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

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A distinguished general by the name of Zhao Kuangyin, usurped the throne of the Zhou. He then proceeded to conquer the other states of China and formed the Song dynasty, presiding after a unified China once more as Emperor.

The Song Dynasty placed special emphasis on meritocracy and the effective selection of civil servants for its bureaucracy. With the advent of effective printing methods, it became possible to hold nationwide exams to recruit civil servants, and these were of such importance that it became almost impossible to enter government without one.

They based their legal system on the older legal code of the Tang Dynasty, which continued to be a basis for Chinese law until this day.

They would in time be conquered by the Mongol Empire under Kublai Khan, who established the Yuan Dynasty.

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