Song, << soong, >> dynasty, also spelled Sung, ruled China from 960 to 1279. Great urban and commercial expansion took place in China during this period. Better farming practices and varieties of rice were introduced. Under the Song, a type of handheld gun and movable type for printing—inventions that would change the course of history—were developed. Shipbuilding, tea processing, porcelain manufacture, and metalworking advanced. Scholarship and education flourished. Artists began to paint the dramatic landscapes that characterize much classic Chinese art. Many Chinese endured poverty and hardships under the Song. However, scholars believe China was probably the wealthiest and most advanced nation in the world at that time.
The practice of awarding government positions based on scholarly merit gained in importance during the Song period. The government recruited administrators through civil service exams that tested literary skills and knowledge of classical Confucian philosophy. These scholar-officials had great power and took part in policy debates in the emperor’s court. Neo-Confucianism, which combined the moral standards of traditional Confucianism with elements of Buddhism and Taoism, emerged during the Song period. The philosopher Zhu Xi was largely responsible for the development of this new Confucianism. The Song dynasty established Neo-Confucianism as the official state philosophy, and all later Chinese dynasties continued to support it.
Commerce flourished during the Song period. The Song became the world’s first government to use paper money as a standard form of currency. Wealthy Chinese people flocked to cities, where they enjoyed fine restaurants and tea houses, and where musicians, storytellers, puppeteers, jugglers, and acrobats entertained them.
The Song dynasty rose to power in 960, following a series of short-lived military dynasties. Zhao Kuangyin, a general and the first Song emperor, unified China under a strong central government. The Song faced frequent attacks by peoples from the north, such as the Khitans. In 1126, the Ruzhen (also known as the Jurchen) seized the Song capital in northern China. After that, the Song held only the southern half of China. The dynasty that ruled from 960 to 1127 is often called the Northern Song, and the dynasty that ruled after 1127 is often called the Southern Song. In 1279, the Song dynasty ended when the Mongols conquered all of China and established the Yuan dynasty.
See also China (The Song dynasty) ; Painting (Chinese painting) .
