Week 9: Song dynasty

Oct. 24 – Oct. 30

A look at the Song dynasty (960-1279) this week: while it was often portrayed as “weak” because it did not hold as much territory as Han or Tang, it did hold out against sophisticated and powerful neighbors for centuries, whether through military means or through buying the peace. Either way, its economy was exceptionally successful to be able to pull this off, and all historians of China agree that there was a big transformation in China socially and economically between Tang and Song dynasty (known as the Tang-Song transition), though nobody can quite agree on what exactly happened, or why.

On Friday, we’ll make time to look back on what we covered so far and give you an opportunity to begin planning for the next Show and Tell, or you can take a moment to polish previous work to a higher standard. Third Show and Tell is due on Nov. 11 so you have plenty of time!

Unless otherwise noted, all assignments and tasks are due by 11:59PM. I strongly suggest you keep a healthy life-work balance and make sure to get enough sleep. Check the “best-before dates” policy in the syllabus.

Monday
  • □ Look ahead at the readings and tasks for this week, and plan in when you will do them.
  • – This prevents last minute panic, and means you can make the most of our time together in class
Tuesday
  • □ Feedback on your fellow students’ posts:
  • – Read through and use Hypothes.is (Group HST269)  to comment on your fellow students’ posts: everybody likes some encouragement! Here is a random selection of three posts. If two or more posts are the same, or one is your own, just refresh the page for a different set. It’s all random, it’s all good! 
  • * Post 1:
  • * Post 1:
  • * Post 1:
Wednesday
  • □ Prepare before class: Readings: Overview, Primary source, and video (rest is optional)
  • – Overview of the Song dynasty:
  • * Hu, Yongguang. “Song Dynasties, North and South.” In Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, edited by Andrea L. Stanton, Edward Ramsamy, Peter J. Seybolt, and et. al.. Sage Publications, 2012.
  • – Primary source 1: with commentary/background info
  • * “Chapter 4: Li Qingzhao.” In W.L. Idema, W. L and Beata Grant. The Red Brush: Writing Women of Imperial China. Harvard East Asian Monographs, 231. Cambridge: Harvard University Asia Center, 2004. (PDF)
    • Selections from Chapter” 4. Li Qingzhao”: read the section between red brackets; continue if you are interested (but I am mindful of your time).
    • Reading questions: Can you reconstruct a timeline of events in the Song dynasty and in Li Qingzhao’s life, using the information from this chapter? What general impression does that give you?
  • – Video:
  • * Valerie Hansen Yale. “Valerie Hansen Walks You Through the Qingming Scroll.” Youtube video, Aug. 3, 2020. https://youtu.be/7Rp4nMn-Gms
    • View the video (33min). What can you learn about social and economic history from a painting? (A lot!)
  •  
  • – Optional extra: Primary source 2: Song economic history
  • * Wang Anshi’s new policies, and a voice of protest against the policies:
    • “Memorial on the crop loans measure” and “Cheng Hao: Remonstrance against the New Laws”. In Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1: From Earliest Times to 1600. 2nd edition, 616-619. Edited by Wm Th. de Bary and Irene Bloom. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 1999.
      • PDF
      • The treaties and the upkeep of the military were costly to the state: here is Wang Anshi’s policy suggestion for sweeping reforms to solve the issue of financing them, and an opponent’s critique. What do these economic policies reveal about the way the Chinese scholar-officials thought about the role of the state and its relationship to money? What changes do you see with previous time periods?
  • – Optional extra: background history
  • Schneewind, Sarah. An Outline History of East Asia to 1200. Third edition. Open Textbook Library. Oakland, California: eScholarship, 2021. Chapter 10, pp. 207-222, https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9d699767 (section about Song dynasty only)
  •  
  • □ Meeting in Ettinger 213, 9.30AM
  • Slides (Google Drive)
Thursday
  • □ Make sure to prepare for tomorrow’s class!
Friday
  • □ Prepare before class:
  • – Review course contents from week 7 and week 8; Any topics catching your attention yet?
  • – Look through the feedback on your first and second Show and Tell projects: do want to improve those projects?
  • □ Meeting in Ettinger 213, 9.30AM: we will make time to discuss options for the next Show and Tell, and you can brainstorm/use immediate feedback from classmates to lift your existing projects to the next level then and there.
Saturday
  • □ Rest day
Sunday

Where to get help:

  • Tea Room on Discord:
    • open anytime for you
    • I will be hosting Tue 2PM-3PM; Wed. 11AM-12PM, or at other times by appointment via Google Calendar. You can also find me in my office during Tea Room times.
    • Private room for confidential chat available on request.
  • Discord Channel #hst269 and the (anonymous) Padlet (both also useful for chatting, sharing fun stuff)
  • DLAs: Digital Learning Assistants: schedule coming soon!
  • Writing Center: Sunday-Wednesday: 3:30 – 5:30 pm and 7-11 pm; Thursday: 3:30 – 5:30 pm and 7-9 pm; drop in or make an appointment
  • Trexler Library Course Subject Guide: our own dedicated subject guide for the course 
  • Safety on/around campus: report an incident