The Song Dynasty :: essays research papers

The air DynastyThe Song dynasty lasted over 300 years, from 960 to 1279. Their historyis shared into two periods of Northern and Southern Song. The Song period wasone of Chinas just about two-eyed violetful and prosperous era. However the Song governance wascorrupt and weak.The Song Dynasty, or Sung Dynasty was a period in which the Chinese political relation was very weak. In the beginning General Chao Kuang-yin, also knownas Sung Tai Tsu, was forced to become emperor in order to immix China. SungTai Tsu created a national army under his direct control. He, and only(prenominal) he hadcontrol of the military. Once he had passed away his less capable successorswere unable to keep the military under control, the military increasingly bemusedprestige. The weakening of Chinas military, coincided with the rise of strongnomadic nations on the boarders.During the same magazine of the militarys loss of prestige, the civilservice rose in dignity. This was an examination arranging that had been restoredin Sui and Tang and was further elaborated and regularized. Selectionexaminations were help every one-third years at the district, provincial, andmetropolitan levels.Only 200 out of thousands of applicants were given the jinshi degree.This was the highest degree and appointed on presidency posts. From this time on,civil servants became Chinas well-nigh envied elite, replacing the hereditary noblesand landlords.The Song dynasty only extended over to the separate of earlier Chineseempires. The Khitans controlled the northeastern territories and the His Hsiacontrolled the northwestern territories. The Song emperors were unable to deduct these lands so they were forced to make peace with the Khitans and theHsi Hsia. They gave massive amounts of payments to the barbarians, under thesepeace terms, it depleted the state treasury and cause heavy payments on nonexempt peasants.About 100 years after the Songs first started ruling over China, theirgovernment started t o go through a major decline. Officials that held importantgovernment positions were corrupt. Wealthy merchants that became rich fromforeign trade found ways to evacuate paying taxes. The peasants began to rebel whenthe heavy taxes were placed on them.The Song Dynasty had a lot of problems, in 1069 Emperor Shen Tsungappointed Wang An-shi as chief minister. Wang was a scholar who studied earlierChinese governments. Wang noticed the corrupt government and make huge reform inthe government. His reforms were based on the textual matter of Rites of Chou. Wangtried to get honest, intelligent officials by improving the university system.He made civil examinations more practical and reformed the merit system to cast down corruption among government officials.