Knowra Song dynasty Song dynasty A Chinese imperial dynasty that ruled from 960 to 1279, divided into the Northern Song and Southern Song periods. It governed a commercially vibrant society while facing powerful northern rivals.
Song dynasty examination system : A civil-service recruitment system that selected officials through examinations on Confucian texts and literary composition. Examinations expanded the scholar-official class that staffed Song government.
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms : A period of political fragmentation in China between the Tang and Song dynasties, lasting from 907 to 960. Song rule began by ending the fragmentation of this period.
Emperor Taizong of Song : The second Song emperor, who ruled from 976 to 997 and completed the conquest of much of southern China. His campaigns consolidated the territorial foundation inherited by later Song rulers.
Civil service examination : A system of competitive tests used to recruit officials into government service. Song recruitment expanded a system that shaped elite status and political administration.
Commercial revolution : A broad expansion of trade, markets, money use, and urban commerce in China during the Song period. This transformation made Song society unusually commercial for its time.
Song dynasty military : The armed forces and military institutions maintained by the Song state. The dynasty relied on a large standing army yet struggled against mobile northern powers.
Emperor Taizu of Song : The founding emperor of the Song dynasty, who ruled from 960 to 976. His consolidation of power established the dynasty and its civilian-centered political order.
Emperor Huizong of Song : The eighth Song emperor, known for his painting, calligraphy, and patronage of the arts. His reign’s cultural brilliance ended amid military defeat and capture by the Jin.
Scholar-official : A government official whose education in classical texts supported both bureaucratic service and elite status. These officials formed the governing class strengthened by Song examination recruitment.
Champa rice : An early-ripening, drought-resistant rice variety introduced to China from Champa in the eleventh century. Its adoption supported agricultural expansion and population growth in Song China.
Show all 29