed Imperial Army)
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