China's Golden Age: The Tang

China's Cosmopolitan Age: The Silk Road in the Tang

 * 589 CE -> China is reunited politically under the Sui
 * Also involved in the Construction of the "Great Canal" which connected north and south China
 * From Beijing to Hangzhou
 * Sui pronounced "Sway"
 * Only lasts until 618
 * Too tyrannical rule
 * Then the Tang are established
 * This parallels the Qin/Han relationship

Li Shimin

 * Rise up against the Sui
 * Overthrow the unification of the Sui
 * Li Shimin founds the Tang Dynasty
 * Which is considered to be the high point of Chinese culture

The Silk Road

 * First developed under the Han
 * Re-established as a major trade route after the rise of the Sui and later the Tang
 * Started in Chang'an and works to the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean (Antioch, Jerusalem)

Why Now?

 * Li Shimin as a ruler conquered great new lands as part of his empire
 * Making the Silk Road a more lucrative and safe opportunity


 * Chinese Buddhists also were a reason for re-developed of the Silk Road
 * These Buddhists were interested in accessing India, the home of Buddhism

Xuanzang

 * Xuanzang's Travels
 * 15 year trip to India and back
 * Recovered 75 Sutras which he brought back to China and translated
 * Also met with the king, and was commissioned to write on his travels

Cultural Exhange

 * China gained new influence from "western culture" (meaning India and Middle East rather than Europe)
 * Buddhists flowed out of India into China
 * Certain cities developed large foreign populations and thus a cosmopolitan culture

Religions

 * Foreigners also came into China, bringing new world religions:


 * Nestorian Christianity
 * Zorasterism
 * Manicheism
 * Islam

Chinese Restrictions

 * Duties were charged on trade
 * The trade of certain Chinese goods were disallowed
 * Such as Pearl
 * Gold
 * Iron
 * Yak tails (?) -> Which may have been a status symbol

Foreign Influence

 * Chinese culture was infused by foreign culture
 * Ideas of beauty changed to account for new types of style and female forms seen as foreign
 * Musicians and dancers -> were sent as tribute by conquered tribes
 * Brought in new types of cultural production


 * Western dress styles were adopted by women
 * Featured pants and riding boots
 * In place of a single long dress


 * Art styles changed
 * New forms of production and aesthetics stylings were developed

Note on the Concept of Chinese

 * The Chinese was by this point a very mixed population
 * Culturally the Chinese could be defined by a cohesive, united belief system and style of art
 * Also considered themselves to be descendants of the Han Dynasty -> Hence the idea of "HAN" Chinese

Religious Beliefs

 * Very Confucian ideology at work in politics and state development

Dunhuang Caves

 * The Site on Wikipedia


 * Important archaeological site
 * Located off the Silk Road
 * Served as a massive grave space
 * With incredible artwork
 * Well preserved Buddhist Murals and Funerary Art
 * Offers an incredible and dazzling site to observe how important Buddhism was to Chinese society at this time
 * Caves were sealed at some point in the 11th Century

Tang Literature

 * Seen as a highlight of Chinese Culture, Tang Literature is major part of Chinese Civilization to this day
 * Often quoted in general conversation
 * Two of these poets are often paired for

Li Bo or Bai

 * Born on the Silk Road near modern Afghanistan
 * Free Spirited
 * Sometimes considered a Daoist poet
 * Refused the life of an official, preferred a vagabond lifestyle, said he was a fisherman
 * Worked for whomever would take him
 * Lived at the Capital within the high culture of the Emperor until he
 * Loved to drink -> believed it immersed him in the Way
 * Said to have died drinking with the moon
 * Legend has it that while drunk one night, he went out on a boat and seeing a reflection of the moon in the water, leapt out to embrace it and drowned.

Du Fu

 * Considered a good opposite of Li Bo
 * Desired a job in government, was disappointed not to achieve such a destiny
 * He had government jobs, but they never amounted to a meaningful high position
 * Very touched by the events of his day
 * His poetry responds to a near crisis in the Tang Dynasty, in which the government was nearly overthrown
 * He is very confucian in his outlook and experience

Tang Xuanzong

 * "Tang Chawhenzong"


 * Rules from 712 to 756
 * Becomes tired of ruling
 * Becomes obsessed with one of his concubines
 * Yang Guifei -> 20 year old (he was 60), somewhat chubbby, so beloved by the Emperor, that he appointed her relatives as government officials

An Lushan & The Rebellion

 * A Turkish Prince
 * Once friends with Tang Xuanzong
 * Rises up against him (755-763)
 * Destroys large parts of China
 * Forces Tang Xuanzong from Chang'an
 * In Exile, Emperor's Guards kill Yang Guifei as the cause for the collapse of the government


 * Though the rebellion is put down eventually
 * Trade of the Silk Road stops
 * Other satellite cultures and nations rise up against the Tang, weakening the power of the Tang


 * The Tang never recover, slowly fall apart

Sung Dynasty

 * After period of disunity following collapse of Tang, Sung unity arises in 960


 * Chang'an is con