Tang+and+Song+China



**__ Primary Source Analysis __**

__Document:__ Ties That Bind: Paths to Power

What do we know about where this was created? What have we learned about this topic? Society that may be relevant? || This letter was written for a high officials and Wu hoped that he could have won advancement in imperial bureaucracy. The bureaucracy was also being rebuilt in China. || Who is the intended audience? How might they receive this? – quotes to support your claims? || This was created for a high official that was also the nephew of the Prime Minister. This is more of a persuasive letter to try and get the writer of the letter a government job. “You are the nephew of the Prime Minister” “I fear I am but poorly fitted to be selected for an official post” || What is the purpose of this document? Read between the lines, support claims with a quote || Wu is trying to get an official job and through this letter to a high official, he tries to win him over. Wu tries to appeal to the official by saying that they came from the same town. This letter is more of a persuasive plead for a job. “your native place” “I can only retire” “small salary” || Support with quotes || Main idea of this document is that official posts were highly valued and most people would want them. This would probably explain why Wu wanted it or he had lost his previous job and is now poor. “small salary” “I have held office” “poorly fitted to be selected for an official post” “I devoted myself to study” || How does this relate to the big picture? What can it tell us as historians? Relate to ESPIRIT if possible || This relates to the Tang Dynasty since bureaucracy was slowly being rebuilt. Intelligence was highly praised in the Tang Dynasty and if one were to pass an examination, highest offices jobs would be available to them and family position changes. ||
 * Author – Who created this? What do we know about the author? What might influence their opinions? || Created by Wu Bao, a local functionary ||
 * **Place** – Where and when was it created - || Created during the Tang Dynasty in China ||
 * ** Prior Knowledge **
 * ** Audience **
 * ** Reason for Creation **
 * ** The Main Idea **
 * ** Significance **

Questions? Shouldn’t he have just taken an examination and pass it for a high government job? Or was he somewhat uneducated? Did Wu actually win over the high official’s favor?

Presentation on Intellectual and Religion media type="custom" key="7717719"


 * Tang  ||  Song  ||  Shared  ||
 * * Tang armies conquered central Asia
 * Buddah = economic factor
 * authority of elders was enforced by laws
 * women able to get high power (Empress Wu)
 * women had some freedom -> playing polo
 * scholar gentry occupied
 * familiy ties allowed even those who failed exams to get a government job
 * conducted by militar of rites
 * international trade system with routes frin islamic empire to persia
 * great war of china
 * agricultural innovations
 * great river systems
 * control promoted exchanges between China and Buddhist concerns
 * || * luxury goods = silk/wine
 * trade was activiely promoted merchants used junks = Arab dhows
 * trade further promoted with the use of flying money
 * extended-family households
 * male-dominated hierarchy
 * schools/temple = edcuation and religious services
 * commoner women = role as homemaker/mother
 * men able to practice premartial
 * favored in inheritance
 * footbinding = limitted women's mobility and freedom
 * no political/strength b/c of weakness of imperial policies
 * civil service exams = every 3 years
 * civil official are the only ones that can be governor
 * no military commanders
 * technology advances in military weapons
 * new canal system = more trade || * Grand canal built by Yangdi
 * banks and paper money
 * Chinese economy was the worlds most advanced
 * trade promoted along with money economy
 * exports manufactured goods and imported
 * stature of wealthy women = modest signs of improvements
 * laws allowed divorced by mutual agreement
 * husband not allowed to divorce wife if he was poor before marriage or wife's parents are dead
 * government
 * encouraged peasants to move to uncultivated areas
 * military garrisons
 * new inventions
 * examinations existed and run by bureaucracy
 * Grand canal made by sui -> tang -> song
 * commerical expansion
 * complex irrigation systems ||