[Chinese Civilization]The Last 1000 years: Change within Tradition or Modernization?

Chinese Civilization-The Last 1000 years : Change within Tradition or Modernization Chinese Civilization-The Last 1000 years : Change within Tradition or Modernization

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China underwent structural changes in its political , economic and cultural scenario over the thousand year period from 960AD to 1800 AD

In 960 A .D , the Song dynasty was founded by Chao Kuang-yin . He conquered the southern half of China . The southern kingdoms , while economically and culturally advanced , did not have strong militaries and were relatively easy to defeat . In to maintain peace with the Khitans

the Song were forced to pay them annual tributes . These annual tributes were more cost effective than maintaining a military that could hold the Khitans back

Great advances were made in the areas of technological invention material production , political philosophy , government , and elite culture . The Song used gunpowder as a weapon in siege warfare , foreign trade expanded greatly , and the Chinese had the best ships in the world Their ships contained as many as four decks , six masts , and a dozen sails .Advances were also made in medicine , as the first autopsy was performed in about 1145 AD on the body of a Southern Chinese captive

Education and the examination system became central to the upper class This rise in the popularity of education was due in part to advances made in printing and the greater availability of books . Neo-Confucianism was developed during this time , especially during the Southern Song dynasty . Zhu Xi was one of the people who helped...