China was divided for over four centuries before it became unified in 581 with the founding of new dynasties, Sui, Tang and Song. Each of these periods laid a foundation for the next, with many changes and improvements taking place to create new orders. China is considered one of the countries with a rich history in the world for ancient civilization. Having mysterious and long history which dates to over 500 years, China traces her history to a blend of small tribes like it is in any other nation in the world. According to the China history, Xia dynasty was the oldest with Yuanmou being the oldest hominoid in China ( Ebrey & Walthall , 2013). The Sui, Tang and Song dynasties experienced some changes in the political structure, social and the economic life of the people. There was increased commerce, transportation, agriculture and new political systems during the three dynasties that led to the shaping of the economic, social and political lives of people.
Sui Dynasty began in 581 and came to an end in 618, lasting for twenty-eight years. The dynasty had three emperors. The emperor constructed monasteries for both Buddhism and Daoism throughout the land and appointed Buddhist monks to be his advisors ( Ebrey & Walthall , 2013). The Han examination system based on the Confucian classics were revived. The tax system was reformed and s census introduced to create equitable tax collection. At the same time, land grants were given to every taxable male, and once a person turned 60 years, part of the land was recovered by the government while the remaining part was passed to his family members.
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In the beginning, agricultural farming increased greatly, and the crop yield went up. The skill industries also advance with the introduction of shipbuilding technology which went to a new level. In Luoyang, commerce was fairly prosperous, and for the development of the economy, many new policies such as equal division of field system and tax moderation system were introduced. All these led to the distribution of farmland and moderation of the tax rates which eventually increased the fiscal revenue. To facilitate communication between the southern and northern areas, Emperor Yang ordered for the construction of a grand canal that moved from north to south ( Von Glahn, 2016 ). This canal was over 2.5 miles and acted as transportation channel for the nation. The Grand Canal played a key role in both economic and cultural exchange between northern and southern.
Many changes were also witnessed in the political life during Sui Dynasty. A new political system was introduced in China with three departments and six ministries. This was the first such kind of a political system in China's history. Under such a system, the royal powers were facilitated, and the division of work in the court was made detailed. The traditional method of selecting talents which involved hierarchical system was replaced by an imperial examination system which entailed studying and taking an examination before attaining a position.
After the collapse of Sui dynasty in 618, Tang Dynasty took over with emperor Gaozu becoming one of the longest ruling emperors in China ( Dreyer, 2015) . Tang benefited from a united emperor formed under Sui dynasty. Under 289 years of the Tang dynasty, China experienced a golden age that would be remembered for the success and failures. New advancements such as gunpowder, first clocks, and air conditioning were developed under Tang dynasty. Pottery became an important tradition under the Tang dynasty. However, having concentrated much on arts and pleasurable existence, Tang dynasty faced economic stress towards its end. Art was not enough to raise the fiscal revenue of the emperor putting it under difficult economic situations.
The political structure of Tang dynasty took a new twist. The emperor used military to enhance the empire’s borders and increase influence. There was sharing of power between the scholarly-elite class and the imperial families which led to the restoration of the imperial unity thus reducing aristocratic rule. There was an establishment of a bureau of censors to oversee all the officials. There were improvements for the civil service that were done by investigations. There was much emphasis on the Chinese knowledge of literature and Confucian classics.
The existence of Tang Legal Code in 624 CE played a key role in the social reforms of the emperor. This was based on traditional influences of Confucianism. Under this code, 500 codices covered all the criminal and civil offenses and attached various penalties applicable to both the rich and the poor. Emperor Taizong began his rule by explaining of his bloody rise through religion and tradition. Taizong also allowed Buddhism to spread in China under his rule. More Buddhist temples were constructed making Buddhist largely popular in China. Buddhist and arts reached its peak under Tang emperor making the ruler's commission painters and sculptors on a regular basis thus ensuring that Chinese influence on Buddhism made religion its own despite having originated from India.
Song dynasty began in 960 and ended in 1279. This dynasty consisted of northern Song and Southern Song. With prosperity in its economy and having a radiant culture, it was seen by many as a period of golden age after the collapse of the glorious Tang dynasty from 618- 907. Song dynasty had a prosperous economy due to numerous innovations. Agricultural production was improved by the use of technology in farming. This improved food production and boosted the economy of the emperor. Also, there was the development of handicraft industry. This resulted from the division of labor that became more detailed thus leading to the advancement of the handicraft technology. Due to this technology, industrial production increased as more handicraft products would be made as a result of technological advancement. There was also the development of commodity economy that exceeded the previous levels.
In the culture and scientific developments, tremendous achievements were made during Song dynasty. The two of China's major inventions included topography and the compass, were all invented under this dynasty. Literature also went to the next level with many kinds of literary works such as poems being produced. During Song dynasty, Buddhism and Daoism that were popular in the previous dynasties became less popular ( Von Glahn, 2016 ). The new philosophy of life that was used under this emperor was neo-Confucian. Neo-Confucian was a religious belief that and political philosophy by the majority of the bureaucrats till the end of Qing dynasty.
Under political changes and structures, Emperor Taizu a policy that most governing officials must be Confucians who passed imperial examinations. This policy ensured that officials were intelligent and remained loyal to the rulers. In 979, Emperor Taizong sent troops to conquer the Northern Han and besiege its capital.
In conclusion, both the Sui dynasty, Tang dynasty and Song dynasty experienced certain changes in the political, economic and social lives of the people. The changes included increased agricultural production, increased trade, industrial and technological advancement and changes in religious beliefs and philosophies. These shaped the economy of these dynasties while at the same time having an impact on the lives of the citizens. Increased innovation was also witnessed especially in the Song dynasty, which came up with various artworks and other industrial production. All this added to economic and social lives of the Chinese people during these eras. While there were some economic difficulties witnessed in certain dynasties, the major changes in the political. Social and economic were positive and impacted positively on the lives of citizens.
References
Ebrey, P. B., & Walthall, A. (2013). East Asia: A cultural, social, and political history . Cengage Learning.
Dreyer, J. T. (2015). China's Political System . Routledge.
Von Glahn, R. (2016). An Economic History of China: From Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century . Cambridge University Press.
