Song+Dynasty

Song Dynasty: By Lindsay, Chris and Anya ** Northern Song (960-1127) and Southern Song (1127 - 1279) ** __** ALL DATES ARE IN A.D. ** __

***Product Message: The Song Dynasty created an era of tremendous technological advancement and expansion of trade! Due to the recovered economic strength of the Song Dynasty, China was able to develop and flourish in ways other Dynasties never could! Through the innovations of printing, weaponry, paper money and compasses, people of the Song were able to trade throughout Europe and Western China. This in return gave the Song Dynasty an enormous global reach.**

**.....However, unfortunately thats not how the Song started.....**

**Background Information:**


 * __ **Northern vs. Southern Song:** __
 * ** In 1127, the Song Dynasty failed to protect its Northern Borders. **
 * ** Due to nomadic invasions from the Jurchens (nomads), the gover **** nment fled South, and t **** he Capital was moved from Dongjing (Kaifeng) to Hangzhou. **
 * ** The Southern Song was where all the innovation and technology was created... **

__ Inventions: Overview: __


 * __1. Paper currency:__ **
 * It gave merchants and traders the option to trade paper money __**instead of coins!**__
 * Paper money could be converted directly into hard cash, and banks notes were similar to credit, as they were worth different amounts of money. [[image:good.png height="180" align="right" caption="Everyone knows that PAPER MONEY is a lot more handy than gold coins!"]]
 * Although paper "flying cash" was started in the Tang dynasty, the Song Dynasty took what was already there and evolved it!
 * Paper currency was great because it was __**lighter**__ and allowed for materials such as __**copper, gold, iron and silver to be saved and made into other objects instead of money! (saving resources!)**__
 * Banks and the government used it, It was also really __**safe**__ because the government had confidential marks on it which reduced counterfeiting (creating fake money)!


 * Remember: Paper Currency is still even used today! What would the world be like if there was no PAPER money?!? Would you want to pay everything either in gold coins or only by trading? I don't think so, therefore __Thank the Song Dynasty!__ **
 * The Song Dynasty is responsible for this idea of Paper money!
 * Even when Marco Polo visited China in the 13th century, he was impressed! Shouldn't you be too?!
 * The idea of paper money spread to Europe first in the 17th Century, meaning that this invention of money was so important even Europe approved of it!


 * __2. Compass:__ **


 * The compass led merchants to trade goods from the Song Dynasty.[[image:ls.png width="633" height="228" align="right" caption="with the arrival of the magnetic compass, sea travel through the junk (shown) was possible!"]]
 * Increase in trading led to a stronger economy
 * Where would the world be without the compass? Most likely lost, unknown of where north or south is. Never understanding how to navigate your way. Thanks to the Song Dynasty, this is __NOT__ the case!
 * **Along with the invention of the compass, communication and transportation increased!**
 * The compass contributed to the start of trading with Europe, western and southeast Asia, Korea, Japan, and even Eastern Africa, all because of the compass's helpful guidance while sailing.

=__ More on Transportation (highway) and Trade! __=


 * **Hey! Are your dynasties still using donkeys and human efforts to trade across a desert?** Well, the song dynasty uses water transportation, which is much cheaper and more efficient! Traveling across a desert is unproductive and slow! Get in the [[image:highway.png width="448" height="272" align="right" caption="picture of the highway"]]innovation boat now and start trading with the SONG dynasty!
 * Major trading partners with Europe, India, Western Asia, Korea, Japan and East Africa!
 * As the economy became more commercialized, trade became more important, and therefore need for transportation increased.
 * The need to transporting items to other places increased and since water travel was cheaper it was more popular!

Highways:
 * Highway systems allowed for trade __within__ China!
 * Highways were controlled by the government or by staffed personal, who had control over who used it.
 * Caused an increase in traded goods!
 * Staffed highways allowed for an increase in jobs!

__ **Taxation and migration to cities** __
 * **There were two different types of taxes, one was that farmers had to pay a poll tax (tax based on number of people in the family) and a tax, paid in grain based on the amount of land a farmer owned.**
 * **To avoid paying the tax for land, farmers moved to the city (where they did not own land).**
 * **Cities such as Kaifeng and Hangzhou had populations over a million!**

P__ostal System!__
 * The Government supported a Widespread Postal service![[image:Screen_Shot_2012-01-25_at_5.17.43_PM.png align="right"]]
 * This in return provided **jobs** and therefore benefited the economy!
 * Allowed for fast communication!
 * ** There were so many jobs in the Song Dynasty! This in return shows a strong economy! Wouldn't you want a Dynasty with a flourishing economy?!? **

__ Naval Fleet: __
 * In the Song Dynasty, in the year 1162 A.D. a strong navy was formed!
 * The navy was formed due to the Jurchens and Western Xia (intruders) which were hosting Northern Song (near Kaifeng).
 * The Navy also protected merchants in the Indian Oceans as trading fleets went through dangerous waters!
 * Whoa! A Dynasty that protects its waters! That sounds safe!


 * All in all, the Song Dynasty should be remembered for its spectacular inventions and advanced trading systems through water and land routes (highway). After the recovery of the Southern Song, a strong, central government was formed, allowing China to advance in communication and efficiency, which other Chinese Dynasties had not been able to accomplish! **

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