The Great Tang-Song Transformation

I took a Chinese History module during my NUS (National University of Singapore) days. It was part of the requirement to complete my China Studies minor. I really love the module, learning many new concepts and ways to explore Chinese history. The module “General history of China” covers on the general history from Zhou Dynasty to Song dynasty. It covers on the macro issues of Chinese history. One particular essential topic that was dealt with such importance that the same exam question on it was repeated every year. We were given numerous readings on it and the tutorial sessions covered on the topic with great length and details. The lecturer did a great job, for I have forgotten almost everything I learn in my University days except the Tang-Song transformation. I still remember it, the essence of it.

Here’s the chronological order of the time periods before I carry on. It will be useful guide for you to understand the flow of the dynasties. I only included those that are relevant to the topic of discussion The order of dynasties and periods is as follow:

1) Qin dynasty

2) Western Han dynasty

3) Eastern Han dynasty

4) Jin Dynasty

5) Period of division- Northern and Southern Dynasties

6) Tang Dynasty

7) Period of division- The five dynasties

8) Song Dynasty

So what is the Tang-Song transformation and why is it so significant? Because the China that is before and after Tang and Song Dynasty is completely different. The changes are extremely significant, in terms of economics, demographics and social class. The transformation did not take place overnight, but a slow process that spans over the 2 dynasties. For this article, I shall touch on the economic and demographic changes. I will leave the discussion of the social class for another day.

During the days of Qin and Western Han dynasties, the capital Chang An and the surrounding Guanzhong region (North-west China centered on the Wei River) was the heartland of China. The imperial court drew all it resources to develop the economic productivity of the region.

On top of this, most of the population was located in the north-eastern China, along the Yellow River. The soil of the area is extremely fertile, productivity was excellent. On the whole, Northern China was developed and well-populated.

What about Southern China? This refers to areas of the Yangzi River basin (modern Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and others, approximately the areas south of the Yangzi River). It was a terribly wild and dangerous place to live in. The south was portrayed as a place of wild jungle, swamps, diseases and savage beasts. It was hardly inhabitable, as the south was too wet for farming, comprising mostly of swamps. It was also an excellent breeding ground for mosquitoes because of its wet nature. Southern China was undeveloped and population was sparse and few.

However, during the Tang-Song period, more and more people resettled to the Southern China and the south grew to become the main economic center, displacing the north. Why did this happen? Was it not the case that the South was unsuitable for farming and development? Why did people started to move to a swampy and mosquito infested region?

From the times of Han to Tang, numerous military events took place in northern China, wars between the warlords and invasion from the northern tribes greatly diminished the northern population. To escape from the wars and conflict, the Chinese people started to migrate southwards.

The rapid development of the north destroyed the natural environment. The logging of forests for raw materials led to massive soil erosion. The lands lost their fertility and productivity plummeted. The soil erosion also led to increased frequency of flooding of the Yellow River. These push factors made living in the north undesirable. The undeveloped south provided new opportunities and potential for the Chinese.

So what did the Chinese do to overcome the problems and limitation posed by nature? To resolve the issue of swamps, large-scale drainage projects initiated by land-lords turned wetlands into productive fields. The creation of new farming estates encourages the settling of farmers. As more and more people moved south, southern China became more and more developed. Rice became the central food crop of the empire as rice grows best in the wetlands.

After Song, the South became the new economic center for China. The combination of push and pull factors resulted in the rise of the new economic base, shifting from North China to South China. The density of population also moved from the north to the south as well. This is the Tang-Song transformation.

Image sources:

http://www.pureinsight.org/pi/files/Changan_market_scene.jpg

http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=395&catid=10&subcatid=65

http://www.sccfsac.org/agriculture_livestock.html

Reference sources:

Source: China’s cosmopolitan empire: The Tang Dynasty, Mark Edward Lewis. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2009.

Source: China between empires: The Northern and Southern dynasties, , Mark Edward Lewis. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2009.