Comparing the Tang and Song Dynasties
Comparative Essay The Tang and Song Dynasties in Ancient China were similar, yet different. They had varying aspects politically, socially, and economically. They varied the most politically, while they were very similar economically. Socially, they did not have opposite views or actions, but different views. Although they both controlled roughly the same areas in Ancient China, the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty had different political, economic, and social views. The Tang and Song Dynasties had different political views. As mentioned before, this is where they disagreed the most. The lone comparison between the two was that both dynasties were hereditary, meaning that there was a line of succession to the throne. However, the Tang Dynasty was divided into over 300 subdivisions, or prefectures, while the Song was centralized. The emperors that unified the Song were Emperors Taizong and Taizu. Also, the Tang political system had four forms: Lu, Ling, Ge, and Shi. Lastly, the Song Dynasty fell due to political corruption and outside invaders, things that the Tang Dynasty avoided. This is how the two dynasties had different political aspects. The Tang and Song Dynasties had fairly similar economic policies. The lone difference was that during the Tang Dynasty, trade occurred in the city, while in the Song Dynasty, there was only trade with India along the Silk Road. In terms of similarities, they both utilized the Grand Canal for trade and transport. They both had a strong military and made and utilized gunpowder, and they contained an elaborate tax system, which featured the use of paper money. Lastly, both dynasties had a well-educated bureaucracy. This was because both dynasties required civil service exams for people trying to enter the bureaucracy. This ensured that the bureaucracy would be composed of knowledgeable citizens. This is how the economic policies of the Tang and Song Dynasties compared. The Tang and Song Dynasties had