![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Five_Dynasties_Ten_Kingdoms_923_CE.png\")
Here below are the list of these Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, about which we will not go into details (except for the winner, try guessing which one it was!) :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Later_Han-1024x722.png\")
The Five Dynasties<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Five Dynasties ruled land mostly located in Northern China and rapidly succeeded to one another, leading to high instability. These are, oddly, remembered for being rather abusive in terms of justice and relying on excessive punishment – torture was for instance often used under the Later Han.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Later Liang (\u5f8c\u6881 \/ \u540e\u6881 – H\u00f2u Li\u00e1ng<\/em>, 907-923 AD),<\/li>
- Later Tang (\u5f8c\u5510 \/ \u540e\u5510 – H\u00f2u<\/em> T\u00e1ng<\/em>, 923-937 AD),<\/li>
- Later Jin (\u5f8c\u6649 \/ \u540e\u664b – H\u00f2u J\u00ecn<\/em>, 936-947 AD),<\/li>
- Later Han (\u5f8c\u6f22 \/ \u540e\u6c49 – H\u00f2u H\u00e0n<\/em>, 947-951 AD),<\/li>
- Later Zhou (\u5f8c\u5468 \/ \u540e\u5468 – H\u00f2u Zh\u014du<\/em>, 951-960 AD).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
The Ten Kingdoms<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Located mostly in Southern and Western China, these were more stable and controlling a geographically specific area, what enabled them to focus on trade, land reclamation and infrastructures projects. They were in constant competition with one another but, due to a lesser degree of war, saw their population booming with migrations from the North. You will notice they did not all exist at the same time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Former Shu (907\u2013925),<\/li>
- Yang Wu (907\u2013937),<\/li>
- Ma Chu (907\u2013951) ,<\/li>
- Wuyue (907\u2013978),<\/li>
- Min (909\u2013945),<\/li>
- Southern Han (917\u2013971),<\/li>
- Jingnan (924\u2013963),<\/li>
- Later Shu (934\u2013965),<\/li>
- Southern Tang (937\u2013976),<\/li>
- Northern Han (951\u2013979). <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/800px-Vaishravana_riding_across_the_waters._618x547cm_From_Dunhuang_Cave17._Five_Dynasties_mid-10th_century_AD._British_Museum.-722x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Li_Cheng_Buddhist_Temple_in_Moutain_All-519x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Xvxi1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Zhou_Wenjus_A_Literary_Garden.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>Examples of painted art of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Historian Hugh Clark sees three stages dividing the era in terms of political dynamics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- 880-910<\/strong>: between the Huang Chao Rebellion and the formal end of the Tang dynasty, chaos between fighting warlords who control 1-2 prefecture(s) each,<\/li>
- 910-950<\/strong>: stabilisation of warlords and gain in legitimacy by some to proclaim dynasties,<\/li>
- 950-979<\/strong>: reunification by force by the Later Zhou dynasty and successor dynasty, accompanied by a demilitarisation of provinces.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Two political events are also noted during this period: the handover of the Sixteen Prefectures (along the Great Wall) to the Khitan Liao dynasty and the indepence of Vietnam, after centuries of Chinese overlordship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us sing the Songs! (and the other dynasties living at the same time)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/800px-Song_Taizu.jpg\")
Emperor Taizu of Song<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n You have surely noticed we have not mentioned the winner at all! You would think the last dynasty – the Later Zhou – would be the one unifying China. And you would be… partly right. They were indeed in a position to conquer the rest of China proper, was it not for another… coup, of course! A general, Zh\u00e0o Ku\u0101ngy\u00ecn (\u8d99\u5321\u80e4 \/ \u8d75\u5321\u80e4), following of \u00ab\u00a0prophecy\u00a0\u00bb annoucing the transfer of the Mandate of Heaven to him, overthrew the last Later Zhou Emperor with almost no resistance. He founded the S\u00f2ng <\/em>dynasty (\u5b8b\u671d, S\u00f2ng ch\u00e1o<\/em>), named after the prefecture he commanded, and became Emperor Taizu (\u5b8b\u592a\u7956).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, one important point not to miss is that, despite its successes, the Song Empire never managed to be sole State to rule in China. Among contemporary states to the Songs, the Khitan Liao dynasty (\u907c\u671d\/\u8fbd\u671d, Li\u00e1o ch\u00e1o<\/em>) lasted from 907 to 1125 AD, the J\u00fcrchen Great Jin (\u5927\u91d1, D\u00e0 J\u012bn) from 1115 to 1234 AD and the Tangut Western Xia (\u897f\u590f, X\u012b Xi\u00e0<\/em>) existed between 1032 and 1227 AD. They will also be covered in the coming lines!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Political and military overview of a 300-years rule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The new Song Empire spent its first 20 years unifying Chinese territory, putting an end to the Northern Han, the last Kingdom, in 979 AD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Conquest_of_Song_Dynasty-774x1024.png\")
The Song Empire and its conquest path (960-979 AD)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Loss of the Sixteen Prefectures under the previous dynasties, seriously weakening the defence capacity of China land, was considered as a serious issue enough for the Songs to launch campaign to reclaim them as soon as the rest of the land was secured. The 979 battle of Gaoliang River won by the Liao effectively ended this attempt to reclaim lost land. Some thirty years later (1004), the Liao cavalry charged into the open plains of northern China, managing to push the Empire into submission!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/MongolHuntersSong.jpg\")
Khitan riders<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Through the Chanyuan Treaty (1005 AD), the Song Empire was vassalised and force to pay yearly tributes to its overlord – a terrible crack into the Chinese vision of the Middle Kingdom as centre of the world! However, paid money was returned to the Songs through purchase of Chinese goods, effectively enriching the country. Sinicisation of the Liao dynasty also increasingly took place through these exchanges (including marriages with Chinese princesses), continuously blunting the nomadic lifestyle of the Khitans. What initially appeared as a crushing military defeat and terribly blow to the Song prestige became a delayed cultural and economic victory. You would think the Song would get through this, would you not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/1024px-China_-_Song_Dynasty-en.svg_.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHow wrong you would be… The devastating blow to the Song was to come from within their master. With their military power dwindling, the Liaos could not prevent the rebellion of J\u00fcrchen tribes living on their land in 1115. The Song felt they could take advantage of this situation and allied the Jin in the Alliance Conducted at Sea (\u6d77\u4e0a\u4e4b\u76df) until the Liao demise. The J\u00fcrchen, under the Jin dynasty, successfully destroyed the Liao in ten years – leading the remnants of their dynasty to flee to Central Asia and form the Qara-Qitai Empire (who, we all know too well, are without honour)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They did not wait for long before going after the next big neighbour, which happened to be their former Song ally, whose weakness was sensible. In 1127 AD, Bianjing (modern days Kaifeng), the capital is sacked by J\u00fcrchen armies (the Jingkang Incident) and, by 1142 AD, the entire northern China is under their control, putting an effective end to the Northern Song (960-1127 AD). Remnants of the Song dynasty managed to escape to Lin’an (present day Hangzhou) to start the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279 AD), ruling south of the Huai river. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Jin_Dynasty_1141_no_borders.png\")
Circa 1141<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Requiem for an empire<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
China proper was thus divided between the Xi Xias in the West, the Jins in the North and the Songs in the South. The Song empire developed a new navy to combat the J\u00fcrchen invaders; they heavily relied on new uses of technologies to equip its army, like the use of gunpowder for warfare. Active periods of war happened between 1161-1165 AD and 1206-1208AD, pitching the two belligerents. The arrivals of Mongols in the diplomatic game (invasion of Jin in 1211) was used by the Song in a fragile alliance to contain the Jins between 1217 and 1224 AD (and again in 1233-1234 AD). The Mongols also defeated the Western Xia in 1227 AD and the Jin eventually fell in 1234 AD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Chinese_Gunpowder_Formula-1024x741.jpg\")
Earliest known written formula for gunpowder, from the Wujing Zongyao<\/em> of 1044 AD. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n What the Song neglected was the fact that, once the Jins were out of the picture, they would be next… Sporadic warfare took place for the next 20 years, with constant progress of the Mongol armie. The 4th Great Khan, M\u00f6ngke Khan, died besieging the Diaoyucheng mountain castle near Chongqing in 1259. Kublai Khan, his younger brother, was proclaimed the new Great Khan, despite low recognition from Mongols in the west. In 1271, he proclaimed himself Emperor of China, creating the Yu\u00e1n <\/em>(\u5143\u671d, Yu\u00e1n<\/em> Ch\u00e1o<\/em>) dynasty. Kublai Khan’s armies eventually destroyed the last Song armies at yhe Battle of Yamen in 1279, putting an end to 300 years of Song rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Economic, social and cultural boom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Administrative rebirth<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Despite the military weakness and long falling back of the Song Dynasty, this era is considered as the high point of classical Chinese civilisation and one of the most prosperous periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The population of China doubled in size in the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries. The census organised during the Northern Song listed 20 million households for an estimated population of 90 million inhabitants. World population in 1100 is estimated between 300 and 350 million people – making China then home to 25-30% of all humans on the planet (18% in 2019)! Its two successive capitals, Kaifeng (until 1127) and Hangzhou (until 1276) were in turn the most populated cities on Earth with over a million inhabitants at their peak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/kaifeng.jpg\")
Depiction of Kaifeng, capital of the Northern Song (960-1127)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n The Song was an era of refined administration and complex social relations. Although created under the Sui and Tang dynasties, it is with the Song that the civil service competitive examinations became massively utilised to recruit officials – 30,000 candidates in the late 11th century versus 400,000 at the end of the 13th century. Its dense network of civil servants enabled the Song dynasty to run social welfare programmes, including retirement homes, public clinics, paupers’ graveyards and resurrected the Tang postal service. Over the scholar-officials appointed via this imperial examination gradually took power over military officials, shifting balance from a military \u00ab\u00a0founding\u00a0\u00bb aristocracy, connected to the imperial family, to a bureaucratic elite. Additionally, as prosperity was growing, the central government gradually withdrew from direct intervention in economic affairs, paving the way for local gentry (business and scholar) to take a greater role in local administration and affairs. Appointed officials tended to rely on local scholar-officials for daily management of their territory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Palastexamen-SongDynastie-1024x702.jpg\")
Palace examination, Song dynasty<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Economic developments<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
As already advertised, economy was in complete boom. Even the old silk road was blocked by nomadic empires, the Song developed a strong navy to support a dense maritime trade with neighbouring countries – turning the Song copper coin into a real exchange currency, widely accepted. Additional innovations like paper money and insurance for shipments further boosted trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Major merchant families and private business owners were allowed to occupy industries not under central government-operated monopoly. Artisans and merchants formed guilds to set standards (prices, wages, materials, etc.) and act as an intermediary to deal with bureaucracy (for taxes, requisitions, etc.). Government factories were also mass employers: for instance, the paper money factory in Hangzhou employed over 1,000 workers in 1175.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1085, the total amount of copper coins produced reached around 6 billions coins and private entrepreneurs could produce up to 100,000,000 kg of iron products! Productivity of the latter highly benefitted from the use of coal instead of charcoal, also preserving China from massive deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/1024px-Chinese_cargo_ships_Song_Dynasty.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/SongJunk.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>Song junks<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n A vibrant social life and culture<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/This_Letter_written_by_Mi_Fei.jpg\")
A letter of mixed calligraphy written by Mi Fu (1051-1107)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n Social life was particularly vibrant, with people enjoying a number of public festivals (Lantern and Qingming festivals for instance) and extremely lively entertainment districts, offering the widest array of possible entertainment. It seems that people participated en masse to social clubs such as tea clubs, exotic food clubs, horse-loving clubs, poetry clubs or antiquaries and art-lovers club. Theatrical drama – spoken in Classical Chinese, not vernacular – was widely popular among the elite: the four largest Kaifeng theaters could hold audiences of several thousands, each! Go and xiangqi games were also popular pastimes at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arts were also peaking at the time, with many prominent famous figures like poets Su Shi and Mi Fu, painters such as Su Hanchen, Cui Bai Zheng Zeduan or Liu Songnian. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/800px-Mao_I_001.jpg\")
Cats in the Garden<\/em>, by Mao Yi, 12th century. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Children_Playing_on_a_Winter_Day-570x1024.jpg\")
12th-century painting by Su Hanchen<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Tsui_Po_002.jpg\")
Double Happiness (Cui Bai)<\/em> (Close-up) by Cui Bai <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/\u6e05\u660e\u4e0a\u6cb3\u56fe.jpg\")
Along the River During Qingming Festival<\/em> by Zhang Zeduan (1085\u20131145) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Attention was given to compiling encyclopedic knowledge too, with the universal history text of the Zizhi Tongjian<\/em>, compiled into 1000 volumes of 9.4 million written Chinese characters, as a shining example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Zi_zhi_tong_jian_by_sishmaguan.jpg\")
Section of the original scrolls of the Zizhi Tongjian<\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n In terms of philosophy, Buddhism’s influence had waned but fuelled the \u00ab\u00a0rebirth of Confucianism\u00a0\u00bb led by Cheng Yi (1033\u20131107) and Zhu Xi (1130\u20131200), known as Neo-confucianism. We may touch Chinese philosophy in a (series of) vulgarisation focus, as there is much to say and many complexities. Zhu Xi’s emphasis on the Four Books of Confucianism and his commentaries, despite not being accepted by his contemporary peers, ended up in 1241 as standard education requirements for candidates to the imperial examination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us not forget the many architectural achievements of the dynasty<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/800px-Zhengding_Lingxiao_Pagoda_4-768x1024.jpg\")
Lingxiao Pagoda of Zhengding, Hebei, 1045. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/800px-\u5f00\u5c01\u94c1\u5854-1-696x1024.jpg\")
Iron Pagoda, Kaifeng, 1049<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Quyang_Pagoda_2-768x1024.jpg\")
Xiude Temple Pagoda in Quyang, Hebei <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Liuhe_Pagoda.jpg\")
Liuhe (Six Harmonies) Pagoda, , in Hangzhou, 60 m high, constructed 1156 – 1165 AD <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/1024px-Goddess_Temple_Jinsi.jpg\")
Temple of the Saintly Mother, Jin Temple, Taiyuan, 1032 <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/1280px-Songling2-1024x642.jpg\")
Spirit road, Northern Song tomb complex <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/San_Qing_Dian-1024x768.jpg\")
Trinity Hall of Xuanmiao Temple, Suzhou<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/1280px-Yingen_Gate_in_Shaoxing_04_2012-07-1024x768.jpg\")
City gate of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, 1223 <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n There would be much more to say but this DD is already very long (and does not aim at being a history book). Let us touch briefly innovation and technology progress before you get bored!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Innovation and technology at their finest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Song dynasty was a favourable time for innovation and technology development, which in turned supported its long prosperity. Here below you will find a quick overview of its main achievements!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Warfare, as already mentioned, was domain of key developments : black powder was quite central in new development. Older technologies were refined like evolution of the early flamethrower, explosive grenade, firearm, cannon, and land mine. The Song navy also developed paddle-wheel warships equipped with trebuchets that could launch incendiary bombs made of gunpowder and lime, attested in 1161 in two battles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- 910-950<\/strong>: stabilisation of warlords and gain in legitimacy by some to proclaim dynasties,<\/li>
- Later Tang (\u5f8c\u5510 \/ \u540e\u5510 – H\u00f2u<\/em> T\u00e1ng<\/em>, 923-937 AD),<\/li>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Songrivership3.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/11th_century_long_serpent_fire_arrow_rocket_launcher.jpg\"){kind=icon}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Su_Song_Star_Map_1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Su_Song_Star_Map_2-1024x738.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Clock_Tower_from_Su_Songs_Book_desmear-680x1024.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Chain_drive_Su_Songs_book_of_1092.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Hue-tzu_Song_Dynasty_government_issue_1023_-_John_E._Sandrock.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/riseofthewhitesun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Hui_zi.jpg\")