Why the Song Dynasty is so important to our lives today.
Why we love the Sung dynasty exploring the history and charm of one of Chinas most fascinating dynasties episode 25 the legacy of the Sung dynasty this last podcast of the series were reviewing what we know about the Sung dynasty and perhaps after all this time, what we still dont know about this amazing dynasty.
Im Bob Jones, and in this why we love the Song dynasty podcast, I'm throwing the spotlight on what was to become one of China's most iconic dynasties in the country's long and colorful history.
To wrap up this series, let's remind ourselves of some of the top achievements of the Song dynasty and what they tell us about this amazing civilization.
The Song dynasty saw astonishing economic growth, laying early foundations for China's later industrial development, 300 years of per capita income growth, unprecedented technological and agricultural development.
In conjunction with effective governance, it developed a unified tax system and efficient trade routes helped it develop markets worldwide.
The amount of trade it carried out with the world at large expanded significantly, with merchants reaching out to markets as far away as East Africa and Europe.
And this was all centuries before Europe's own industrial revolution.
During the Song dynasty, China became the richest nation in the world.
This unprecedented economic expansion triggered off even more symbolic changes.
The demand for copper currency expanded to 6 billion coins a year, which itself led to the dynasty turning to other materials for commerce, creating the worlds earliest paper banknotes, the Zhao tzu.
A prosperous economy needed effective governance.
That meant turning its back on centuries of patronage and accelerating the civil service examination system that had been started under the Sui dynasty and was optimized under the Tang dynasty, which saw the appointment of bureaucrats according to ability.
During the Sung dynasty, the system gained unprecedented importance and became just about the only way to get a job in government.
It also meant that the playing field was levelled.
In theory, anyone with ability could rise through the ranks and make their fortune.
Being involved in politics and administration meant more than simply governance.
It required a knowledge of the arts, too.
A whole highly educated, questioning and artistic class appeared the literati, many of whom had humble origins.
The story of Lu Mengjung, a prime minister during the reign of Emperor Tae soon of Sung, is often cited as an inspirational tale of humility.
One hot day when he was a student, he wanted to buy some melons but didnt have enough money and so he gathered up some of the fruit left behind by a market trader.