The Tang Dynasty expanded China's borders and promoted foreign trade along the Silk Road. The Grand Canal, originally begun in the 6th century AD, remains one of the world's longest artificial waterways. The Song Dynasty that followed emphasized education, the arts, and industry over the military. Medieval China saw many important innovations including paper, printing, gunpowder, the compass, and steel production. Foot binding became popular among women of the upper classes. The Mongols eventually conquered China in 1279, bringing the Song Dynasty to an end. In Japan, emperors held the highest rank but had no power, while shoguns ruled as military dictators from influential families. Society was strictly stratified with samurai,

1. Medieval Asia
Medieval China & Feudal Japan
618AD – 1600AD
MK 2016

2. Qin 221 – 206BC 15 years
Han 206BC – 220AD424 years
Civil War 60 years
Jin 265 - 420 155 years
Civil War 169 yearS
Sui 589 – 618 29 years
Tang 618 – 907 289 years
Civil War 53 years
Song 960 – 1279 319 years
Remember these?
Medieval
China
Begins
How we got here

3. Tang Dynasty of China 618 – 907 AD

4. Tang
DynastyThe Tang Dynasty expanded the borders of
China to include Korea, Vietnam and Tibet.
Tang Taizong (599 – 649AD) is considered to
be one of the greatest Chinese Emperors.
Tributary relationships with other countries.
The kowtow was enforced
Promoted foreign trade of luxury goods – Silk
Road
Introduction of paper money.
The Grand Canal

5. Grand Canal
The Grand Canal is the worlds longest manmade waterway.
1,800 miles long
Started in 604 AD
Completed in 1280 AD
The canal links agricultural areas to major cities and manufacturing
areas.
Agricultural
area
Capital
Industrial &
manufacturing
area
Emperor Sui Wendi
Tang
Who first ordered the
building of the canal

6. Grand Canal
Still used today
1,412 years old
2015 – 2020
project to extend

7. Empress Wu 690 – 705AD

8. Fall of the Tang Dynasty
Careless leadership
Emperors cared more for wine, women and song
than governing
Huang Chao
Hero of the poor who stole from the rich and gave to
the poor
Emperors gave power away
Power/authority given to military leaders until the
emperor had none left
Military rebellions
Weakened the power of the Tang
Uighurs
(Turkish people) asked to help put down
rebellion and given right to sack the 2 capitals of
china in payment
Huang Chao

9. Civil War
With the fall of the last Tang Emperor, the
Generals who had been given positions of great
power, fought a civil war for 53 years to determine
who would rule China.

10. Song Dynasty of China 960 – 1279AD

11. Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was begun by a
scholarly general named Song
Taizu.
The dynasty would emphasize
Art and Music
Education and Industry
Over the military
Rice replaces wheat as the main
food crop
Tea drinking becomes popular
Population of China reaches 100
million
Emperor Song Taizu

12. Medieval Chinese Innovations
Steel
Steel framed pagoda
Steel framed bridge
1st Steel suspension bridge
Steel plow
The production of steel
marks the first industrial
revolution in the world

13. Medieval Chinese Innovations
Compass
Clock
Rudder
Allows for easy
steering of a ship on
the ocean
A water powered clock
built for the Song
Emperor

14. Medieval Chinese Innovations
Paper
Printing
Books

15. Medieval Chinese Innovations
Decimal math
Negative numbers
Seismograph
Measures the
strength of
earthquakes and
can provide an
early warning

16. Medieval Chinese Innovations
Gunpowder
Cannons
Rockets
Gun

17. Medieval Chinese Innovations
Foot binding began in 1243 by a dancer
in the imperial court.
It is considered erotic and a symbol of
wealth. Some considered it a way of
controlling women.
Began at age 5 with the breaking of the
toes and the crushing of the arch.
Took 2 years to complete
Outlawed in 1911
Foot Binding

18. Medieval Chinese Innovations
Chopsticks Chess
Fireworks Fishing reel
Hot air balloon Kites
Parachute Playing card
Poison gas Rotary fan
Soybean Tea
Umbrella Wheelbarrow

19. Fall of the Song Dynasty
The Song had never been a military power
Enemy attacks, (Tibet, Manchuria,
Mongols)
weakened the empire
To avoid war the Song paid their enemies
not to attack.
By 1042 the Song were paying 200,000
ounces of silver to their enemies
Taxes were so high peasants were forced to
sell their land
The Mongols topple the Song Dynasty
Bing Song
Last Song Emperor
Ruled 313 days
Committed suicide age 7
after defeat by the Mongols

20. Feudal JapanFeudal Japan 1185 – 1868AD
Chinese religion, philosophy and language greatly
influenced early Japanese society.
Zen Buddhism inspired art, drama and culture.
Most important early literature was written by
women and read by men.
The “Tale of Genji” by Lady Murasaki Shikibu
Is one example.
The Japanese leaders preferred isolation rather than
Dealing with “inferior foreigners”

21. Feudal Japan Social Structure
The
Emperor
Shogun
Daimyo & Samurai
Peasant
s

22. Feudal Japan
Emperors held the highest rank
but had no real power. He was
considered a living god and was
the head of the Shinto religion.
He concerned himself with non-
earthly matters.
The Shoguns had the real
power. They were
military dictators over
large areas of Japan.
They ruled in the name of
the emperor not by his
orders.

23. Feudal Japan
Map showing the shogunates in
Japan

24. Feudal Japan
Feudal shoguns lived in castles.
Castles provided protection and
comfort for the shogun and his
family.

25. Feudal Japan
The Samurai were
the warriors who
were given land or
food in exchange
for military
service to the
Daimyo.
Samurai followed
a code of conduct
called Bushido.
Daimyos were wealthy
landlords who had
power at the local level.
A Shogun would have
several daimyos to run
his shogunate.

26. Feudal Japan
Ninjas were experts in clandestine
warfare.
Their skills included sabotage,
espionage, assassination and
causing social chaos.
Quarreling shoguns would employ
ninjas to resolve issues without the
need for all-out war.
There was at least one ninja
academy for women.
Do Ninjas exist today?
click to find out

27. Feudal Japan
Peasants were bound to the land and
treated as property.
Peasants made up 75% of the population.
They were not allowed to carry swords or
ride a horse.
In times of war they went to fight with
their lord.
Peasant
house
made of
grass and
wood