China+from+Sui+to+Ming

China from the Sui to the Ming Dynasty – 581 – 1644


 * 1) The Sui and Tang Empires
 * 2) Reunification under the Sui and Tang
 * 3) Sui reunification based on Confucianism but with heavy Buddhist influence.
 * 4) Sui overspent on public works & was unable to defend itself
 * 5) Tang Taizong took control and established the Tang Dynasty in 618.
 * 6) Territorial Expansion
 * 7) Turkic influences
 * 8) Buddhism in the Tang Empire
 * 9) Tang Emperors used Buddhism for legitimacy (Boddhisatva)
 * 10) Buddhist monasteries that assisted received gifts & tax exemptions
 * 11) Mahayana Buddhism
 * 12) Trade & Buddhist Spread
 * 13) Cosmopolitan Chang An & world trade
 * 14) The city & its people
 * 15) Trade: importing wine, tea, spices, exporting tea, silks, porcelain, jade
 * 16) Central Asia & China: Power Politics
 * 17) The Uigur and Tibetan Empires
 * 18) Uigurs in mid 8th century
 * 19) Tibet 600-800
 * 20) Change in China 750-879
 * 21) Reassertion of Confucianism & decline of Buddhism
 * 22) tax & donation problems
 * 23) legitimization of women in Politics (Wu Zhao)
 * 24) Confucian Scholars & propaganda
 * 25) Neo-Confucianism: Making a religion out of a philosophy
 * 26) Answering questions about life
 * 27) Answering questions about physical nature’
 * 28) Zhu Shi (1130-1200 – li & qi)
 * 29) Canonization of texts & examination system
 * 30) The End of the Tang (879-907) and the Song Empire
 * 31) Decline into warlord territories
 * 32) Competing States: Liao, Jin, & Song
 * 33) The dominance of Liao (916-1121) and Jin (1127-1215)
 * 34) Song Society & Industry
 * 35) Technology including mechanical clock, shipbuilding, use of rockets & gunpowder
 * 36) Song empire was more interested in trade and education than on military matters – remained relatively weak but made great progress.
 * 37) Buddhism (Chan/Zen) & Neo-Confucianism
 * 38) Civil Service Exams
 * 39) Population Growth
 * 40) credit & paper money
 * 41) Status of Women in decline
 * 42) Emergence of Korea, Japan, Vietnam as “satellite” states heavily influenced by Chinese culture: writing, philosophy, power
 * 43) Mongol conquest, 1169-1279 & rule to 1368
 * 44) The Ming Dynasty
 * 45) Zhu Yuanzhang (Ming Hung-Wu)
 * 46) Farmer, Buddhist Monk, & Charismatic Leader
 * 47) General dissatisfaction with Mongol Rule
 * 48) Refugee problems.
 * 49) The Ming Dynasty 1368-1644
 * 50) Under Hung-Wu, reactive to Mongols
 * 51) Rebuild Chinese economy based on agriculture rather than trade
 * 52) Encouraged resettlement of North China
 * 53) Under Ming Yongle (1360-1424)
 * 54) Chinese foreign policy
 * 55) Return of the tribute system
 * 56) Zheng He & the 7 Great Voyages
 * 57) Moved Capital to Beijing & built Forbidden City
 * 58) Destroyed the remaining Yuan Dynasty in Mongolia
 * 59) Sponsored the Yongle Encyclopedia