Introduction+paragraph

At the beginning of the Chinese Renaissance, the Sui Dynasty came out of the dust of the warring states of China to re-unify the country under powerful commander Yangdi. Their first great endeavor was to build the Grand Canal, which connected the North and South of China, allowing a greater increase of trade and a growth of economy. After the assassination of Yangdi in 618 BCE, Li-Yuan took over the Sui Dynasty and converted it to the Tang Dynasty. This new dynasty expanded the borders of China and experienced a great increase of technological advancements. They increased the number of well paid scholar-gentry and made the examination system easier so more people would pass. This created a large bureaucracy that allowed the Dynasty to be ruled easily throughout the vast expanses. The Silk Road was also reopened, which allowed a contact between the Chinese people and the rich Islamic worlds. Buddhism experienced an increase in wealth as well, since no Buddhist monks or peasants working on Buddhist monasteries could be taxed. Also, during the Tang Dynasty, China experienced oscillating religious shifts between two sects of Buddhism and Confucianism. The families of the Tang Dynasty all lived together in one large house, creating an atmosphere of together-ness. However, the women underwent footbinding, which confined them to their homes and resulted in a loss of social power for them. There was a rebirth of innovation, though, because there was a lot more thinking and intellectual exploration that occurred. The Tang eventually fell when the concubine Yang Guifey took control of the government through her husband, emperor Xuanzong. The Song Dynasty then arose and created a successful empire, although it never matched the greatness of the Tang Dynasty. The political structure was quite similar to the Tang, although they were never able to fully replicate the splendor that the Tang achieved. There was an increase in agricultural production since new technologies were produced. There was increased trade, as well, which allowed the economy to grow. Because of this growth, cities grew in size. There was still an oscillating shift of religion, although Confucianism eventually took over, with Buddhism being an unofficial state religion. The social organization of the Song Dynasty was almost identical to that of the Tang Dynasty. Although there were fewer amounts of inventions made, some extremely important ones were created, including the compass and the block printer. These inventions became pivotal in influencing the rest of the world’s development. One of the greatest inventions, though, was the Junk, their trading ship. This ship was extremely large and equipped with canons, which allowed their merchants to stay protected as they traveled and traded with many different countries. Japan, on the other hand, was still in the “Dark Ages” compared to China. They were going through a period of feudal estates, much like that of Europe.
 * Intro to Postclassical China:**