Song Dynasty (jan 1, 960 – jan 1, 1279)

Description:

The Song Dynasty was a dynasty located in East Asia that existed around the same time as the Abbasid Caliphate. It was heavily based in Confucian values, as well as being home to a great many technological innovations such as paper, wood block printing, compasses, and gunpowder. Additionally, many agricultural advancements were found in the dynasty, including champa rice, which was a strain of rice grown in water and was easily produced, providing a large amount of food to the Song population.

The Song government used a Mandate of Heaven line of reasoning, which was a claim that the current leaders received authority directly from God, to create legitimacy for their government. Additionally, the dynasty gave civil service exams to Chinese students which allowed those students to work in bureaucratic positions for the government, thus increasing efficiency. These bureaucrats were called shi.

Added to timeline:

Date: