Changes in Political Structures and Social and Economic Life

Changes in Political Structures and Social and Economic Life

China has a rich and rather long and mysterious history that boasts ancient civilization. The history that covers approximately 5000 years is divided into three periods, including pre-imperial China (Xia Dynasty, Shang Dynasty, and Zhou Dynasty, up to 221 BC), Imperial China (Qin Dynasty 221C- Qing dynasty 1911), and New China (1911 up to today) (Liao, 2016). These periods had changes in the political, social, and economic structures, which included improvements and eventually served as foundations for the next period. Some of the most significant changes in China were during the Imperial China period, specifically under the three most powerful dynasties: the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty, and the Song Dynasty.

Sui Dynasty

At the beginning of the 500s BC, Yang Jian was a general in China’s northwest regime, and he united the North of China under the rule of one emperor. Later on, a young boy inherited the throne, but since he was too young to rule, General Yang Jian took over as regent. However, in the 580s, Yang Jian deposed the young ruler, took over the throne himself and started a new dynasty called the Sui Dynasty (Judge & Langston, 2011).

One of the most significant political changes was that Yang Jian conquered the South region of China by 589 BC, bringing the whole of China under only one ruler, his rule. This had not been done for centuries. Secondly, Yang Jian established a new system in the political sphere for the first time, which included three distinct departments and six new ministries. Furthermore, Yang Jian devised a law code that was implemented nationwide and restored the civil service system that had previously been used by Han rulers (Wang, 2021). These steps led to an improved royal rule and more informative labour divisions in the courts. Another political change was the alteration of the talent choice system. Previously, a hierarchical and aristocratic system was used whereby scholars who advised the country were chosen from the sons of nobles and court officials. However, this system was abolished during the Sui Dynasty, and scholars were chosen based on an imperial examination (Wang, 2021). This meant that anyone who wanted to become a scholar would have to take a series of examinations, which included tests on morals and ethics, and those who scored highest were deemed the smartest and were given the rank of scholar (Quigley, 1923).

Significant economic changes during the Sui Dynasty included the numerous opportunities provided by the construction of the Grand Canal. In his efforts to unite North and South China, Yang Jian constructed a canal that connected the two regions. This canal eased the transport of goods and people from both parts of the country, and they grew each other economies by trading (Yan, 2021). The canal also improved water transport. Shipbuilding became a whole industry, creating more jobs. Secondly, new policies on the equalization of land on acreage were implemented, resulting in increased agricultural production. Lastly, new economic policies were implemented during this dynasty and included the regulation of measures and weights and a tax control system. These policies resulted in an expanded fiscal revenue.

Socially, during Yang Jian’s rule, China was thriving. One reason is that the ruler used skilful propaganda, campaigns, and other peaceful tactics to bring China under his rule instead of violent means (Judge & Langdon, 2011). Further, he built a canal that showed both regions how they could benefit from each other, bringing great unification to the country. Further, Yang Jian implemented policies like the imperial examinations that created equality for everyone, including minorities. Lastly, while Yang Jian used Buddhism to unify China, he also re-established Confucian culture; both ways of life were supported and maintained. Notably, Sui Dynasty lasted less than forty years because Yang Jian’s son killed his father to hasten his rule. The son was a vicious ruler who implemented harsh policies on the people, causing wars and ruining the economy while living an extravagant life. These actions led to rebellion, and the son was forced to flee the city, marking the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty in 618 BC (Judge & Langdon, 2011).

Tang Dynasty

Shortly after Yang Jian fled the throne, Li Shimin, an eighteen-year-old son of a duke, convinced his father, the Duke of Tang, to seize the throne. This ushered in the Tang Dynasty, which lasted almost three hundred years. The Duke reigned for eight years, and in 626 BC, Li Shimin, then 26 years old, forced his father to abdicate the throne and killed his brothers before taking over the throne (Judge & Langdon, 2011). He then became Emperor Taizon, one of the most capable leaders of his leaders.

Politically, Taizon expanded China even further by conquering Central China. With the expansion of China, the military also expanded, making the regime even more powerful. The next ruler after Taizon, a woman, Wu Zhao, seduced the emperor and became his empress. The emperor lost sight, and the empress became the regent (Judge & Langdon, 2011). A woman in rule was a new concept, especially when the emperor died, and Wu Zhao prevented her sons from taking over and claimed the throne herself. This created more opportunities in society, and for once, women were treated as equal to men in society.

Economically, the dynasty brought about rises to unprecedented levels in China’s economy. For instance, new policies in the agricultural sector reduced the peasants’ troubles and increased competence in production (Judge & Langdon, 2011). There was also great diversification in irrigation activities and improved farm equipment, for example, the invention of waterwheels and animal-powered pumps. Besides, by dominating Vietnam, Chinese farmers could acquire a new type of rice that was fast growing. This helped them double their annual output, leading to more growth in commercial agriculture. Also, there was advancement in the handicraft sector, mostly the textile industry and the weapons sector, especially in the invention of gunpowder, steel swords, and the printing process (Temple et al., 2007). Notably, the Tang Dynasty introduced paper money into the economy. These improvements in the agriculture and handicraft sectors further provided momentum for domestic and foreign trade during this dynasty. Consequently, China’s economy rose to unprecedented levels.

Socially, one of the most significant changes was the status of women being raised. They were treated equally as men were in jobs, education, and all other sectors. Secondly, Buddhism and Confucianism were widely accepted (Allinson, 2011). Great importance was placed on education and other arts like poetry, leading to popular poets like Du Fu and Li Bai.

Song Dynasty

Approaching the end of the Tang Dynasty, the country was thrown into chaos, mainly due to religious chaos from Islamic, Buddhist, and Confucian leaders ranging in revolts. When the emperor abdicated the throne, the country split up into numerous warring states, which lasted fifty-three years. However, in 960, a general, Zhao Kuanying, managed to unify China again and established his regime as the Song Dynasty, which lasted about three hundred years (Judge  & Langdon, 2011).

Politically, Zhao Kuanying implemented changes whose main goal was to ensure peace and maintain steadiness, two issues that had resulted in political problems like warlords in previous dynasties. These changes included promoting professional governance by promoting Confucian civil service and banning court eunuchs from political offices (Judge & Langdon, 2011). Secondly, he reduced the risk of warlords. The emperor centralized control over the army by creating a military council, depriving the generals of military power. Additional changes in the government included creating the Chancellor of Treasury and Secretariat departments. Further, the emperor changed the hierarchical emperor system by decreeing that his brother and not his son would be the one to inherit the throne from him. To maintain peace with the conflicting neighbouring states, the Song Dynasty agreed to annual tributes to these states.

Even though the Song Dynasty was not as large as the previous dynasties, it flourished economically. Firstly, more advancements occurred in the agricultural sector. For instance, the Tali plough was invented and replaced cattle (Bray, 2013). As more advancements were made, the rapid growth of merchants brought about a commercial revolution that led to the urbanization of China with more than fifty cities. The country could amass vast wealth that even after the dynasty was divided into two and became the Southern Song, the country was still wealthy. The paper money invented during the Tang Dynasty paved the way for government-issued paper money, credit certificates, and checks. Water transport was also significantly improved by introducing watertight compartments and magnetic compasses to help ships navigate open waters (Dai, 2020). These magnets were later adopted by Arabs and European explorers for global trade and to discover new lands. Similarly, the printing process revolutionized global means of communication, learning, and other uses requiring paper printing.

Socially, people delved into arts, especially calligraphy, weaving art, sculpturing, and painting. Calligraphy was especially popular during this period (Da Wei, 2012). Unfortunately, women’s status in previous dynasties was no longer maintained in the Song dynasty, and they were seen as subordinate to men in all classes. Besides, inheritance laws, civil systems, and education favoured men. Society was also divided into classes, with the rich occupying luxurious areas in the cities. Women in higher classes were secluded from society and from a young age, were subjected to harsh rituals like foot binding, which was seen as a sign of beauty and high status (Foreman, 2015; Yujie, 2008). However, women in the lower classes were allowed to occupy job like midwives, entertainers, and being in charge of their households. Nevertheless, even with the subordination of women, society thrived culturally, mostly in the arts. In conclusion, changes during the reign of the three dynasties mentioned above played a significant part in Chinese history. Therefore, understanding and documenting these changes is crucial in providing the foundation of contemporary China and its global dominance today.

References

Allinson, R. (2011). Confucianism and Taoism. In Handbook of spirituality and business (pp. 95-102). Palgrave Macmillan, London.

Bray, F. (2013). Technology, gender and history in imperial China: great transformations reconsidered. Routledge.

Dai, N. (2020). Compass. In Thirty Great Inventions of China (pp. 663-683). Springer, Singapore.

Da-Wei, K. (2012). Chinese Brushwork in Calligraphy and Painting: its history, aesthetics, and techniques. Courier Corporation.

Foreman, A. (2015). Why footbinding persisted in China for a millennium. Smithsonian. com. February, 1.

Judge, E. H., & Langdon, J. W. (2011). Connections: A World History (Vol. 1). Pearson Higher Ed.

Liao, Y. F. (2016). China, imperial: 4. Sui, Tang, and Five dynasties periods, c. 581–960. The Encyclopedia of Empire, 1-13.

Quigley, H. S. (1923). The political system of Imperial China. American Political Science Review, 17(4), 551-566.

Temple, R. K., Needham, J., & Biochemiker, R. (2007). The genius of China: 3,000 years of science, discovery, and invention. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions.

Wang, L. (2021). The civil service examination system: a vehicle for social mobility in Song China. The Concord Review, 82.

Yan, H. (2021). The making of the Grand Canal in China: beyond knowledge and power. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 27(6), 584-600.

Yujie, S. H. E. N. G. (2008). The Morbid Beauty of Women Foot-Binding in Ancient China. Journal of Ankang University.

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World Civilization 1 HS150
What major changes in political structures and social and economic life occurred during each of the following?

1. The Sui dynasty
2. The Tang dynasty
3. The Song dynasty
double-space
APA