Chapter 8:China!!!

Chinese culture in the middle ages was the golden period. This was the time where writing was made elaborate, and there was an economic revolution. Cities were populated in the hundred thousands and a few even in the million range. Just like many other civilizations,(unfortunately) women were not in positions of power and prosperity. They did not hold office, and could not get educated. When the song dynasty the silk industry was taken from rural women because it left profit. Also, this was the time when foot binding started. Foot binging is  a process where a young women wraps her feet in ribbon to deform or manipulate the growing of the feet. The text explains that this was done so that women would stay at home or close to home. In addition, women who banded their feet were not seen as peasants.

The development of the tribute system was also key to the growth of the empire. The song and Han dynasties had a love hate relationship with the barbarians, they needed them for horses but they built a great wall to keep them from invading. The tribute system was a practice where the Chinese and their neighbors would exchange gifts as means of delegation.

Chinas prosperity was a means of spreading culture and religion. The spread of Buddhism and Daoism was big due to the cultural  influence that China had to its neighbors. The elite Korean families would send their best to study in China, and along with exposure to the culture came religion. The arrival of Buddhism to china had a great impact, Buddhism became a Chinese practice. It all started when the silk road brought the ideas into China, but it also helped promote the religion further east into Korea and Japan.