Summary: Sui, Tang, Song, and the East Asian World
Summary
- Sui (581–618): Civil service examinations・Grand Canal → short-lived but left a major institutional legacy
- Tang (618–907): Legal and administrative system・international city of Chang’an・development of civil service examinations
- Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907–960): period of division
- Song (960–1279): civil government・three great inventions・paper money・maritime trade
- East Asian cultural sphere: Shared Chinese characters・Confucianism・the legal and administrative system・and Buddhism (Japan・Korea・Vietnam)
Comprehensive Practice Questions
- Explain the influence that Sui・Tang・and Song had on Japan’s formation as a state.
- Give two reasons why the Song economy is called an “economic revolution.”
- Explain the impact of the An Lushan Rebellion on East Asia as a whole.
Answers
- Through missions to Sui and Tang, Japan introduced the legal and administrative system・Buddhism・and Chinese-character culture, which directly influenced the formation of Japan as a state governed by a legal and administrative system (Taika Reform・Taiho Code)
- ①Financial revolution through the world’s first paper money (jiaozi) ②Development of maritime trade and growth of commercial cities
- Tang’s centralized government collapsed, and military commanders became independent. Tang’s influence on neighboring countries (Korea・Japan) also began to decline, creating an opportunity for each country to develop its own culture and politics