Book contents
- The Worlds of the Indian Ocean
- The Worlds of the Indian Ocean
- The Worlds of the Indian Ocean
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Maps and Charts (in Color Plates)
- Illustrations (in Color Plates)
- Figures
- Tables
- Abbreviations
- Part I The Indian Ocean between Tang China and the Muslim Empire (Seventh–Tenth Century)
- Part II Globalization during the Song and Mongol Periods (Tenth–Fourteenth Century), and the Downturn of the Fourteenth Century
- Introduction
- Chapter 7 China: The Golden Age of the Song, the Mongol Conquest, and the Ming Revival
- Chapter 8 India: From the Chola Empire to the Delhi Sultanate
- Chapter 9 Southeast Asia: From the Decline of Srīwijaya to the Rise of Mojopahit
- Chapter 10 Central and Western Asia: From the Seljuk Empire to the Ilkhanids
- Chapter 11 Egypt and Yemen: The Jewish and Kārimī Networks
- Chapter 12 East Africa: The Rise of the Swahili Culture and the Expansion of Islam
- Chapter 13 Madagascar: The Development of Trading Ports and the Interior
- Part III From the Globalization of the Afro-Eurasian Area to the Dawn of European Expansion (Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Centuries)
- Bibliography
- Index of Geographical Names
- Name Index
- Subject Index
Chapter 7 - China: The Golden Age of the Song, the Mongol Conquest, and the Ming Revival
from Part II - Globalization during the Song and Mongol Periods (Tenth–Fourteenth Century), and the Downturn of the Fourteenth Century
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 October 2019
- The Worlds of the Indian Ocean
- The Worlds of the Indian Ocean
- The Worlds of the Indian Ocean
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Maps and Charts (in Color Plates)
- Illustrations (in Color Plates)
- Figures
- Tables
- Abbreviations
- Part I The Indian Ocean between Tang China and the Muslim Empire (Seventh–Tenth Century)
- Part II Globalization during the Song and Mongol Periods (Tenth–Fourteenth Century), and the Downturn of the Fourteenth Century
- Introduction
- Chapter 7 China: The Golden Age of the Song, the Mongol Conquest, and the Ming Revival
- Chapter 8 India: From the Chola Empire to the Delhi Sultanate
- Chapter 9 Southeast Asia: From the Decline of Srīwijaya to the Rise of Mojopahit
- Chapter 10 Central and Western Asia: From the Seljuk Empire to the Ilkhanids
- Chapter 11 Egypt and Yemen: The Jewish and Kārimī Networks
- Chapter 12 East Africa: The Rise of the Swahili Culture and the Expansion of Islam
- Chapter 13 Madagascar: The Development of Trading Ports and the Interior
- Part III From the Globalization of the Afro-Eurasian Area to the Dawn of European Expansion (Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Centuries)
- Bibliography
- Index of Geographical Names
- Name Index
- Subject Index
Summary
The new dynasty of the Song, founded in 960 by a general, Zhao Kuangyin, reunified China in about twenty years. The first Song emperor took the name Taizu (960–976). The bureaucracy actively promoted unity and the growth of the empire. Regional military governors were replaced by high officials who were appointed by the central power. The Song set up an efficient administration by recruiting officials through competitive examinations. They created public schools, as well as hospital and charitable institutions, which took charge of services that had previously been provided by Buddhist monasteries. Links between the central government and the provinces led to the writing of the world’s first “official gazette” (Elvin 1973: 134). Defense was secured by large armies, partly settled in “military colonies,” hosting soldier-farmers or soldiers sensu stricto (Elvin 1973: 98). In addition, the state sought to favor the productive sector – not only that of armament – and trade.
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- The Worlds of the Indian OceanA Global History, pp. 178 - 215Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019