The Song Dynasty, from the establishment of the Northern Song Dynasty in 960 A.D. by Zhao Kuangyin in Kaifeng Huangpao, to the 1279 Battle of Yashan after the defeat of Lu Xiufu and the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty, this era spanned more than three centuries, witnessing a profound transformation and unprecedented glory of Chinese civilization.
The Song Dynasty was divided into two main periods – the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127) and the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279) – and went through a total of 18 emperors. The Northern Song Dynasty was founded by Zhao Kuangyin, and the capital was Bianjing (now Kaifeng, Henan), which unified the situation of the five dynasties and ten kingdoms, and established a new order of the centralized system through means such as the release of military power through a cup of wine. However, due to the strong enemies in the north, especially the rise of foreign forces such as Liao and Jin, the Northern Song Dynasty finally failed to resist the Jin army's southward iron cavalry, and suffered a major blow in the Jingkang Rebellion, the second emperor of Huiqin was captured, and the Northern Song Dynasty came to an end.
The Southern Song Dynasty was the new regime established in Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang) after the Northern Song Dynasty royal family Zhao Gou crossed to the south. The Southern Song Dynasty and the northern ethnic regime had a long-term confrontation, forming a "Northern and Southern Dynasties" pattern, until the Mongol iron hoof swept across the Central Plains, and the late Southern Song Dynasty Emperor Zhao Yu and his ministers resisted until the last moment, with the end of the Battle of Yashan, the rule of the Song Dynasty came to an end, a total of 319 years.
Although the Song Dynasty was relatively weak militarily, it achieved unprecedented achievements in the fields of culture and technology. The imperial examination system has been further improved, so that more children of ordinary people have the opportunity to enter the official career, promote the mobility of social classes, and give birth to a large number of outstanding talents. The popularization of education, academic freedom, the revival of Confucianism, and the rise of science made the Song Dynasty known as the first era of Chinese culture.
In addition, the Song Dynasty was also a world leader in science and technology, and the four major inventions, movable type printing, gunpowder, and the compass, were all key improvements and widely used in the Song Dynasty. The spread of agricultural technologies, such as hydraulic irrigation, rice-fish farming, and cotton farming, has greatly contributed to the progress of productivity. At the same time, the urbanization process of the Song Dynasty accelerated, the market life was rich and colorful, the commerce was highly developed, and the monetary economy gradually replaced the physical economy, which laid the foundation for the later changes in the social structure.
The Song Dynasty had a strong and diverse artistic atmosphere, whether it was painting, poetry, calligraphy or porcelain craftsmanship, all of which reached unprecedented heights. The landscape painting style of the Song Dynasty was unique, and the development of words entered the era of the twin peaks of graceful and bold school; And Song porcelain, such as Qingbai porcelain from Jingdezhen and ice crack porcelain from official kilns, has become a treasure of Chinese ceramic art. These cultural and artistic achievements reflect the aesthetic taste and humanistic care of the Song people's pursuit of harmony and exquisite life.
It can be seen that the Song Dynasty wrote a historical chapter with ups and downs but profound in its unique way on the stage of history. Although its military strength did not create a vast empire, its inherent cultural and technological progress, as well as the flourishing of art and humanistic spirit, undoubtedly pushed the Song Dynasty to a new height in the development of China's feudal society, and had a profound impact on later generations. The historical process of more than 300 years is not only a part of China's history, but also the crystallization of cultural heritage and wisdom shared by all mankind.
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