Trade And Foreign Relations In The Han, Tang, And Song Dynasties

In the Han, Tang, and Song Dynasties

The history of China is a long and complex one. Boasting 13 different dynasties dating as far as back 18th century BC, China has the longest dated history in the world (Lecture 9/5). Within this history there are three dynasties that were known as major periods of prosperity, especially in terms of trade and foreign relations. Among them are the Han, the Tang, and the Song, in chronological order. The Chinese believed in the Mandate of Heaven, which said that “the ancient Chinese, as represented by their monarch, had a valid claim to preside over everyone else by virtue of their unequivocal political, cultural, and moral authority” (Sextants of Beijing 14). This principal is the means by which the Chinese dynasties took control of the country, and other surrounding countries and peoples. During their periods of control, these dynasties made advancements that did not just affect the people of those respective time periods; they have carried over to present day, and have affected the entire modern world.

The founder of the Han dynasty was known as Liu Pang. He gained control and crowned himself emperor in 206 BC (China: Han Dynasty). Und

China took control of trade on the seas during the Song dynasty (Sextants of Beijing 37). This was caused by the fact that they had developed the technology to create massive junks that were capable of carrying upwards of 1,000 tons and traveling long distances, and that the other regions that had previously controlled the seas were distracted by domestic affairs (37). Other technological advancements were made that aided the Song in dominating maritime trade. These included the invention of the compass, which made navigation much more efficient, and lighthouses (38). The policy of the Song government was to “invite and stimulate foreign merchants” in order to draw in foreign trade (39). In order to do this, merchants were offered lavish gifts and were also exposed to the lively entertainment Song China had to offer.

Trade along the Silk Road brought a variety of effects and consequences. The Han dynasty was a period of major cultural diffusion in China and other nations. For example, the Silk Road is the method in which Buddhism traveled to China from India (The Silk Road: Linking…). Buddhism would later be a major religion in China. Foreign germs would through to have made their way to China through means of trade. Smallpox is said to have arrived in China sometime in the first century, carried by merchants from India (Sextants of Beijing 17).

er this dynasty, trade flourished along with the creation and advancement of the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a trade route that connected China to the Mediterranean Sea, as far west as Rome (American Heritage Dictionary). According to a web page entitled “The Silk Road: Linking and Asia Through Trade,” it was 7,000 miles long and passed through places like Kansu, Sinkiang, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. At this time, China had many items that were desired throughout the Middle East and in Europe. Such items include two kinds of beer, seven kinds of meat, rice, wheat, barley, lentils, two kinds of millet, and seasonings like salt and sugar (Lecture 9/12). Silk and porcelain were two items that were developed in China and were though to be luxuries by the rest of the world. Northwestern Indians understood that silk was a rare product that China could offer to other places that had not yet been able to create it, and thus it would be a lucrative product (The Silk Road: Linking…). They became middlemen in the trade between China and other countries along the Silk Road. In addition to China’s export of many items that were considered exotic by other countries, China also received many imports that were foreign to them. These items included vessels made of gold and silver, fine glass, fragrances, spices, grapes, and even animals like lions and ostriches (Dunhuang Caves in China).

Foreign influence was prevalent through trade in the form of the arts. “Silver-smithing was perfected with cups, plates, ewers, and other small objects showing the influence of Persian designs and techniques” (A Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty 2). The trade of foreign instruments was very helpful in advancing Chinese music (2). The Tang also made their own developments using porcelain and ceramics. The one-colored ceramics of the past were replaced with painting that involved more colors, including white ground, yellowish brown, and dark green (A Universal Guide for China Studies 6). This technique and the objects created by using it were transmitted through trade. The trade of ceramics took the place of th

Some topics in this essay:
Sextants Beijing, Silk Road, Qian Chinese, Tang Dynasty, Mandate Heaven, China Studies, Emperor Taizong, India Central-Asian, East Europe, China Han, silk road, song dynasty, han dynasty, sextants beijing, tang dynasty, imperial era ii, era ii, imperial era, foreign relations, trade foreign, mandate heaven, universal guide china, empire tang dynasty, guide china studies, sino millennial renaissance,