Song+Dynasty

=**Song Dynasty**= By Gianna Rocchio, Cassie Ferrara, Allison Fontaine

Often referred to as the “Chinese Renaissance”, the Song Dynasty was a time of great progress. There were developments in every aspect of the culture. The economy during the Song dynasty is considered one of the best economies in China’s history. Agriculture soared and many new inventions aided the economic wealth of the state. This influenced the way society worked because the population increased so greatly. The roles of women and children in society changed and new social welfares were provided by the government. Religion had an impact on the way citizens acted as well. Neo-Confucianism flourished during this time and added a different focus on the balance between society and government. Additionally, numerous varieties of art thrived during this time and their individuality could not be duplicated by dynasties to come. Similarly, intellectualism was chosen over status when regarding politics and how officials handled situations. This can also been seen through the examination system. The Song Dynasty was not as glorious as the Tang before it, but the way they handled political, economical, religious, social, intellectual, and artistic situations were quite notable and impressive. There were many political characteristics of the Song Dynasty. Emperor T’ai-tsu put his trust in the civilians to control the military and government (Sung). The Song Dynasty also spent its time implementing welfare acts such as providing homes for the elderly and state hospitals. There were fire stations and free pharmacies for the poor. In 1024 BCE paper money was introduced. Officials put into high office had to gain their titles by extensive examinations, showing that during the Song Dynasty, politics were run by merit and ability and not by noble status. The military was trained in a way that they could not be a threat to the court in cases of uprisings, which hurt the Song in battle. Military training was treated as a science. To gain a feeling of peace, surrounding countries were paid a large tribute to try and evade war. Seen in figure four is scholarly officials having dinner. The political policies of the Song Dynasty focused on intellectualism over status which helped the dynasty thrive. The economy of the Song dynasty is one that is greatly praised and is often referred to as the “highlight of economic development in China” (Theobald). The fulfilling economy has much to do with the agricultural developments of the time. The agriculture was the foundation of the economy because of its advancements that made astounding progress. Irrigation techniques were improved, water wheels were created, and hay cutters were used among many other tool improvements. The crop output in China was vast. Products such as millet, wheat, and beans came from south of the Yangtze River while rice came from north of the Yangtze. Peasant farmers also changed their strategies of farming. Instead of producing sundry crops, they instead focused on one single product. This included tea, vegetables, lacquer, medical herbs, flowers, fruits, sugar canes, silk, hemp, cotton, and ceramics. The spinning of different fabrics can be seen in the first figure. Other products were highly useful during the time included iron and steel, which were produced at rates of 125,000 tons per year (“Iron and Steel”). These elements were used to manufacture nails, tools, statues, bridges, and weapons. Coal began to replace charcoal as well. The printing block and movable type was developed during this time making communication significantly easier (“Printing”). The agricultural boom led to a trade expansion between cities (“Commercialization”). Merchants became significantly more organized by creating guilds, stock companies, and partnerships. The trade expansion made transportation become more difficult, thus new developments were made to ease the burden of transportation. Wagons, wheelbarrows, and simple backpacks were used when transporting goods short distances while donkeys and camels were used for greater distances. Water transport was also a greatly used method as it was much less costly. The trade expansion also had a great effect on the amount of currency used. Since the Tang dynasty, the bronze and copper coin output was increased tenfold to six billion a year (“From Copper…”). These coins, which had a hole in the middle for stringing, created a heavy encumbrance for active merchants and can be seen in the second figure. To solve this issue, merchants began using trading receipts from deposit shops instead of the hefty coins. Song dynasty officials took note of this and gave a small yet substantial monopoly of certificates of credits to the deposit shops. In the 1120s, the Song government officially took over the paper money system. This marked the world’s first use of paper currency. This great accomplishment is one of the many during the Tang dynasty. The Song dynasty saw the rebirth of Confucianism. Naturally, Confucianism had changed over time and was now referred to as “neo-Confucianism”. Not only did it focus on self-fulfillment, but it also sought out a balance between society and government. One of neo-Confucianism’s most famous philosophers is Zhu Xi. At the time of the Southern Song, he interpreted the new philosophy and made it relevant to the Chinese (“Neo-Confucianism”) Neo-Confucianism affected the Chinese way of life; it emphasized the act of being genuine. Zhu Xi said, “"Making one's thoughts Genuine" is the chief step in self-cultivation. "Self-deception" is to know to do good in order to eschew the bad, yet the expressions of the heart are not completely genuine.” This meant that in order to be a good person, one had to be true to themselves (Van Norden). Neo-Confucianism also emphasized the relationship of man and nature, and it reinforced an order of obedience. For example, the people were to obey the ruler, a son was to obey his father, a wife was to obey her husband, and a brother was to obey his older brother (“The Song Dynasty“). Neo-Confucianism blossomed during this time and carried on for hundreds of years in China and other parts of Asia. Perhaps the greatest known aspect of the Song dynasty is that of the population boom. Prior to the Song in 742, the population was roughly fifty million (“Population”). In 1100, the population doubled to one hundred million. The population increase greatly influenced the culture and society. The role of women generally decreased (“Neo-Confucianism”). Women gained respect and were treated as an ancestor only after giving birth to a boy and widows were told to not remarry. Older women held a greater degree of respect. Furthermore, women tended to have a secure hold on property rights. Alternatively, foot binding was developed for women during this time (Crites). This was done for women of high status to show their lack of responsibility around the house due to their status. Children also played a large role in China (“Neo-Confucianism”). They were highly valued because they were China’s future. They learned to be filial but also knew when to indulge. Children, along with the rest of China, became more literate during this time due to the development of the printing block. The government provided a deal of social welfare programs as well. There were retirement homes, clinics, graveyards, and a postal service. The culture during the Song dynasty is often depicted in paintings and other works of art. The intellectual advances during the Song Dynasty were vast. With the introduction of paper money came the introduction of general Chinese banking. The tools for farming were advanced which led to more crops. “Increased yields in agriculture grew from the introduction of new tools and techniques, and advances were made in the fields of mining and manufacturing of ceramics as China moved from an agrarian to a mercantile state” (Sung). During the Song Dynasty, the ship trading industry also saw innovations on the compass and pivoting sails which made the fleets the most admired of the century. To gain office, men had to pass exams proving their intellectual ability. Philosophers wrote about neo-Confucianism. “Methods of acupuncture and autopsies and a physician’s code of ethics were codified” (Sung). During the Song Dynasty, intellectualism was a prime focus of the citizens and rulers. The intellectual aspects of the Song Dynasty were impressive and extensive. Art flourished during the Song dynasty. A well-known wooden sculpture titled “The Bodhisattva Kuan-yin” was produced during this time period. “The Bodhisattva Kuan-yin” portrays Buddha and conveys the popularity of realism of this time. The sculpture’s naturalism is undeniable when one studies the detail of the robe, mustache, and eyes. The Song dynasty is said to have the last great movement of wooden sculpture (Minneapolis Institute of Arts). Another one of the Song’s most important aspects to art is landscape painting. Artists of the Song dynasty painted beautiful mountain scenes; they tended to feel more comfortable in nature, where everything was harmonized. One painter, Mi Youren, painted using simple dots of ink. This style is referred to as “ink play” and inspired future ink-wash paintings of the Southern Song dynasty (“Northern Song…“) and can be seen in the third figure. The Song dynasty is often remembered for its great work in innovation. Politically, the Song was original in its use of mind over rank. Its intellectualism showed through the use of the examination system for officials. This examination system involved Confucianism, which provided a balance between government and society. The economy increased quite a bit due to the increasing agriculture and population. Much like the changing government system, society changed as well. Children and women held new roles in addition to new social welfares in the dynasty. The ever-changing artistic methods thrived during the Song dynasty as well. Many do not see the greatness of the Song dynasty in the shadow of the Tang, but the political, economical, religious, social, intellectual, and artistic aspects of the Song dynasty and impressive to say the least.



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