Song Dynasty (feb 8, 1279 BC – apr 18, 960 BC)

Description:

- Founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of Later Zhou, ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period
- Technology was highly advanced in fields as diverse as agriculture, iron-working, and printing
- The Song system of government was also advanced for its time
- The upper-levels of the government were filled by highly educated scholar-officials selected through competitive written examinations
- The Song Dynasty was part of China's golden era
- Agriculture flourished leading to the inventions of the moveable typewriter and magnetic compass, paper money, and even gunpowder
- The Song dynasty was ruled by Zhao Kuangyin who was a chief-general in the dynasty before the Song
- The Song Dynasty led to China’s most significant achievement which was Neo-Confucianism
- Neo-Confucianism introduced the civil service examination system
- This examination was the main way for one to achieve political power or become a scholar-official
- This caused there to be speculative philosophers, painters, poets, doctors, historians, and government civil servants