Week Ten Blog Post

The reemergence of a unified China was a key event in history. China regained unity under the Sui Dynasty. Under this dynasty, China's canal system was expanded which helped the economy tremendously. Later dynasties, like the Tang and the Song, built on the Sui's legacy. This time period was known as China's "golden age" because of the art and literature that was produced, like poetry, landscape paintings, and ceramics. These dynasties created a long-lasting state structure. It was still a bureaucracy, except this time with a better examination system. The Chinese population nearly doubled over this time, which produced a better economy because of increased agricultural production. China became the most urbanized country. It had big industrial production, especially of iron, and technological innovation, like printing, gunpowder, and shipbuilding. Chinese society quickly became commercialized. During the Tang Dynasty, women enjoyed a less restrictive life, but during the Song Dynasty, Confucianism was revived, which meant more patriarchy.

Pastoral people to the north of China were a threat to the Chinese people. But the Chinese people were also a threat to these northern people. Either way, they needed each other for goods. China created a "tribute system", or a set of practices that required non-Chinese authorities to acknowledge Chinese superiority and their own subordinate place in a Chinese-centered world order. 

Korea was politically independent from China, but they participated in China's tribute system. Korea traded with China for goods and ideas. Korean students would often study in China. These students would study Confucianism and Buddhism. Koreans originally had flexible attitudes towards women, but since they were influenced by China, these flexible attitudes were discouraged. Vietnam was also politically independent and borrowed from China. Unlike Korea, Vietnamese women played a bigger role in social and economic life. Japan was farther away, so borrowing ideas and goods from China was completely voluntary. Japan never really succeeded in creating a bureaucratic state. Japan was significantly distinctive with their religion, literature, and patriarchy.

In terms of the Eurasian world economy, Chinese technological advancements inspired other places and peoples to create their own inventions to help them better their lives. Some technological advancements included gunpowder, paper making, and creating salt through solar evaporation. Chinese goods were wanted worldwide by many different kinds of people. These goods included silk, porcelain, and lacquer ware. China not only gave to the Eurasian economy, but they also received. For instance, they learned how to process sugar and cotton from India. They also learned how to farm rice from Vietnam.

Buddhism began to grow popular in China. It was brought from India through the Silk Road. Buddhism teachings went against Confucian teachings. Buddhism became popular when the Han Dynasty fell, which discredited Confucianism. Buddhist monasteries in China provided social services for all types of ordinary people. The Chinese state didn't like the idea of Buddhism, so critics were abound. The Chinese state later tried to control Buddhists and Buddhism.