Introduction
The Sung Dynasty was a dynasty in China from 960-1179, part of China's golden age. According to Islamic Historian, Ibn Battuta, the Sung Dynasty "Was comparably the highest standard of living in the world". Also "In the 11th Century Kai Fang was the capital of what is regarded as the peak of Chinese civilization, The Sung Dynasty, a golden age unsurpassed in world history"(No data selected). Part of the reasons why the Sung Dynasty had such a high standard of living was because of their innovations of new technology and agriculture. The Sung Dynasty invented many things that have created growth within their dynasty, for example, gun powder and movable type printing. Their agriculture success also led to their highest standard of living, how they were able to harvest more than one yield of rice per year. We would have liked to live in the Song Dynasty during the medieval times because of their innovations, which led to the highest standard of living.
Technological Inventions
Gun Powder
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One of the most revolutionary inventions of the Song Dynasty was their invention of gunpowder, which helped them defend against the Mongols. The Song Dynasty invented a variety of kinds of gunpowder, which had many uses; it was used in rockets, guns, chemical warfare weapons, and bombs. The Song Dynasty army used the gunpowder and land mines against the Mongols in 1277. A primary source of the Song dynasty invention of the gun powder is the Wujing Zongyao written by Zeng Gongliang and Yang Weide. The Wujing Zongyao was the first record of different solutions and formulas of gunpowder. Having the invention of gunpowder allowed the people in the Sung Dynasty to not worry so much about defending their dynasty but focusing on what they wanted to focus on. For example, expanding their culture on different arts, as well as continually expanding their agriculture revolution. Having more focus on that makes living there enjoyable, opposed to just focusing on the military aspect of growth within a civilization.
Movable Type Printing
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During the period of the Tang Dynasty in 618-906, the Tang Dynasty invented Block printing, but this was very inefficient and costly. Many people thought that this was one of the greatest inventions because it allowed for printing textiles and printing short Buddhist religious texts. However, in the Song dynasty movable type printing was inventing. Movable printing was a much more efficient form of printing. Bi Sheng invented it by carving individual chinese characters carved into clay, then once it hardens it became durable and was able to be used anywhere and anytime. They were able to put it one iron plates and then take it off when done. This invention made in the Song Dynasty spread very fast. It spread to Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Europe. Movable type printing later transformed into tin, wood, lead, and later copper. Having the technology to be able to print mass quantities of books, religious documents, and other documents in general allowed for reading materials to be more accessible, which, helped China expand and become more successful and a good place to live. A primary source is the Diamond Sutra, the first printed book in 868. Printed using the new movable type printing, invented in Song Dynasty. The Diamond Sutra was an important religious document about Buddhism, back in those times having this printed was a resource that gave people different perspectives on life, expanding their thinking. A professor from The University of Stanford elaborates on the fact that it showed them a way to figure out the essential properties of life. “For example, people assume that they have “selves.” If that is the case then change would be impossible or it would be illusory.” said Harrison. “You would indeed be the same person that you were yesterday. This would be a horrifying thing. If souls or “selves” did not change, then you would be stuck in the same place and be as you were when you were, say, two [years old], which if you think about it, is ridiculous.”- Professor Harrison.
Economic Advancements
Agricultural Revolution
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Rice Cultivation
The Song Dynasty was during an agricultural revolution, so agriculture was one of the most important aspects of their economy. The southern part of the Song Dynasty had better agricultural environment that the North, so many peasants came to south for agricultural jobs. Therefore, space was running out, and the mountainous religions of China had to be used for farming as well. Furthermore, agrarian tools and their irrigation advancements improved and brought them a lot of success towards their agriculture business. Also, the Song Dynasty started using Iron Harrows, sickles, hay cutters, and water wheels, which improved their standards. During the Song Dynasty there were much more variety and diverse crops grown. In Southern China they were able to have three harvests of wet rice, beans, sesame, and hemp were planted on dry fields, and all of these became very wide spread. The fields switched from wet to dry to enable to different things to be planted. Before the Song Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and prior, the amount of crops planted was very limited. During the Song Dynasty more crops and fruit were able to be consumed, and people’s diets consisted of more variety. Rather than just plating seeds, the Song Dynasty had skills to be able to breed seeds, like sugarcane, mulberry, and cotton. The peasants were able to plant more than thirty kids of vegetables and dozens of different types of fruit including citrus. There were primary sources of books written during the period of the Song Dynasty about records of the different crops planted. For example, the Lizhipu by Cai Xiang, which was a book written recording 32 different types of leeches. The book Han Yan was about the different types of Oranges. All of the different agricultural advancements made planting crops much easier, which attracted many people to come to China, which then led to population growth; all leading to making the Sung Dynasty a good place to live. The diverse amount of crops that were planted also attracted people, it also led to a healthier diet for those living there. The diverse amount of crops were also very good for trading with others. However the multiple harvests of rice per season was one of the biggest reasons for the Sung Dynasty's agriculture success. The multiple yields of rice enabled lower prices, which allowed for more focus on the development of wen within the Sung Dynasty's civilization.
Sung Vs. Tang
Many people believe that the Tang Dynasty was very successful because of their golden age in poetry and arts, although that is true the Sung Dynasty had more successes in many important aspects of their civilization. For, example their invention of gunpowder, guns, and other warfare weapons made them more powerful, and enabled them to take over the Tang Dynasty, which was the reason for their decline. Also the Sung Dynasty's agriculture was much more significant then the Tang's, during the Sung period they had the ability to plant a vast variety of crops that the Tangs weren't able to do. The Sung dynasty also had a better trading system. For example, the grand canal a trading system from the North to the south.