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What features are associated with the dynasties of the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279)?

1 answer

Some features associated with the Tang dynasty (618-907) include:

1. Expansion of territory through military conquests.

2. The development of a strong centralized government, with a complex bureaucracy.

3. Economic prosperity due to the establishment of the Silk Road trade routes and the growth of agriculture.

4. The spread of Buddhism and Taoism, as well as the rise of Confucianism as the dominant ideology.

5. Advances in literature, poetry, and art, particularly during the Tang's "Golden Age" in the 8th century.

6. The creation of a civil service exam system to select government officials based on merit rather than social status.

Some features associated with the Song dynasty (960-1279) include:

1. The consolidation of power in the hands of scholar-officials, who controlled both the government and the Confucian education system.

2. The invention of movable type and the development of paper money, which greatly facilitated communication and trade.

3. Economic growth based on the expansion of agriculture and the commercialization of industries like porcelain production.

4. The advance of Neo-Confucianism, a philosophy that emphasized the moral cultivation of the individual.

5. The rise of landscape painting, particularly the "Southern School" style, which depicted natural scenery in a highly stylized and symbolic manner.

6. The development of military technologies such as gunpowder and the use of naval patrols to protect coastal trade routes.