Chpt. 12, Tang and Song Flashcards
Li Yuan
also known as Duke of Tang; minister for Yangdi; took over empire following assassination of Yangdi; first emperor of the Tang dynasty; took imperial title of Gaozu
Chang’an
capital of Tang dynasty; population of 2 million, larger than any other city in the world at the time
Ministry of Rites
administered examinations to students from Chinese government schools or those recommended by distinguished scholars
jinshi
title granted to students who passed the most difficult Chinese examination on all of Chinese literature; became immediate dignitaries and eligible for high office
pure land Buddhism (Mahayana)
emphasized salvationist aspect of Chinese Buddhism; popular among masses of Chinese society
Chan Buddhism in China; Zen Buddhism in Japan
type of Buddhism that stressed meditation and appreciation of natural and artistic beauty; popular with members of elite Chinese society
Empress Wu
Tang ruler from 690-705 in China; supported Buddhist establishment; tried to elevate Buddhism to state religion; had multistory statues of Buddha created
Emperor Wuzong
Chinese emperor of Tang dynasty who openly persecuted Buddhism by destroying monasteries in the 800s
Xuanzong
leading Chinese emperor of the Tang dynasty who reigned from 713 to 755 though he encouraged overexpansion
Yang Guifei
royal concubine during the reign of Xuanzong; introduction of her relatives into royal administration led to revolt
Zhao Kuangyin
founder of the Song dynasty; originally a general following the fall of the Tang; took title of Taizu; failed to overcome northern Liao dynasty that remained independent
Liao dynasty
founded in 907 by nomadic Khitan peoples from Manchuria; maintained independence from Song dynasty in China
Khitans
nomadic peoples of Manchuria; militarily superior to Song dynasty China but influenced by Chinese culture; forced humiliating treaties on Song China in the 11th century
Zhu Xi
most prominent of neo-Confucian scholars during the Song dynasty in China; stressed importance of applying philosophical principles to everyday life and action
neo-Confucians
they revived the ancient Confucian teachings in Song era China; great impact on the dynasties that followed; their emphasis on tradition and hostility to foreign systems made Chinese rulers and bureaucrats less receptive to outside ideas and influences
Tangut
ruler of Xi Xia kingdom of northwest China; one of the regional kingdoms during the period of the southern Song; conquered by Mongols in 1126
Xi Xia
the Kingdom of Tangut people, north of Song kingdom, in mid-11th century; collected tribute that drained Song resources and burdened Chinese peasantry
Wang Anshi
Confucian scholar and chief minister of a Song emperor in the 1070s; introduced sweeping reforms based on Legalists; advanced greater state intervention in society
Jurchens
founder of the Qin (Jin) kingdom that succeeded the Liao in northern China; annexed most of the Yellow River basin and forced Song to flee to south
Jin
kingdom north of the Song Empire; established by Jurchens in 1115 after overthrowing Liao dynasty; ended
Southern Song
rump state of Song dynasty from 1127 to 1279; carved out of much larger domains ruled by the Tang and northern Song; culturally one of the most glorious reigns in Chinese history
Grand Canal
built in 7th century during reign of Yangdi during Sui dynasty; designed to link the original center of Chinese civilization on the north China plain with the Yangtze river basin to the south; nearly 1,200 miles long
junks
Chinese sailing ships equipped with watertight bulkheads, sternpost rudders, compasses, and bamboo fenders; dominant force in Asian seas east of the Malayan peninsula
flying money
Chinese credit instrument that provided credit vouchers to merchants to be redeemed at the end of the voyage; reduced danger of robbery, established early form of currency
