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Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:28:45Z

Emmanuel R:

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
[[File:Gaozong Of Song.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong.]]
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)
== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
[[File:Song Dynasty Map.JPG|250px|thumb|left|An example of Song Dynasty cartography]]
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===
[[File:Quanzhou Boat.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A picture of a Southern Song era boat unearthed at Quanzhou]]
The capital in the south stimulated economic development. Goods could be transported more economically to Hangzhou by boat through the network of rivers and canals traversing the region. The Jin and the Song still had a trade relationship. The Jin continued to import vast quantities of tea, rice, sugar, and books from the south. (Ebrey 150) The ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou became major maritime trading centers for trade in the southern oceans. New advances in nautical technology such as the magnetic compass allowed ships to sail across the seas in open water instead of hugging the coast. This spurned the development of stronger and more seaworthy ships. The ships of the Southern Song period were stronger and studier than their western counterparts. (Lary, 48-49)
=== Confucianism in the Southern Song ===
Confucian scholars were frustrated with the failure to regain the north. They saw middle China as the cultural center and they wanted to get it back.
They advocated ways of reforming society by starting at the bottom with families and communities. They established academies and published books to spread their message.
Zhu Xi was one of these advocates and played an active role in establishing academies. He focused on the “investigation of things,” he taught his followers to figure out how things work for themselves.
The expansion of printing allowed ideas and practices to spread. Ordinary people had access to knowledge they didn’t have access to before. People were learning new things and ideas.
== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===
Genghis Khan and the Mongols began a campaign of conquest across Asia. He succeeded in conquering Mongolia and Manchuria. He pushed the Jurchen south past the Yellow River.
In 1234 Ogodei, the song of Genghis, crushed the Jin and took over north China. The next ruler, Khubilai established the Yuan Dynasty in 1271 and moved to attack the Song.
=== Overrun ===
After a siege of Xiangyang that lasted five years, the Mongols crossed the Yangzi. In 1279, in a naval battle off the coast of Guandong, the last of the Song loyalists were defeated ending the Song Dynasty.
== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:28:06Z

Emmanuel R: /* The Southern Song */

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
[[File:Gaozong Of Song.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong.]]
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)

== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
[[File:Song Dynasty Map.JPG|250px|thumb|left|An example of Song Dynasty cartography]]
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===
[[File:Quanzhou Boat.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A picture of a Southern Song era boat unearthed at Quanzhou]]
The capital in the south stimulated economic development. Goods could be transported more economically to Hangzhou by boat through the network of rivers and canals traversing the region. The Jin and the Song still had a trade relationship. The Jin continued to import vast quantities of tea, rice, sugar, and books from the south. (Ebrey 150) The ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou became major maritime trading centers for trade in the southern oceans. New advances in nautical technology such as the magnetic compass allowed ships to sail across the seas in open water instead of hugging the coast. This spurned the development of stronger and more seaworthy ships. The ships of the Southern Song period were stronger and studier than their western counterparts. (Lary, 48-49)

=== Confucianism in the Southern Song ===
Confucian scholars were frustrated with the failure to regain the north. They saw middle China as the cultural center and they wanted to get it back.
They advocated ways of reforming society by starting at the bottom with families and communities. They established academies and published books to spread their message.
Zhu Xi was one of these advocates and played an active role in establishing academies. He focused on the “investigation of things,” he taught his followers to figure out how things work for themselves.
The expansion of printing allowed ideas and practices to spread. Ordinary people had access to knowledge they didn’t have access to before. People were learning new things and ideas.

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===
Genghis Khan and the Mongols began a campaign of conquest across Asia. He succeeded in conquering Mongolia and Manchuria. He pushed the Jurchen south past the Yellow River.
In 1234 Ogodei, the song of Genghis, crushed the Jin and took over north China. The next ruler, Khubilai established the Yuan Dynasty in 1271 and moved to attack the Song.
=== Overrun ===
After a siege of Xiangyang that lasted five years, the Mongols crossed the Yangzi. In 1279, in a naval battle off the coast of Guandong, the last of the Song loyalists were defeated ending the Song Dynasty.

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

File:Song Dynasty Map.JPG

2013-04-16T05:26:36Z

Emmanuel R: An example of Song dynasty cartography. Picture by PericlesofAthens. From http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Song_Dynasty_Map.JPG Image under public domain.

An example of Song dynasty cartography. Picture by PericlesofAthens. From http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Song_Dynasty_Map.JPG
Image under public domain.

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:24:42Z

Emmanuel R: /* Economy */

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
[[File:Gaozong Of Song.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong.]]
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)

== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===
[[File:Quanzhou Boat.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A picture of a Southern Song era boat unearthed at Quanzhou]]
The capital in the south stimulated economic development. Goods could be transported more economically to Hangzhou by boat through the network of rivers and canals traversing the region. The Jin and the Song still had a trade relationship. The Jin continued to import vast quantities of tea, rice, sugar, and books from the south. (Ebrey 150) The ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou became major maritime trading centers for trade in the southern oceans. New advances in nautical technology such as the magnetic compass allowed ships to sail across the seas in open water instead of hugging the coast. This spurned the development of stronger and more seaworthy ships. The ships of the Southern Song period were stronger and studier than their western counterparts. (Lary, 48-49)

=== Confucianism in the Southern Song ===
Confucian scholars were frustrated with the failure to regain the north. They saw middle China as the cultural center and they wanted to get it back.
They advocated ways of reforming society by starting at the bottom with families and communities. They established academies and published books to spread their message.
Zhu Xi was one of these advocates and played an active role in establishing academies. He focused on the “investigation of things,” he taught his followers to figure out how things work for themselves.
The expansion of printing allowed ideas and practices to spread. Ordinary people had access to knowledge they didn’t have access to before. People were learning new things and ideas.

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===
Genghis Khan and the Mongols began a campaign of conquest across Asia. He succeeded in conquering Mongolia and Manchuria. He pushed the Jurchen south past the Yellow River.
In 1234 Ogodei, the song of Genghis, crushed the Jin and took over north China. The next ruler, Khubilai established the Yuan Dynasty in 1271 and moved to attack the Song.
=== Overrun ===
After a siege of Xiangyang that lasted five years, the Mongols crossed the Yangzi. In 1279, in a naval battle off the coast of Guandong, the last of the Song loyalists were defeated ending the Song Dynasty.

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

File:Quanzhou Boat.jpg

2013-04-16T05:23:09Z

Emmanuel R: Picture of a boat dug up and restored in Quanzhou. Photo by meckleychina. Original at http://www.flickr.com/photos/meckleychina/421997682/ CC license.

Picture of a boat dug up and restored in Quanzhou. Photo by meckleychina. Original at http://www.flickr.com/photos/meckleychina/421997682/
CC license.

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:19:55Z

Emmanuel R: /* The End of the Song */

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
[[File:Gaozong Of Song.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong.]]
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)

== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===
The capital in the south stimulated economic development. Goods could be transported more economically to Hangzhou by boat through the network of rivers and canals traversing the region. The Jin and the Song still had a trade relationship. The Jin continued to import vast quantities of tea, rice, sugar, and books from the south. (Ebrey 150) The ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou became major maritime trading centers for trade in the southern oceans. New advances in nautical technology such as the magnetic compass allowed ships to sail across the seas in open water instead of hugging the coast. This spurned the development of stronger and more seaworthy ships. The ships of the Southern Song period were stronger and studier than their western counterparts. (Lary, 48-49)
=== Confucianism in the Southern Song ===
Confucian scholars were frustrated with the failure to regain the north. They saw middle China as the cultural center and they wanted to get it back.
They advocated ways of reforming society by starting at the bottom with families and communities. They established academies and published books to spread their message.
Zhu Xi was one of these advocates and played an active role in establishing academies. He focused on the “investigation of things,” he taught his followers to figure out how things work for themselves.
The expansion of printing allowed ideas and practices to spread. Ordinary people had access to knowledge they didn’t have access to before. People were learning new things and ideas.

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===
Genghis Khan and the Mongols began a campaign of conquest across Asia. He succeeded in conquering Mongolia and Manchuria. He pushed the Jurchen south past the Yellow River.
In 1234 Ogodei, the song of Genghis, crushed the Jin and took over north China. The next ruler, Khubilai established the Yuan Dynasty in 1271 and moved to attack the Song.
=== Overrun ===
After a siege of Xiangyang that lasted five years, the Mongols crossed the Yangzi. In 1279, in a naval battle off the coast of Guandong, the last of the Song loyalists were defeated ending the Song Dynasty.

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:19:04Z

Emmanuel R: /* Confucianism in the Souther Song */

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
[[File:Gaozong Of Song.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong.]]
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)

== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===
The capital in the south stimulated economic development. Goods could be transported more economically to Hangzhou by boat through the network of rivers and canals traversing the region. The Jin and the Song still had a trade relationship. The Jin continued to import vast quantities of tea, rice, sugar, and books from the south. (Ebrey 150) The ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou became major maritime trading centers for trade in the southern oceans. New advances in nautical technology such as the magnetic compass allowed ships to sail across the seas in open water instead of hugging the coast. This spurned the development of stronger and more seaworthy ships. The ships of the Southern Song period were stronger and studier than their western counterparts. (Lary, 48-49)
=== Confucianism in the Southern Song ===
Confucian scholars were frustrated with the failure to regain the north. They saw middle China as the cultural center and they wanted to get it back.
They advocated ways of reforming society by starting at the bottom with families and communities. They established academies and published books to spread their message.
Zhu Xi was one of these advocates and played an active role in establishing academies. He focused on the “investigation of things,” he taught his followers to figure out how things work for themselves.
The expansion of printing allowed ideas and practices to spread. Ordinary people had access to knowledge they didn’t have access to before. People were learning new things and ideas.

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===

=== Overrun ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:18:53Z

Emmanuel R: /* Confucianism in the Souther Song */

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
[[File:Gaozong Of Song.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong.]]
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)

== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===
The capital in the south stimulated economic development. Goods could be transported more economically to Hangzhou by boat through the network of rivers and canals traversing the region. The Jin and the Song still had a trade relationship. The Jin continued to import vast quantities of tea, rice, sugar, and books from the south. (Ebrey 150) The ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou became major maritime trading centers for trade in the southern oceans. New advances in nautical technology such as the magnetic compass allowed ships to sail across the seas in open water instead of hugging the coast. This spurned the development of stronger and more seaworthy ships. The ships of the Southern Song period were stronger and studier than their western counterparts. (Lary, 48-49)
=== Confucianism in the Souther Song ===
Confucian scholars were frustrated with the failure to regain the north. They saw middle China as the cultural center and they wanted to get it back.
They advocated ways of reforming society by starting at the bottom with families and communities. They established academies and published books to spread their message.
Zhu Xi was one of these advocates and played an active role in establishing academies. He focused on the “investigation of things,” he taught his followers to figure out how things work for themselves.
The expansion of printing allowed ideas and practices to spread. Ordinary people had access to knowledge they didn’t have access to before. People were learning new things and ideas.

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===

=== Overrun ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:15:48Z

Emmanuel R: /* Pushed to the South */

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
[[File:Gaozong Of Song.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong.]]
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)

== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===
The capital in the south stimulated economic development. Goods could be transported more economically to Hangzhou by boat through the network of rivers and canals traversing the region. The Jin and the Song still had a trade relationship. The Jin continued to import vast quantities of tea, rice, sugar, and books from the south. (Ebrey 150) The ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou became major maritime trading centers for trade in the southern oceans. New advances in nautical technology such as the magnetic compass allowed ships to sail across the seas in open water instead of hugging the coast. This spurned the development of stronger and more seaworthy ships. The ships of the Southern Song period were stronger and studier than their western counterparts. (Lary, 48-49)
=== Confucianism in the Souther Song ===

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===

=== Overrun ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:15:29Z

Emmanuel R: /* Pushed to the South */

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
[[File:Gaozong Of Song.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong.]]
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)

== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===
The capital in the south stimulated economic development. Goods could be transported more economically to Hangzhou by boat through the network of rivers and canals traversing the region. The Jin and the Song still had a trade relationship. The Jin continued to import vast quantities of tea, rice, sugar, and books from the south. (Ebrey 150) The ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou became major maritime trading centers for trade in the southern oceans. New advances in nautical technology such as the magnetic compass allowed ships to sail across the seas in open water instead of hugging the coast. This spurned the development of stronger and more seaworthy ships. The ships of the Southern Song period were stronger and studier than their western counterparts. (Lary, 48-49)
=== Confucianism in the Souther Song ===

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===

=== Overrun ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:15:02Z

Emmanuel R:

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
[[File:Gaozong of Song.jpg|300px|thumb|right|The first emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong.]]
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)
== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===
The capital in the south stimulated economic development. Goods could be transported more economically to Hangzhou by boat through the network of rivers and canals traversing the region. The Jin and the Song still had a trade relationship. The Jin continued to import vast quantities of tea, rice, sugar, and books from the south. (Ebrey 150) The ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou became major maritime trading centers for trade in the southern oceans. New advances in nautical technology such as the magnetic compass allowed ships to sail across the seas in open water instead of hugging the coast. This spurned the development of stronger and more seaworthy ships. The ships of the Southern Song period were stronger and studier than their western counterparts. (Lary, 48-49)
=== Confucianism in the Souther Song ===

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===

=== Overrun ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

File:Gaozong Of Song.jpg

2013-04-16T05:13:38Z

Emmanuel R: Emperor Gaozong, the first Southern Song Emperor. Source National Tapei Museum. From http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gaozong_Of_Song.jpg Work in public domain.

Emperor Gaozong, the first Southern Song Emperor. Source National Tapei Museum. From http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gaozong_Of_Song.jpg
Work in public domain.

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:09:33Z

Emmanuel R: /* The Southern Song */

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)
== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===
The capital in the south stimulated economic development. Goods could be transported more economically to Hangzhou by boat through the network of rivers and canals traversing the region. The Jin and the Song still had a trade relationship. The Jin continued to import vast quantities of tea, rice, sugar, and books from the south. (Ebrey 150) The ports of Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou became major maritime trading centers for trade in the southern oceans. New advances in nautical technology such as the magnetic compass allowed ships to sail across the seas in open water instead of hugging the coast. This spurned the development of stronger and more seaworthy ships. The ships of the Southern Song period were stronger and studier than their western counterparts. (Lary, 48-49)
=== Confucianism in the Souther Song ===

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===

=== Overrun ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:01:50Z

Emmanuel R:

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)
== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===

=== Confucianism in the Souther Song ===

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===

=== Overrun ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T05:01:11Z

Emmanuel R:

[[File:Southern Song map.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Map of Southern Song Dynasty]]
The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)
== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===
In 1142 the Southern Song and the JIn concluded a treaty that stipulated that the Song pay annual tribute payments to the Jin. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. This arrangement was similar to one between the Song and the Liao. Some scholars see this payment of tribute by a Chinese dynasty to a foreign dynasty as humiliating. Because of this the Southern Song is considered a weak dynasty. It is seen as a vassal state under Jin influence and domination. Likewise Emperor Gaozong is seen as a weak ruler because he was unable to avenge the defeat of the Song or was able to recover the territory lost to the Jin. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 644) Yet to some the Song was seen as the cultural high point in China. This cultural high point is typified by "a period of refined beauty and cultivation, in which ceramics, painting, and calligraphy all reached new heights that have never been matched since." (Lary 47) The examination system of the Tang was developed further and used to staff the bureaucratic government with men of high caliber. The whole bureaucratic system was further refined and improved. Astronomy, mathematics, and cartography flourished. People were on the search for knowledge during the Southern Song dynasty. (Ibid)
=== Economy ===

=== Confucianism in the Souther Song ===

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===

=== Overrun ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

File:Southern Song map.jpg

2013-04-16T04:41:39Z

Emmanuel R: Southern Song map drawn by Yu Ninjie. File retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_11b.jpg Under CC license.

Southern Song map drawn by Yu Ninjie. File retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_11b.jpg
Under CC license.

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T04:38:30Z

Emmanuel R: /* Pushed to the South */

The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River. (Ebrey 150)

== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===

=== Economy ===

=== Confucianism in the Souther Song ===

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===

=== Overrun ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-16T04:36:52Z

Emmanuel R:

The '''Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE''' was established in 1127 after the conquest of the Northern Song by the Jurchen (Jin Dynasty). The distinction between Northern and Southern Song dynasties is where the capital is located. The Southern Song capital was established at Hangzhou. The Song allied with the Jin to defeat the Liao Dynasty, after the defeat an alliance formed between the Jin and the Song. The alliance soon fell apart and the Jin turned on the Song. The Jin pushed the Song south past the Huai River where they held their ground and established the Northern border between the Jin and the Southern Song.
== Beginnings ==
After the defeat of the Khitan, the Song thought they had found a new ally in the Jurchen. After all they had just fought in battle together and defeated the powerful Khitan. They came up with a formal treaty of alliance in 1123. This treaty ceded Yenching and six surrounding prefectures to the Song. Not quite the sixteen prefectures that the Song hoped to take back from the Khitan. In return the Song would pay the Jin annual tribute payments of silver and silk while also providing a one time payment of "one million strings of cash." The border between the Jin and the Song was to be closed off and neither side agreed to take in defectors. The Song were the losers in this treaty. They only received a fraction of the territory that they wanted and they had to pay for it. The Song were not being treated with respect. The Song would soon violate the terms of the treaty which would lead to a falling out. (Fairbank and Twitchett, 632)
=== Pushed to the South ===
The violation of the treaty by the Song led to the collapse of the alliance. The Jin moved to attack the Song capital of Kaifeng in 1126. They laid siege to the capital for almost two months. The city's defenses were obliterated by the attack and the Jin entered the city. They procedeed to loot the city and "emptied the palace treasure houses of imperial seals, jewels, antiquities, rare books, art objects, and ritual implements." (Fairbank and Twitchett, 642) They then captured members of the imperial family. Emperor Huizong had abdicated in favor of his song Quizong who was now Emperor. Quizong and his councillors were captured and held hostage by the Jin while the city was plundered of all its riches. Emperor Huizong attempted to escape to the south but was capture by the Jin in the middle of his escape. He was brought back to Kaifeng. Both Huizong and Quizong where stripped of their imperial status by the Jin court. This was the end of the Northern Song. The Song were on the brink of elimination. There was still hope. The youngest son of Emperor Huizong, Gaozong had managed to escape the JIn and make it to the south. There Chinese loyalists organized a new government and established the Southern Song with its capital at Hangzhou and proclaimed Gaozong emperor. The remains of the Song army continued fighting a war of insurgency against the Jin. By 1138 the region had stabilized and the Southern Song controlled most of the area south of the Huai River.
== The Southern Song ==
=== Southern Song Rule ===

=== Economy ===

=== Confucianism in the Souther Song ===

== The End of the Song ==
=== The Mongolian Threat ===

=== Overrun ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-16T03:07:19Z

Emmanuel R: /* Western Liao Dynasty */

[[File:Liao.png|300px|thumb|right|Liao Dynasty]]
The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|300px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)
=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)
[[File:KhitanHuntersSong.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Khitan hunters using eagles to hunt]]

== The Liao Dynasty ==
Abaoji founded the Liao Dynasty in 907 CE. There is a debate over this date,The debate is whether the Liao Dynasty started in 907 or 916. Abaoji became Grand Kahn in 907. He didn't become emperor until 916. Franke and Twitchett argue that Liao historians saw 907 as a convenient date to start their dynasty since it coincided with the end of the Tang Dynasty (60). Chronologically it made sense to them. In the time between 907 and 916, Abaoji would further consolidate his power and put down rebellions within his own family. In 916 he formally declared himself emperor of the Khitan and the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty. He was now known as Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu established a hereditary system of succession. This was in contrast to the Khitan tradition of election by the tribal leaders. Taizu took steps to make his regime permanent. He built a capital city, the Supreme Capital at Lin-huang. He would later build Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples in his capital city.
=== Liao Rule ===
At the peak of the Liao Dynasty's power, it ruled over most of Mongolia, Manchuria, and a small strip of China Proper around Beijing. It acquired sixteen Chinese prefectures in 938. The Khitan numbered about 750,000 and ruled over 2-3 million Chinese. This led to a dual state system of government in which the empire was split into northern and southern regions. The northern region was predominately Khitan while the southern region was Chinese. The Chinese living in the southern region played a big role in the government. The south was run by the bureaucratic institutions of the Tang. The Liao used the Tang examination system to choose candidates to fill positions in the southern government (Wittfogel, 17). In the south important administrative functions were left to the Chinese. The northern government was a mobile operation. The emperor and his court moved from place to another depending on the season. The north was administered by tribal leaders, high ranking Chinese officials, and imperial relatives. Khitan institutions and traditions were kept in place in the north. Keeping the Khitan language and the Khitan script in use in the north allowed the Khitan to resist sinification. The ruling elite became adept in both Khitan and Chinese ways, but the majority of the Khitans preserved their traditions.
The Khitan were able to keep a hold on their power by intimidating their neighbors. The Song found it easier to pay tribute to the Liao than face them in battle. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. The Liao also intimidated the Koreans as well as the Tanguts. (Ebrey, 166-167)
==== Khitan Script ====
The Khitan language was a type of altaic language that resembles Mongolian, Turkic, and Tangusic. The language is considered a lost language so there is very little that is known about it. The Khitan did develop a writing script and there are examples that remain today. The Khitan script was introduced in 920. The script resembles either simple Chinese characters or artificially constructed characters. It seems that the Khitan script was greatly influenced by Chinese characters. (Franke and Twitchett, 31)
[[File:Khitan_mirror_from_Korea.jpeg|300px|thumb|left|An example of the Khitan script. Notice how it resembles Chinese characters]]
===== Contemporary Commentator =====
Abaoji wasn't a stranger to Chinese ways. He had a good understanding about Chinese traditions and language. It is plausible that he would want to model a Khitan script after Chinese. A lot of things in the Liao dynasty have been modeled after Chinese institutions in one way or another. It is only logical to continue that in a writing script.

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===
The Khitan were undone by another tribal people. The Jurchen were Tungusic people from Eastern Manchuria. They were powerful enough that the Song had considered allying with them against the Khitan. The largest group of Jurchen and the ones that would prove to be the biggest threat were the "wild" Jurchen. The Liao didn't really have control of the "wild" Jurchen. Eventually a clan from the "wild" Jurchen, the Wanyan, started to gradually take over and establish dominance over the other Jurchen tribes. Aguda soon came into power. He started a campaign of aggression against the Khitan. In 1115 Aguda declared himself Emperor of a new dynasty, the Jin. Aguda soon attacked the Liao. The Song saw this as an opportunity to retake the sixteen prefectures that the Khitan controlled. The Song entered into an alliance with the Jin and they both attacked the Khitan. The Song weren't much help though, they attempted an invasion of the Souther Capital but were repelled by the Khitan. The Jin stepped in and took the capital for themselves. By now the Jin controlled most of the Liao territory. In 1125, the Liao Emperor, Tianzuo was captured. His capture marked the end of the Liao Dynasty. (Franke and Twitchett, 140-151)

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===
Even though the Liao Dynasty was finished, a few Khitan survived and escaped the Jin. The commander in chief of the Khitan, Tashi managed to escape to northern Mongolia with a few followers. Tashi declared himself emperor and gathered the support of local tribes. Tashi and his followers headed west into Central Asia. Here he established a new empire which was known as the Western Liao Dynasty. This empire would last until 1218 when it was conquered by the Mongols. (Franke and Twitchett, 151-153)

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-16T02:59:02Z

Emmanuel R: /* The Jurchen Encroachment */

[[File:Liao.png|300px|thumb|right|Liao Dynasty]]
The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|300px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)
=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)
[[File:KhitanHuntersSong.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Khitan hunters using eagles to hunt]]

== The Liao Dynasty ==
Abaoji founded the Liao Dynasty in 907 CE. There is a debate over this date,The debate is whether the Liao Dynasty started in 907 or 916. Abaoji became Grand Kahn in 907. He didn't become emperor until 916. Franke and Twitchett argue that Liao historians saw 907 as a convenient date to start their dynasty since it coincided with the end of the Tang Dynasty (60). Chronologically it made sense to them. In the time between 907 and 916, Abaoji would further consolidate his power and put down rebellions within his own family. In 916 he formally declared himself emperor of the Khitan and the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty. He was now known as Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu established a hereditary system of succession. This was in contrast to the Khitan tradition of election by the tribal leaders. Taizu took steps to make his regime permanent. He built a capital city, the Supreme Capital at Lin-huang. He would later build Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples in his capital city.
=== Liao Rule ===
At the peak of the Liao Dynasty's power, it ruled over most of Mongolia, Manchuria, and a small strip of China Proper around Beijing. It acquired sixteen Chinese prefectures in 938. The Khitan numbered about 750,000 and ruled over 2-3 million Chinese. This led to a dual state system of government in which the empire was split into northern and southern regions. The northern region was predominately Khitan while the southern region was Chinese. The Chinese living in the southern region played a big role in the government. The south was run by the bureaucratic institutions of the Tang. The Liao used the Tang examination system to choose candidates to fill positions in the southern government (Wittfogel, 17). In the south important administrative functions were left to the Chinese. The northern government was a mobile operation. The emperor and his court moved from place to another depending on the season. The north was administered by tribal leaders, high ranking Chinese officials, and imperial relatives. Khitan institutions and traditions were kept in place in the north. Keeping the Khitan language and the Khitan script in use in the north allowed the Khitan to resist sinification. The ruling elite became adept in both Khitan and Chinese ways, but the majority of the Khitans preserved their traditions.
The Khitan were able to keep a hold on their power by intimidating their neighbors. The Song found it easier to pay tribute to the Liao than face them in battle. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. The Liao also intimidated the Koreans as well as the Tanguts. (Ebrey, 166-167)
==== Khitan Script ====
The Khitan language was a type of altaic language that resembles Mongolian, Turkic, and Tangusic. The language is considered a lost language so there is very little that is known about it. The Khitan did develop a writing script and there are examples that remain today. The Khitan script was introduced in 920. The script resembles either simple Chinese characters or artificially constructed characters. It seems that the Khitan script was greatly influenced by Chinese characters. (Franke and Twitchett, 31)
[[File:Khitan_mirror_from_Korea.jpeg|300px|thumb|left|An example of the Khitan script. Notice how it resembles Chinese characters]]
===== Contemporary Commentator =====
Abaoji wasn't a stranger to Chinese ways. He had a good understanding about Chinese traditions and language. It is plausible that he would want to model a Khitan script after Chinese. A lot of things in the Liao dynasty have been modeled after Chinese institutions in one way or another. It is only logical to continue that in a writing script.

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===
The Khitan were undone by another tribal people. The Jurchen were Tungusic people from Eastern Manchuria. They were powerful enough that the Song had considered allying with them against the Khitan. The largest group of Jurchen and the ones that would prove to be the biggest threat were the "wild" Jurchen. The Liao didn't really have control of the "wild" Jurchen. Eventually a clan from the "wild" Jurchen, the Wanyan, started to gradually take over and establish dominance over the other Jurchen tribes. Aguda soon came into power. He started a campaign of aggression against the Khitan. In 1115 Aguda declared himself Emperor of a new dynasty, the Jin. Aguda soon attacked the Liao. The Song saw this as an opportunity to retake the sixteen prefectures that the Khitan controlled. The Song entered into an alliance with the Jin and they both attacked the Khitan. The Song weren't much help though, they attempted an invasion of the Souther Capital but were repelled by the Khitan. The Jin stepped in and took the capital for themselves. By now the Jin controlled most of the Liao territory. In 1125, the Liao Emperor, Tianzuo was captured. His capture marked the end of the Liao Dynasty. (Franke and Twitchett, 140-151)

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-16T02:44:13Z

Emmanuel R: /* The Downfall */

[[File:Liao.png|300px|thumb|right|Liao Dynasty]]
The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|300px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)
=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)
[[File:KhitanHuntersSong.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Khitan hunters using eagles to hunt]]

== The Liao Dynasty ==
Abaoji founded the Liao Dynasty in 907 CE. There is a debate over this date,The debate is whether the Liao Dynasty started in 907 or 916. Abaoji became Grand Kahn in 907. He didn't become emperor until 916. Franke and Twitchett argue that Liao historians saw 907 as a convenient date to start their dynasty since it coincided with the end of the Tang Dynasty (60). Chronologically it made sense to them. In the time between 907 and 916, Abaoji would further consolidate his power and put down rebellions within his own family. In 916 he formally declared himself emperor of the Khitan and the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty. He was now known as Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu established a hereditary system of succession. This was in contrast to the Khitan tradition of election by the tribal leaders. Taizu took steps to make his regime permanent. He built a capital city, the Supreme Capital at Lin-huang. He would later build Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples in his capital city.
=== Liao Rule ===
At the peak of the Liao Dynasty's power, it ruled over most of Mongolia, Manchuria, and a small strip of China Proper around Beijing. It acquired sixteen Chinese prefectures in 938. The Khitan numbered about 750,000 and ruled over 2-3 million Chinese. This led to a dual state system of government in which the empire was split into northern and southern regions. The northern region was predominately Khitan while the southern region was Chinese. The Chinese living in the southern region played a big role in the government. The south was run by the bureaucratic institutions of the Tang. The Liao used the Tang examination system to choose candidates to fill positions in the southern government (Wittfogel, 17). In the south important administrative functions were left to the Chinese. The northern government was a mobile operation. The emperor and his court moved from place to another depending on the season. The north was administered by tribal leaders, high ranking Chinese officials, and imperial relatives. Khitan institutions and traditions were kept in place in the north. Keeping the Khitan language and the Khitan script in use in the north allowed the Khitan to resist sinification. The ruling elite became adept in both Khitan and Chinese ways, but the majority of the Khitans preserved their traditions.
The Khitan were able to keep a hold on their power by intimidating their neighbors. The Song found it easier to pay tribute to the Liao than face them in battle. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. The Liao also intimidated the Koreans as well as the Tanguts. (Ebrey, 166-167)
==== Khitan Script ====
The Khitan language was a type of altaic language that resembles Mongolian, Turkic, and Tangusic. The language is considered a lost language so there is very little that is known about it. The Khitan did develop a writing script and there are examples that remain today. The Khitan script was introduced in 920. The script resembles either simple Chinese characters or artificially constructed characters. It seems that the Khitan script was greatly influenced by Chinese characters. (Franke and Twitchett, 31)
[[File:Khitan_mirror_from_Korea.jpeg|300px|thumb|left|An example of the Khitan script. Notice how it resembles Chinese characters]]
===== Contemporary Commentator =====
Abaoji wasn't a stranger to Chinese ways. He had a good understanding about Chinese traditions and language. It is plausible that he would want to model a Khitan script after Chinese. A lot of things in the Liao dynasty have been modeled after Chinese institutions in one way or another. It is only logical to continue that in a writing script.

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===
The Khitan were undone by another tribal people. The Jurchen were Tungusic people from Eastern Manchuria. They were powerful enough that the Song had considered allying with them against the Khitan. The largest group of Jurchen and the ones that would prove to be the biggest threat were the "wild" Jurchen. The Liao didn't really have control of the "wild" Jurchen. Eventually a clan from the "wild" Jurchen, the Wanyan, started to gradually take over and establish dominance over the other Jurchen tribes. Aguda soon came into power. He started a campaign of aggression against the Khitan. In 1115 Aguda declared himself Emperor of a new dynasty, the Jin.
=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Traditional Chinese History

2013-04-15T23:03:56Z

Emmanuel R:

[http://wiki.vm.rub.de/uvu/index.php/uvu:Community_Portal Click here to learn how to use this Wiki.] [[User:Root|Root]] 11:42, 10 January 2012 (UTC)

'''Overview on Final Papers'''

<span style="color:red">Dear students, thank you very much for putting your articles here online. Here is a quick link to all the articles of all students in class. You may want to check if you have commented on all of them.</span>
*Grant A - final paper: [[The Warring States Period]], (Midterm paper was: [[Mozi]])
*James C - final paper: [[Han Fei Tzu]], (Midterm paper was: [[Overview of the Han Dynasty]])
*Colby G - final paper: [[Jin and Yuan]], (Midterm paper was: [[Later Han Dynasty]])
*Daniel J - final paper: (None yet), (Midterm paper was: [[Xunzi]])
*Bill P - final paper: [[Terra Cotta Army]], (Midterm paper was: [[Mencius]])
*Lance R - final paper: [[The Forbidden City]], (Midterm paper was: [[Three Kingdoms]])
*Emmanuel R - final paper: [[Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE]] and [[Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE]], (Midterm paper was: [[Qin Shihuangdi]])
*Loren S - final paper: [[Buddhism]], (Midterm paper was: [[Confucius]])
*Mallory W - final paper: [[Footbinding]], (Midterm paper was: [[Empresses]])
*Christopher W - final paper: [[17th Century China and Europe]], (Midterm paper was: [[Book burning in Qin Dynasty]])

= Beginnings =

* [[Shang Dynasty]] -- [[User:Root|Root]] 11:42, 10 January 2012 (UTC)
* [[Proof of early exchange between cultures]] -- ''Mid-term paper'' --[[Olivia]]

= The Foundations of an Empire =

=== Zhou Dynasty - The philosophical foundations are laid ===
* [[Confucius]] (551 – 479 BC) -- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 04:57, 12 April 2012 (UTC); enriched with a 2nd powerpoint by Loren S
* [[Laozi]] (5th–4th century BC) -- [[Chris C]]
* [[Zhuangzi]] (4th century BC) -- Shawn
* [[Xunzi]] (ca. 312–230 BC) -- [[User:Hannah A|Hannah A]] 01:15, 19 April 2012 (UTC); enriched by Daniel J
* [[Han Feizi]] (ca. 280 BC – 233 BC) -- [[User:Hannah A|Hannah A]] 01:15, 19 April 2012 (UTC); enriched by J. Raleigh C.
* [[Mozi]] (ca. 470 BC – ca. 391 BC) -- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 04:09, 27 January 2012 (UTC); enriched with a 2nd powerpoint by Grant A.
* [[Mencius]] (ca. 372 – 289 BCE) -- Olivia -- revised by --[[User:Bill P|Bill P]] 23:07, 18 January 2013 (UTC)
* [[The Warring States Period]] -- Grant A
* [[Han Fei Tzu]] -- James C

=== Qin Dynasty - The Dream of Empire and the rule of Law ===
* [[Qin Shihuangdi]] (259 BC – 210 BC) -- ''Mid-term paper''--[[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 05:15, 6 February 2012 (UTC); enriched by Emanuelle R
* [[Book burning in Qin Dynasty]] (213 BC) -- [[User:Andrew P|Andrew P]] 22:35, 3 February 2012 (UTC); enriched by Christopher W.
* [[Terra Cotta Army]] (210–209 BC) -- ''Mid-term paper'' --[[User:Chris1|Chris1]] 22:27, 24 February 2012 (UTC) -- Bill P.

=== Han Dynasty 206 BCE - 220 CE - Confucianism becomes State Philosophy and the Rise of the Bureaucracy ===
* [[Overview of the Han Dynasty]] -- James C
* [[Buddhism]] may have entered China as early as the first century CE. -- Loren S
* [[The Imperial Order and Han Syntheses]] -- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 05:22, 28 February 2012 (UTC)
* [[Eunuchs]] -- ''Mid-term paper'' -- [[Shawn]]
*Earlier Han Dynasty = Western Han Dynasty 206 BCE - 9 CE
*Xin Dynasty of Wang Mang 9 CE - 23 CE
*[[Later Han Dynasty]] = Eastern Han Dynasty 25 CE - 220 CE [[:Colbygale]]
*[[Three Kingdoms]] = 220 CE - 280 CE

= The Golden Age =
=== Tang Dynasty- Religion, Literature and World-wide connections ===
* [[Buddhism]] flourishes in China -- ''Mid-term paper'' --[[User:Andrew P|Andrew P]] 01:56, 1 March 2012 (UTC)

=== Song Dynasty ===
* [[Footbinding]] spreads and becomes common - [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 02:07, 12 April 2012 (UTC) [[User:Mallory W|Mallory W]]
* [[Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE]] -- [[User:Emmanuel R|Emmanuel R]] ([[User talk:Emmanuel R|talk]]) 23:24, 3 April 2013 (CEST)

= Foreign Rule =
=== The Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties ===
* [[A View from the outside: Korea, the Yuan and the rise of the Ming]] -- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 19:42, 1 April 2012 (UTC)
* [[Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE]] -- [[User:Emmanuel R|Emmanuel R]] ([[User talk:Emmanuel R|talk]]) 23:26, 3 April 2013 (CEST)

= The Restoration of Native Rule =
=== Ming Dynasty ===
* [[Zheng He]] -- Shawn
* [[The Forbidden City]] -- [[Chris C]], enriched by Lance R.

= Timeless Presentations =
* [[Capitals: When, Where and Why they were moved]] -- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 05:22, 28 February 2012 (UTC)
* [[Kung Fu]] -- ''Mid-term paper'' --[[User:Hannah A|Hannah A]] 01:56, 1 March 2012 (UTC)
* [[Money in early China]] -- [[User:Hannah A|Hannah A]] 20:30, 30 March 2012 (UTC)
* [[The Great Wall of China]] -- [[User:Andrew P|Andrew P]] 20:30, 15 April 2012 (UTC)
* [[Women in ancient China]] -- Olivia
* [[Empresses]] -- [[User:Mallory W|Mallory W]]
* [[17th Century China and Europe]] -- [[User: Christopher W|Christopher W]]
* [[Test]] -- Test

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-13T05:11:33Z

Emmanuel R: /* Beginnings */

[[File:Liao.png|300px|thumb|right|Liao Dynasty]]
The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|300px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)
=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)
[[File:KhitanHuntersSong.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Khitan hunters using eagles to hunt]]

== The Liao Dynasty ==
Abaoji founded the Liao Dynasty in 907 CE. There is a debate over this date,The debate is whether the Liao Dynasty started in 907 or 916. Abaoji became Grand Kahn in 907. He didn't become emperor until 916. Franke and Twitchett argue that Liao historians saw 907 as a convenient date to start their dynasty since it coincided with the end of the Tang Dynasty (60). Chronologically it made sense to them. In the time between 907 and 916, Abaoji would further consolidate his power and put down rebellions within his own family. In 916 he formally declared himself emperor of the Khitan and the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty. He was now known as Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu established a hereditary system of succession. This was in contrast to the Khitan tradition of election by the tribal leaders. Taizu took steps to make his regime permanent. He built a capital city, the Supreme Capital at Lin-huang. He would later build Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples in his capital city.
=== Liao Rule ===
At the peak of the Liao Dynasty's power, it ruled over most of Mongolia, Manchuria, and a small strip of China Proper around Beijing. It acquired sixteen Chinese prefectures in 938. The Khitan numbered about 750,000 and ruled over 2-3 million Chinese. This led to a dual state system of government in which the empire was split into northern and southern regions. The northern region was predominately Khitan while the southern region was Chinese. The Chinese living in the southern region played a big role in the government. The south was run by the bureaucratic institutions of the Tang. The Liao used the Tang examination system to choose candidates to fill positions in the southern government (Wittfogel, 17). In the south important administrative functions were left to the Chinese. The northern government was a mobile operation. The emperor and his court moved from place to another depending on the season. The north was administered by tribal leaders, high ranking Chinese officials, and imperial relatives. Khitan institutions and traditions were kept in place in the north. Keeping the Khitan language and the Khitan script in use in the north allowed the Khitan to resist sinification. The ruling elite became adept in both Khitan and Chinese ways, but the majority of the Khitans preserved their traditions.
The Khitan were able to keep a hold on their power by intimidating their neighbors. The Song found it easier to pay tribute to the Liao than face them in battle. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. The Liao also intimidated the Koreans as well as the Tanguts. (Ebrey, 166-167)
==== Khitan Script ====
The Khitan language was a type of altaic language that resembles Mongolian, Turkic, and Tangusic. The language is considered a lost language so there is very little that is known about it. The Khitan did develop a writing script and there are examples that remain today. The Khitan script was introduced in 920. The script resembles either simple Chinese characters or artificially constructed characters. It seems that the Khitan script was greatly influenced by Chinese characters. (Franke and Twitchett, 31)
[[File:Khitan_mirror_from_Korea.jpeg|300px|thumb|left|An example of the Khitan script. Notice how it resembles Chinese characters]]
===== Contemporary Commentator =====
Abaoji wasn't a stranger to Chinese ways. He had a good understanding about Chinese traditions and language. It is plausible that he would want to model a Khitan script after Chinese. A lot of things in the Liao dynasty have been modeled after Chinese institutions in one way or another. It is only logical to continue that in a writing script.

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-13T05:11:05Z

Emmanuel R: /* Khitan Script */

[[File:Liao.png|300px|thumb|right|Liao Dynasty]]
The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|250px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)
=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)
[[File:KhitanHuntersSong.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Khitan hunters using eagles to hunt]]
== The Liao Dynasty ==
Abaoji founded the Liao Dynasty in 907 CE. There is a debate over this date,The debate is whether the Liao Dynasty started in 907 or 916. Abaoji became Grand Kahn in 907. He didn't become emperor until 916. Franke and Twitchett argue that Liao historians saw 907 as a convenient date to start their dynasty since it coincided with the end of the Tang Dynasty (60). Chronologically it made sense to them. In the time between 907 and 916, Abaoji would further consolidate his power and put down rebellions within his own family. In 916 he formally declared himself emperor of the Khitan and the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty. He was now known as Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu established a hereditary system of succession. This was in contrast to the Khitan tradition of election by the tribal leaders. Taizu took steps to make his regime permanent. He built a capital city, the Supreme Capital at Lin-huang. He would later build Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples in his capital city.
=== Liao Rule ===
At the peak of the Liao Dynasty's power, it ruled over most of Mongolia, Manchuria, and a small strip of China Proper around Beijing. It acquired sixteen Chinese prefectures in 938. The Khitan numbered about 750,000 and ruled over 2-3 million Chinese. This led to a dual state system of government in which the empire was split into northern and southern regions. The northern region was predominately Khitan while the southern region was Chinese. The Chinese living in the southern region played a big role in the government. The south was run by the bureaucratic institutions of the Tang. The Liao used the Tang examination system to choose candidates to fill positions in the southern government (Wittfogel, 17). In the south important administrative functions were left to the Chinese. The northern government was a mobile operation. The emperor and his court moved from place to another depending on the season. The north was administered by tribal leaders, high ranking Chinese officials, and imperial relatives. Khitan institutions and traditions were kept in place in the north. Keeping the Khitan language and the Khitan script in use in the north allowed the Khitan to resist sinification. The ruling elite became adept in both Khitan and Chinese ways, but the majority of the Khitans preserved their traditions.
The Khitan were able to keep a hold on their power by intimidating their neighbors. The Song found it easier to pay tribute to the Liao than face them in battle. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. The Liao also intimidated the Koreans as well as the Tanguts. (Ebrey, 166-167)
==== Khitan Script ====
The Khitan language was a type of altaic language that resembles Mongolian, Turkic, and Tangusic. The language is considered a lost language so there is very little that is known about it. The Khitan did develop a writing script and there are examples that remain today. The Khitan script was introduced in 920. The script resembles either simple Chinese characters or artificially constructed characters. It seems that the Khitan script was greatly influenced by Chinese characters. (Franke and Twitchett, 31)
[[File:Khitan_mirror_from_Korea.jpeg|300px|thumb|left|An example of the Khitan script. Notice how it resembles Chinese characters]]
===== Contemporary Commentator =====
Abaoji wasn't a stranger to Chinese ways. He had a good understanding about Chinese traditions and language. It is plausible that he would want to model a Khitan script after Chinese. A lot of things in the Liao dynasty have been modeled after Chinese institutions in one way or another. It is only logical to continue that in a writing script.

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

File:Khitan mirror from Korea.jpeg

2013-04-13T05:10:20Z

Emmanuel R: Picture by John S Y Lee. Original at http://flickr.com/photos/38760691@N03/5104370266. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Khitan_mirror_from_Korea.jpg

Picture by John S Y Lee. Original at http://flickr.com/photos/38760691@N03/5104370266. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Khitan_mirror_from_Korea.jpg

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-13T05:09:43Z

Emmanuel R: /* Khitan Script */

[[File:Liao.png|300px|thumb|right|Liao Dynasty]]
The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|250px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)
=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)
[[File:KhitanHuntersSong.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Khitan hunters using eagles to hunt]]
== The Liao Dynasty ==
Abaoji founded the Liao Dynasty in 907 CE. There is a debate over this date,The debate is whether the Liao Dynasty started in 907 or 916. Abaoji became Grand Kahn in 907. He didn't become emperor until 916. Franke and Twitchett argue that Liao historians saw 907 as a convenient date to start their dynasty since it coincided with the end of the Tang Dynasty (60). Chronologically it made sense to them. In the time between 907 and 916, Abaoji would further consolidate his power and put down rebellions within his own family. In 916 he formally declared himself emperor of the Khitan and the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty. He was now known as Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu established a hereditary system of succession. This was in contrast to the Khitan tradition of election by the tribal leaders. Taizu took steps to make his regime permanent. He built a capital city, the Supreme Capital at Lin-huang. He would later build Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples in his capital city.
=== Liao Rule ===
At the peak of the Liao Dynasty's power, it ruled over most of Mongolia, Manchuria, and a small strip of China Proper around Beijing. It acquired sixteen Chinese prefectures in 938. The Khitan numbered about 750,000 and ruled over 2-3 million Chinese. This led to a dual state system of government in which the empire was split into northern and southern regions. The northern region was predominately Khitan while the southern region was Chinese. The Chinese living in the southern region played a big role in the government. The south was run by the bureaucratic institutions of the Tang. The Liao used the Tang examination system to choose candidates to fill positions in the southern government (Wittfogel, 17). In the south important administrative functions were left to the Chinese. The northern government was a mobile operation. The emperor and his court moved from place to another depending on the season. The north was administered by tribal leaders, high ranking Chinese officials, and imperial relatives. Khitan institutions and traditions were kept in place in the north. Keeping the Khitan language and the Khitan script in use in the north allowed the Khitan to resist sinification. The ruling elite became adept in both Khitan and Chinese ways, but the majority of the Khitans preserved their traditions.
The Khitan were able to keep a hold on their power by intimidating their neighbors. The Song found it easier to pay tribute to the Liao than face them in battle. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. The Liao also intimidated the Koreans as well as the Tanguts. (Ebrey, 166-167)
==== Khitan Script ====
The Khitan language was a type of altaic language that resembles Mongolian, Turkic, and Tangusic. The language is considered a lost language so there is very little that is known about it. The Khitan did develop a writing script and there are examples that remain today. The Khitan script was introduced in 920. The script resembles either simple Chinese characters or artificially constructed characters. It seems that the Khitan script was greatly influenced by Chinese characters. (Franke and Twitchett, 31)
[[File:Khitan_mirror_from_Korea|300px|thumb|left|An example of the Khitan script. Notice how it resembles Chinese characters]]
===== Contemporary Commentator =====
Abaoji wasn't a stranger to Chinese ways. He had a good understanding about Chinese traditions and language. It is plausible that he would want to model a Khitan script after Chinese. A lot of things in the Liao dynasty have been modeled after Chinese institutions in one way or another. It is only logical to continue that in a writing script.

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-13T05:05:16Z

Emmanuel R: /* Khitan Script */

[[File:Liao.png|300px|thumb|right|Liao Dynasty]]
The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|250px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)
=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)
[[File:KhitanHuntersSong.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Khitan hunters using eagles to hunt]]
== The Liao Dynasty ==
Abaoji founded the Liao Dynasty in 907 CE. There is a debate over this date,The debate is whether the Liao Dynasty started in 907 or 916. Abaoji became Grand Kahn in 907. He didn't become emperor until 916. Franke and Twitchett argue that Liao historians saw 907 as a convenient date to start their dynasty since it coincided with the end of the Tang Dynasty (60). Chronologically it made sense to them. In the time between 907 and 916, Abaoji would further consolidate his power and put down rebellions within his own family. In 916 he formally declared himself emperor of the Khitan and the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty. He was now known as Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu established a hereditary system of succession. This was in contrast to the Khitan tradition of election by the tribal leaders. Taizu took steps to make his regime permanent. He built a capital city, the Supreme Capital at Lin-huang. He would later build Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples in his capital city.
=== Liao Rule ===
At the peak of the Liao Dynasty's power, it ruled over most of Mongolia, Manchuria, and a small strip of China Proper around Beijing. It acquired sixteen Chinese prefectures in 938. The Khitan numbered about 750,000 and ruled over 2-3 million Chinese. This led to a dual state system of government in which the empire was split into northern and southern regions. The northern region was predominately Khitan while the southern region was Chinese. The Chinese living in the southern region played a big role in the government. The south was run by the bureaucratic institutions of the Tang. The Liao used the Tang examination system to choose candidates to fill positions in the southern government (Wittfogel, 17). In the south important administrative functions were left to the Chinese. The northern government was a mobile operation. The emperor and his court moved from place to another depending on the season. The north was administered by tribal leaders, high ranking Chinese officials, and imperial relatives. Khitan institutions and traditions were kept in place in the north. Keeping the Khitan language and the Khitan script in use in the north allowed the Khitan to resist sinification. The ruling elite became adept in both Khitan and Chinese ways, but the majority of the Khitans preserved their traditions.
The Khitan were able to keep a hold on their power by intimidating their neighbors. The Song found it easier to pay tribute to the Liao than face them in battle. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. The Liao also intimidated the Koreans as well as the Tanguts. (Ebrey, 166-167)
==== Khitan Script ====
The Khitan language was a type of altaic language that resembles Mongolian, Turkic, and Tangusic. The language is considered a lost language so there is very little that is known about it. The Khitan did develop a writing script and there are examples that remain today. The Khitan script was introduced in 920. The script resembles either simple Chinese characters or artificially constructed characters. It seems that the Khitan script was greatly influenced by Chinese characters. (Franke and Twitchett, 31)
[[File:Khitan_Mirror_From_Korea|300px|thumb|left|An example of the Khitan script. Notice how it resembles Chinese characters]]
===== Contemporary Commentator =====
Abaoji wasn't a stranger to Chinese ways. He had a good understanding about Chinese traditions and language. It is plausible that he would want to model a Khitan script after Chinese. A lot of things in the Liao dynasty have been modeled after Chinese institutions in one way or another. It is only logical to continue that in a writing script.

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-13T05:04:48Z

Emmanuel R: /* The Liao Dynasty */

[[File:Liao.png|300px|thumb|right|Liao Dynasty]]
The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|250px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)
=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)
[[File:KhitanHuntersSong.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Khitan hunters using eagles to hunt]]
== The Liao Dynasty ==
Abaoji founded the Liao Dynasty in 907 CE. There is a debate over this date,The debate is whether the Liao Dynasty started in 907 or 916. Abaoji became Grand Kahn in 907. He didn't become emperor until 916. Franke and Twitchett argue that Liao historians saw 907 as a convenient date to start their dynasty since it coincided with the end of the Tang Dynasty (60). Chronologically it made sense to them. In the time between 907 and 916, Abaoji would further consolidate his power and put down rebellions within his own family. In 916 he formally declared himself emperor of the Khitan and the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty. He was now known as Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu established a hereditary system of succession. This was in contrast to the Khitan tradition of election by the tribal leaders. Taizu took steps to make his regime permanent. He built a capital city, the Supreme Capital at Lin-huang. He would later build Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples in his capital city.
=== Liao Rule ===
At the peak of the Liao Dynasty's power, it ruled over most of Mongolia, Manchuria, and a small strip of China Proper around Beijing. It acquired sixteen Chinese prefectures in 938. The Khitan numbered about 750,000 and ruled over 2-3 million Chinese. This led to a dual state system of government in which the empire was split into northern and southern regions. The northern region was predominately Khitan while the southern region was Chinese. The Chinese living in the southern region played a big role in the government. The south was run by the bureaucratic institutions of the Tang. The Liao used the Tang examination system to choose candidates to fill positions in the southern government (Wittfogel, 17). In the south important administrative functions were left to the Chinese. The northern government was a mobile operation. The emperor and his court moved from place to another depending on the season. The north was administered by tribal leaders, high ranking Chinese officials, and imperial relatives. Khitan institutions and traditions were kept in place in the north. Keeping the Khitan language and the Khitan script in use in the north allowed the Khitan to resist sinification. The ruling elite became adept in both Khitan and Chinese ways, but the majority of the Khitans preserved their traditions.
The Khitan were able to keep a hold on their power by intimidating their neighbors. The Song found it easier to pay tribute to the Liao than face them in battle. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. The Liao also intimidated the Koreans as well as the Tanguts. (Ebrey, 166-167)
==== Khitan Script ====
The Khitan language was a type of altaic language that resembles Mongolian, Turkic, and Tangusic. The language is considered a lost language so there is very little that is known about it. The Khitan did develop a writing script and there are examples that remain today. The Khitan script was introduced in 920. The script resembles either simple Chinese characters or artificially constructed characters. It seems that the Khitan script was greatly influenced by Chinese characters. (Franke and Twitchett, 31)
[[File:Khitan_Mirror_From_Korea|300px|thumb|left|An example of the Khitan script. Notice how it resembles Chinese characters]
===== Contemporary Commentator =====
Abaoji wasn't a stranger to Chinese ways. He had a good understanding about Chinese traditions and language. It is plausible that he would want to model a Khitan script after Chinese. A lot of things in the Liao dynasty have been modeled after Chinese institutions in one way or another. It is only logical to continue that in a writing script.

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-13T05:00:51Z

Emmanuel R: /* Liao Rule */

[[File:Liao.png|300px|thumb|right|Liao Dynasty]]
The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|250px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)
=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)
[[File:KhitanHuntersSong.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Khitan hunters using eagles to hunt]]
== The Liao Dynasty ==
Abaoji founded the Liao Dynasty in 907 CE. There is a debate over this date,The debate is whether the Liao Dynasty started in 907 or 916. Abaoji became Grand Kahn in 907. He didn't become emperor until 916. Franke and Twitchett argue that Liao historians saw 907 as a convenient date to start their dynasty since it coincided with the end of the Tang Dynasty (60). Chronologically it made sense to them. In the time between 907 and 916, Abaoji would further consolidate his power and put down rebellions within his own family. In 916 he formally declared himself emperor of the Khitan and the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty. He was now known as Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu established a hereditary system of succession. This was in contrast to the Khitan tradition of election by the tribal leaders. Taizu took steps to make his regime permanent. He built a capital city, the Supreme Capital at Lin-huang. He would later build Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples in his capital city.
=== Liao Rule ===
At the peak of the Liao Dynasty's power, it ruled over most of Mongolia, Manchuria, and a small strip of China Proper around Beijing. It acquired sixteen Chinese prefectures in 938. The Khitan numbered about 750,000 and ruled over 2-3 million Chinese. This led to a dual state system of government in which the empire was split into northern and southern regions. The northern region was predominately Khitan while the southern region was Chinese. The Chinese living in the southern region played a big role in the government. The south was run by the bureaucratic institutions of the Tang. The Liao used the Tang examination system to choose candidates to fill positions in the southern government (Wittfogel, 17). In the south important administrative functions were left to the Chinese. The northern government was a mobile operation. The emperor and his court moved from place to another depending on the season. The north was administered by tribal leaders, high ranking Chinese officials, and imperial relatives. Khitan institutions and traditions were kept in place in the north. Keeping the Khitan language and the Khitan script in use in the north allowed the Khitan to resist sinification. The ruling elite became adept in both Khitan and Chinese ways, but the majority of the Khitans preserved their traditions.
The Khitan were able to keep a hold on their power by intimidating their neighbors. The Song found it easier to pay tribute to the Liao than face them in battle. This effectively bought peace between the two empires. The Liao also intimidated the Koreans as well as the Tanguts. (Ebrey, 166-167)
==== Khitan Script ====
The Khitan language was a type of altaic language that resembles Mongolian, Turkic, and Tangusic. The language is considered a lost language so there is very little that is known about it. The Khitan did develop a writing script and there are examples that remain today. The Khitan script was introduced in 920. The script resembles either simple Chinese characters or artificially constructed characters. It seems that the Khitan script was greatly influenced by Chinese characters. (Franke and Twitchett, 31)
===== Contemporary Commentator =====
Abaoji wasn't a stranger to Chinese ways. He had a good understanding about Chinese traditions and language. It is plausible that he would want to model a Khitan script after Chinese. A lot of things in the Liao dynasty have been modeled after Chinese institutions in one way or another. It is only logical to continue that in a writing script.

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-12T16:46:49Z

Emmanuel R: /* Liao Rule */

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-12T05:25:46Z

Emmanuel R:

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-12T05:25:16Z

Emmanuel R:

File:KhitanHuntersSong.jpg

2013-04-12T05:23:12Z

Emmanuel R: Khitan hunters. From China Art Pic Stock. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MongolHuntersSong.jpg

Khitan hunters. From China Art Pic Stock. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MongolHuntersSong.jpg

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-12T05:19:35Z

Emmanuel R:

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-12T05:15:55Z

Emmanuel R:

[[File:Song_and_Liao_Map.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Liao and Northern Song]]
The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|250px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)
=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)
== The Liao Dynasty ==
Abaoji founded the Liao Dynasty in 907 CE. There is a debate over this date,The debate is whether the Liao Dynasty started in 907 or 916. Abaoji became Grand Kahn in 907. He didn't become emperor until 916. Franke and Twitchett argue that Liao historians saw 907 as a convenient date to start their dynasty since it coincided with the end of the Tang Dynasty (60). Chronologically it made sense to them. In the time between 907 and 916, Abaoji would further consolidate his power and put down rebellions within his own family. In 916 he formally declared himself emperor of the Khitan and the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty. He was now known as Emperor Taizu. Emperor Taizu established a hereditary system of succession. This was in contrast to the Khitan tradition of election by the tribal leaders. Taizu took steps to make his regime permanent. He built a capital city, the Supreme Capital at Lin-huang. He would later build Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist temples in his capital city.
=== Liao Rule ===

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

File:Song and Liao map.jpg

2013-04-12T04:48:45Z

Emmanuel R:

Northern Song and Liao. Created by Yu Ninjie. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:China_11a.jpg

File:Song and Liao map.jpg

2013-04-12T04:47:45Z

Emmanuel R: Northern Song and Liao. Created by Yu Ninjie.

Northern Song and Liao. Created by Yu Ninjie.

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-12T04:40:55Z

Emmanuel R: /* Abaoji */

The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|250px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)

=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains. Here I became the undisputed leader of the Khitan. (Franke & Twitchett, 56-60)

== The Liao Dynasty ==
=== Liao Rule ===

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-11T19:28:29Z

Emmanuel R: /* Beginnings */

The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|250px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)

=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains.

== The Liao Dynasty ==
=== Liao Rule ===

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-11T18:53:03Z

Emmanuel R:

The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|250px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)

=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. (Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===
Even though the Tang was self-destructing, the Chinese border provinces were powerful and heavily militarized. These strong border defenses would repel Khitan raids and on occasion would cross the border into Khitan territory and would destroy their crops and take Khitan people prisoners. This agressive stance that these provinces took on the Khitan would be the catalyst that would unite the Khitan tribes into a nation. The man who founded the Khitan state and later the Liao Dynasty was Abaoji. (Franke and Twitchett, 56)
==== Message from Abaoji ====
Hello I am Abaoji. I was born in 872 CE into the Yelu tribe. My father was the chief of my tribe. My uncle was the ''yu-yueh'', or commander in chief of the military in your English language. Because of my family connections I quickly rose to prominence. I was a man of high stature and intelligence and I even knew Chinese. I kept my knowledge of Chinese from my fellow Khitan out of fear of exposing them to Chinese ideas that would cause them to lose their identity. I was a competent military commander and I would often conduct raids into China. In 901 I was elected chieftain of my tribe. I mounted a campaign to unite the steppe and to extend Khitan influence over other tribes. My campaign was successful. I united ten Khitan tribes into a federation and secured the steppe. In 907 I was elected Grand Kahn of the Khitan by the tribal chieftains.
== The Liao Dynasty ==
=== Liao Rule ===

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-11T18:08:40Z

Emmanuel R:

The '''Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE''' was the first of the dynasties of conquest. It was founded by the Grand Kahn Abouji in 907. It was founded as the Khitan Empire, but would later be known as the Liao Dynasty. At the peak of its power, the Liao Dynasty encompassed Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and a small strip of China Proper. They developed a system of dual governments to rule over both Khitan and Han Chinese peoples. The dynasty would last until 1125 when the Khitans were conquered by the Jurchen people.
== Beginnings ==
=== The Khitan ===
[[File:Northeast_Asia_at_900.png|250px|thumb|right|Map of Northeast Asia showing the Khitans in relation to China]]
The Khitan were a proto-mongolian people from the steppe of Manchuria. Like the other peoples on the steppe, the Khitan were a tribal, nomadic people. They practiced agriculture, animal husbandry and hunting. Horses were an important part of life for the Khitan, all men learned to ride and shoot and were potential warriors. The Khitan family unit was a clan, and many different clans formed a tribe. A tribal chief would be selected to lead a tribe based on military acumen. A tribe alone was relatively weak but a confederation of tribes united posed a significant military threat. Decisions were not made by a single leader, rather decisions were made from a meeting of all the tribe leaders in the confederation. (Ebrey 164-167)

=== Their Dealings with the Tang ===
In times of peace Khitan tribes largely kept to themselves. Only in times of warfare would the tribes unite into a confederation and a leader elected. This made the Khitan weak and vulnerable. When China was strong, they were drawn into their influence. When China was weak, the Khitan became vassals to other nomadic peoples on the steppe. When the Tang Dynasty came into power they projected their influence onto the northern steppe. The Khitan were drawn into the Tang Tributary system. The Khitan and the Tang would occasionally enjoy times of good relations. During the good times, some members of the Khitan Li tribe were appointed to office and noble ranks in the Tang court. Several Khitan even served as Tang generals. The alliance between the Khitan and Tang would not last for very long. Internal turmoil beween the Khitan tribes caused relations to deteriorate. A series of rebellions by the Khitan would attempt to free themselves of Tang control, but each time the Khitan were routed by the Tang military. The Khitan did not take advantage of times of Tang weakness. This was mostly as a result of the Khitan being vassals to the Uighars who had assumed control of the steppe region. By the time of the Uighars' collapse, the Khitan were on good terms with the Tang and had renewed their alliance. (Franke & Twitchett, The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 6, 44-51)
After the collapse of the Uighars, the Khitan were freed from their domination. This left a power vacuum and an opportunity for the Khitan to expand into the steppe and Manchuria. The Khitan were not necessarily interested in expanding into China. Rather they just wanted Chinese wealth, Chinese manufactures, and Chinese captives. In essence this fostered a trade relationship where the Khitan would receive what they wanted in exchange for the "fine horses" they were famous for. By the end of the 9th century the Tang was in decline The Tang would cease to exist as a centralized power. The empire was divided up into 50 provincial governments each ruled by its own governor. The emperor became powerless. ( Franke and Twitchett, 53-55)
=== The Rise of Abaoji ===

== The Liao Dynasty ==
=== Liao Rule ===

== The Downfall ==
=== The Jurchen Encroachment ===

=== Western Liao Dynasty ===

== References ==
*De Bary, WM. Theodore, and Irene Bloom, eds. Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol 1, From Earliest Times to 1600. New York: Columbia University Press, 1999.

*Ebrey, Patricia. Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Second Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

*Lary, Diana. Chinese Migrations: The Movement of People, Goods, and Ideas Over Four Millennia. Lanham: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2012.

*Twitchett, Denis, and John K. Fairbank, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 5, Part One: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Twitchett, Denis, and Herbert Franke, eds. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 6, Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

*Wittfogel, Karl A., "Public Office in The Liao Dynasty and The Chinese Examination System", Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 10, No. 1 (Jun., 1947), pp. 13-40

== Classroom Presentations ==
[[File:Southern_Song_and_Liao_Dynasties_Presentation.pptx]]

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-11T04:34:05Z

Emmanuel R:

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-11T04:29:47Z

Emmanuel R:

Southern Song Dynasty 1127-1279 CE

2013-04-11T04:23:35Z

Emmanuel R: /* Beginnings */

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-11T04:22:21Z

Emmanuel R:

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-10T17:10:10Z

Emmanuel R: /* References */

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-10T17:06:54Z

Emmanuel R: /* Beginnings */

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-10T17:04:10Z

Emmanuel R: /* The Formation of the Liao Dynasty */

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-10T16:36:41Z

Emmanuel R: /* The Formation of the Liao Dynasty */

Liao Dynasty 907-1125 CE

2013-04-10T16:25:59Z

Emmanuel R: /* The Khitan */