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| CHINA:
HISTORY-ARCHAEOLOGY |
Song
Dynasty (960-1279):
Northern Song (960-1127); Southern Song (1127-1279) |
Overview Maps • Dynasties
of China [The Genographic Project: Atlas
of the Human Journey, NationalGeographic.com]
Eight small maps displayed together, showing China's eight major dynasties from the
Shang to the Qing. The maps are very small, but shown together and with text summarizing
the history of all eight dynasties, they effectively provide an excellent overview
of China's history from ca. 1750 B.C.E. to today.
Printable Map • Maps
of Chinese Dynasties: Northern Sung (Song) Dynasty [The
Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
Color map showing land ruled by China's Northern Song dynasty relative to
present-day political boundaries. Can be downloaded as a .pdf file.
Printable Map • Maps
of Chinese Dynasties: Southern Sung (Song) Dynasty [The
Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
Color map showing land ruled by China's Southern Song dynasty relative to present-day
political boundaries. Can be downloaded as a .pdf file.
Interactive Map • Song/Liao/Jin
Dynasties 907–1279 [Princeton University
Art Museum]
An excellent brief overview of the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties.
Featuring an interactive map with an excellent COMPARE
feature that allows the user to select any two dynastic periods
in Chinese history and compare them by moving from one map to the
other.
• Art
of the Silk Road: Cultures: The Song Dynasty [University
of Washington, Simpson Center for the Humanities]
A brief overview of the Song dynasty, with a map and images of six
related artworks. Part of an online exhibit "organized as part
of Silk Road Seattle, a collaborative public education project exploring
cultural interaction across Eurasia from the first century BCE to
the sixteenth century CE."
Maps • The
Song Dynasty in China: Life in the Song Seen through a 12th-century
Scroll [Asia for Educators]
An in-depth look at the northern and southern Song dynasties, with
a 12th-century scroll depicting a typical Song-era city as the starting
point. Topics include: Economic
Revolution (Population Boom, Commercialization, Paper Money,
etc.); Technology (Rice
Cultivation, Printing & Movable Type, Shipbuilding, Gunpowder,
etc.); Cities (Urban
Life, Religious Life, etc.); Confucianism (Examination
System, The Three Perfections and Su Shi, Neo-Confucianism); and Outside
World (Northern Rivals, International Trade).
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| Liao Dynasty (907-1125); Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) |
Interactive Map • Song/Liao/Jin
Dynasties 907–1279 [Princeton University
Art Museum]
An excellent brief overview of the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties. Featuring an
interactive map with an excellent COMPARE feature that allows the user to
select any two dynastic periods in Chinese history and compare them by moving from
one map to the other.
• China's
Liao Dynasty [Asia Society]
"A Chinese dynasty and kingdom existed roughly in parallel to
the better-known Song Dynasty, but this one ruled by the nomadic
Khitans. A fascinating essay on governance, international relations,
technology and exchange in China and its northern frontiers from
907-1123."
• "Dynasty
of Nomads: Rediscovering the Forgotten Liao Empire" [Archaeology]
A short article about recent archaeological work that reveals the cultural tensions,
past and present, between the Han Chinese and Khitan Liao. From the
November/December 2007 issue of Archaeology magazine.
• Art
of the Silk Road: Cultures: The Khitan and the Liao Dynasty [University
of Washington, Simpson Center for the Humanities]
A brief overview of the Khitan and their dynasty, the Liao, with
a map and images of five related artworks. Part of an online exhibit "organized
as part of Silk Road Seattle, a collaborative public education project
exploring cultural interaction across Eurasia from the first century
BCE to the sixteenth century CE."
Interactive Map • Gilded
Splendor: Treasures of China's Liao Empire (907-1125) [Asia
Society]
This excellent interactive website explores the complex cultural
and religious legacy of the Khitan and their reign over China during
the Liao Dynasty (907-1125). Features an extensive image gallery
of objects (organized into the following topics: 1) Nomadic Heritage;
2) Chinese Tomb Tradition; 3) Luxuries and Necessities; 4) Religious
Life); an interactive tour of two Liao tombs; plus an interactive
map of recently excavated Liao sites in Inner Mongolia (with images);
two additional historic maps; and a timeline.
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|
| Yuan
Dynasty (1279-1368): Mongol Rule |
Overview Maps • Dynasties
of China [The Genographic Project: Atlas
of the Human Journey, NationalGeographic.com]
Eight small maps displayed together, showing China's eight major dynasties from the
Shang to the Qing. The maps are very small, but shown together and with text summarizing
the history of all eight dynasties, they effectively provide an excellent overview
of China's history from ca. 1750 B.C.E. to today.
Printable Map • Maps
of Chinese Dynasties: Yuan Dynasty [The
Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
Color map showing land ruled by China's Yuan dynasty relative
to present-day political boundaries. Can be downloaded as a .pdf
file.
Interactive Map • Yuan
Dynasty, 1260–1368 [Princeton University
Art Museum]
An excellent brief overview of the Yuan dynasty. With five related
art objects, all with lengthy descriptions, and an interactive map with an excellent
COMPARE feature that allows the user to select any two dynastic
periods in Chinese history and compare them by moving from one map
to the other.
• The
Mongol Dynasty [Asia Society]
Background reading about "Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis
Khan, (who) ruled as an intellect—and as a warrior—to
create one of the greatest empires in human history."
• The
Mongols in World History [Asia for Educators]
An in-depth look at the rise of the Mongol empire in the 13th century.
Topics include: The
Mongols' Mark on Global History (International Trade, Pax Mongolica,
Support of Artisans, Religious Tolerance, etc.); The
Mongol Conquests (What Led to the Conquests?, Chinggis Khan's
Role, The Empire's Collapse, etc.); The
Mongols in China (Khubilai Khan, Life in China under Mongol Rule,
etc.); Key
Figures in Mongol History (Chinggis Khan, Khubilai Khan, Ögödei,
Marco Polo); and The
Mongols' Pastoral-Nomadic Life (Livestock, Horses, Mare's Milk,
Clothing, Shelter, etc.). With more than 25 full-color images, several
online readings, an extensive bibliography, class materials, links
to maps, and related Web links.
Lesson Plan + DBQs • Ethnic
Relations and Political History along the Silk Roads >> China
under Mongol Rule: The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) [PDF] [China
Institute]
Unit F from the curriculum guide From Silk to Oil: Cross-cultural
Connections along the Silk Roads, which provides a comprehensive
view of the Silk Roads from the second century BCE to the contemporary
period. "This unit investigates why the Mongols can be considered
the greatest conquerors in world history. Students will look at how
the Mongol conquests changed the Eurasian world and discuss how Khubilai
Khan (1215-1294) and his advisors ruled one of the greatest prizes
won by Mongol armies: China."
Marco Polo, 1254-1324
AFE Special Topic Guide • Marco
Polo in China [Asia for Educators]
A compilation of primary source readings, discussion questions, and
lesson ideas intended to expose students to the impressive developments
in Chinese civilization during the Yuan period.
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| Ming
Dynasty (1368-1644) |
Overview Maps • Dynasties
of China [The Genographic Project: Atlas
of the Human Journey, NationalGeographic.com]
Eight small maps displayed together, showing China's eight major dynasties from the
Shang to the Qing. The maps are very small, but shown together and with text summarizing
the history of all eight dynasties, they effectively provide an excellent overview
of China's history from ca. 1750 B.C.E. to today.
Printable Map • Maps
of Chinese Dynasties: Ming Dynasty [The
Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
Color map showing land ruled by China's Ming dynasty relative to
present-day political boundaries. Can be downloaded as a .pdf file.
Interactive Map • Ming Dynasty,
1368–1644 [Princeton University Art Museum]
An excellent brief overview of the Ming dynasty. With six related
art objects, all with lengthy descriptions, and an
interactive map with an excellent COMPARE feature that allows
the user to select any two dynastic periods in Chinese history and
compare them by moving from one map to the other.
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|
| RELIGION,
PHILOSOPHY, THOUGHT |
| Neo-Confucianism |
|
| GOVERNMENT
AND ADMINISTRATION |
| Song
Dynasty, Reform under the Neo-Confucianists |
|
| Yuan
Dynasty, Khubilai Khan's Rule |
Marco Polo,
1254-1324
AFE Special Topic Guide • Marco
Polo in China [Asia for Educators]
A compilation of primary source readings, discussion questions, and lesson ideas
intended to expose students to the impressive developments in Chinese civilization
during the Yuan period. See the section "On How Khubilai Khan Governs" for primary
sources relevant to this topic.
• The
Mongols in World History [Asia for Educators]
An in-depth look at the rise of the Mongol empire in the 13th century. See the topic The
Mongols in China for more about Khubilai Khan and life in China under Mongol
Rule.
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|
| Ming
Dynasty, Promotion of Social Order and Morality in Government |
|
| TECHNOLOGY,
INVENTIONS, SCIENCE |
| The "Rainbow
Bridge" |
• Secrets
of Lost Empires: China Bridge [NOVA, PBS]
Companion website to a 2000 PBS program documenting the "effort
by a NOVA-assembled crew of scholars and timber framers to design
and build a Chinese bridge known only from an ancient painting [the
Beijing qingming scroll]." Includes an essay, China's
Age of Invention, that highlights many Song-dynasty inventions.
Also see the Rainbow
Bridge section of The Song Dynasty in
China: Life in the Song Seen through a 12th-century Scroll for
images of the bridge as it is depicted in the 12th-century Beijing
qingming scroll.
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| Astronomy |
Lesson Plan + DBQs • Exchange
of Goods and Ideas along the Silk Roads >> West-East Exchange:
Astronomy [PDF] [China Institute]
Unit K from the curriculum guide From Silk to Oil: Cross-cultural
Connections along the Silk Roads, which provides a comprehensive
view of the Silk Roads from the second century BCE to the contemporary
period. "What was the importance of astronomy to the pre-modern
Chinese state and people? How did the West-East exchange of scientific
information along the Silk Roads affect China? Students will study
pre-modern Chinese ideas on the relation of the cosmos to everyday
life and the political importance of astronomy. They will look at
phenomena such as eclipses and supernovae through both (modern) Western
and (pre-modern) Chinese eyes."
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|
| MILITARY
AND DEFENSE |
| Military
Technology |
• Military
Technology [A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese
Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University
of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent
resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps,
and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit discusses
siegecraft, crossbows and armor, spears, clubs, and swords, catapults,
warships, and gunpowder and firearms.
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| The
Northern Song Defeated by the Jurchen Jin |
|
| ECONOMY,
WORK, TRADE, FOREIGN RELATIONS |
| Agriculture;
Growth of Cities and Urban Life during the Song and Yuan Dynasties |
Chen
Pu (Chen Fu), 1076-1154
Primary Source w/DBQs • On Farming (Nongshu) [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Unknown Author,
ca. 1235
Primary Source w/DBQs • The Attractions of the Capital (Hangzhou) [PDF] [Asia
for Educators]
Also see the Rice
Cultivation section and Cities
section of The Song Dynasty in China:
Life in the Song Seen through a 12th-century Scroll for
more on these topics.
Marco Polo, 1254-1324
AFE Special Topic Guide • Marco
Polo in China [Asia for Educators]
A compilation of primary source readings, discussion questions, and lesson ideas
intended to expose students to the impressive developments in Chinese civilization
during the Yuan period. See the section "On Suzhou and Hangzhou" for
primary sources relevant to urban life during the Yuan dynasty.
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|
| Trade
and International Relations: The Ming Voyages (1405-1433) |
• Chinese
Trade in the Indian Ocean [Asia Society]
"A background essay on the Ming Dynasty, its powerful trade
networks and diplomatic missions as far as Africa and the Red Sea,
and the domestic tensions that ultimately changed the course of world
history."
• The
Ming Voyages [Asia for Educators]
Unit discussing Admiral Zheng He's voyages during the Ming dynasty,
the preparation of his fleet, and the political and social problems
in Ming China that brought these expeditions to a close. With discussion
questions and activities for students.
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|
| SOCIETY |
| Homes
and Gardens, Ming Period |
• Homes [A
Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University
of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent
resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps,
and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit examines
how people constructed, decorated, and furnished their homes during
the Ming, in order to gain a better understanding about the resources,
aesthetic preferences, and social habits prevalent during that time.
• Gardens [A
Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University
of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent
resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps,
and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit discusses
the origins, design, social uses, and aesthetics of Chinese garden
design, which reached its fullest development during the late Ming.
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|
| Women |
|
| LITERATURE |
| Literature
of Scholar-Officials and Military Officers |
|
| Women
Writers |
|
| ART
AND MUSIC |
| Painting
and Calligraphy |
• Painting
and Calligraphy of the Northern Sung (960-1127) [National
Palace Museum]
An incredibly rich interactive presentation of works from the NPM's
collection of Northern Sung painting and calligraphy. Works divided
into three categories: Early Court Art, Scholar Art, and New Styles.
Use the horizontal scrollbar just above the thumbnail images at the
bottom of the page to see all the images in a category. Clicking
on a thumbnail brings up the artwork in the upper area of the page.
Use the thin black menubar that appears here to zoom in and out of
the image, as well as to see information about Seals & Inscriptions,
Feature Descriptions (additional information about highlighted areas
of the painting), as well as the Main Description for the painting.
• Painting
(during the Song and Yuan dynasties) [A
Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University
of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent
resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps,
and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit "covers
not only developments in painting as a fine art, such as the development
of landscape painting, but also looks at paintings for evidence of
social life, both the commercial life of cities and private life
at home."
• Landscape
Painting in Chinese Art [Timeline of Art
History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art]
An overview of key developments in landscape painting during the
Song, Yuan, and Ming periods. With 14 related artworks.
• Age
of the Great Khan: Painting and Calligraphy in the Mongol Yuan
Dynasty [National Palace Museum]
A comprehensive resource for art under Mongol China, with images
organized into four sections: 1) Marco Polo; 2) Recluse Scholars;
3) Polyethnic Scholars; 4) The Imperial Clan. With text and additional
subtopics under each section (mouseover images on topic pages to
bring up each subtopic), plus a large selection of art works under
each section. There is also a special section for teachers with resources
on imperial portraiture, architecture, and revivalism in Yuan-dynasty
painting, plus analysis of three specific paintings.
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|
| Ceramics
and Decorative Objects |
• The
Legend of Ju Ware: A Special Exhibition of Ju Ware from the Northern
Sung Dynasty [National Palace Museum]
A multimedia website about Ju ware, produced in the later Northern
Sung dynasty (12th century). Three topics -- Qualities, Connoisseurs,
Origin -- plus an Explore section and a Dictionary (Resources) section. Also
see the Ceramics
section of The Song Dynasty in China: Life
in the Song Seen through a 12th-century Scroll for more about
ceramic production during the Song dynasty.
• The
New Era of Ornamentation: 1350-1521 [National
Palace Museum]
"With the establishment of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) in the
latter half of the 14th century, the production of objets d'art entered
a new realm. In the world of porcelain alone, as painted and colored
glazes of decorative designs became more elaborate, this period may
well be dubbed a 'new era of ornamentation.'" With a brief introduction
plus one-page guide to new ornamentation and glazing techniques developed
during this period. Six topics: 1) The Beginning of Underglaze Wares;
2) Paragons of Underglaze Wares; 3) Clear and Delicate Underglaze
Blue; 4) Trade and Exchange: Porcelains with Persian Shapes and Designs;
5) Trade and Exchange: Porcelain with Tibetan Script and Decoration;
6) Color Glazes and Overglaze Colors. With 9 related objects.
• Chinese
Cloisonné [Timeline of Art History, The
Metropolitan Museum of Art]
A brief introduction to the development of cloisonné in China
during the early 14th to 15th century, as well as to the cloisonné technique.
With 2 related artworks.
Find more art-related
resources for China,
1000-1450 CE
at OMuRAA (Online Museum Resources on Asian
Art)
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| © 2009 Asia for Educators,
Columbia University |
|
