Chinese History

The Tang and Song eras were times of great prosperity in China. Much of the growth was by the advanced developments of agriculture, technology and commercial developments.

During the Song era a shift to new farming techniques in southern China brought an increase in population and food supply. Farming moved to the south because rice was the most important crop in China. Two Chinese improvements were developing an irrigation system and developing fast-ripening rice, which could be harvested twice a year. During the Tang era, the government altered the land tenure system, allowing rich families to purchase much of the good farmland.

Agricultural advances during the Tang and Song eras were part of a lager boom in Chinese technology. Chinese inventions during the Middle Ages included gunpowder, printing, the compass and an improved way to build ships. The Chinese built large oceangoing ships that could hold five-hundred people. The ships had multiple decks and mast. Also they had watertight compartments so the ship would not sink. Another invention was the magnetic compass which was used so sailors would not get lost in the open seas. Gunpowder was created originally for fireworks but later advanced to bombs, rockets, and other weapons. After creating paper two-thousand years ago, the Chinese developed a new way of producing books called block printing then advanced to movable printing. This lowered the cost of books, expanded schools, and literacy also spread.

Increased food production, better water transportation and the use of money led to the growth of trade and industry during the Song era. Factors which led to the growth of trade were increased farm production, which led to an agricultural surplus. Also lowered transportation costs were due to the completion of the Grand Canal. Development of a money economy, in which, is an economy in which people use currency rather than barter to buy and sell goods. As trade increased, industries expanded as well, such as porcelain, iron, and silk cloth. Iron was used in several other things like weapons, tools, and nails.

In conclusion the agriculture, technology and commerce developments have been described and defined. Also the Tang and Song eras were times of great prosperity.

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