MMW 12 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Zhu Xi, Joint-Stock Company, Su Shi
4 Mar 2017
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
The rise and fall of the song dynasty. Imperial exam dominates upper class life: requires life time of learning and memorizing, prestige associated with scoring first place on exam would last generations. In song and later dynasties, wealthy merchants rival scholar-officials in wealth and power. Song emperors spend more time on individual education than military. General song taizu unites most of southern china: khitan liao dynasty of north cannot be conquered. Refor(cid:373)ers i(cid:373)ple(cid:373)e(cid:374)t gov"t (cid:373)o(cid:374)opolies a(cid:374)d a(cid:271)olish private o(cid:374)es. Pay wages instead of using corvee labor. Provide gov"t loa(cid:374)s to far(cid:373)ers: conservatives ie su dongpo oppose these changes. Agricultural production triples farmers have surplus. First paper money, merchant joint stock companies and guilds: copper coins become too heavy and are being used too fast. Kilns shift from using wood to coal aids steel and ceramic production. Educated in confucianism, buddhism, and daoism: passed highest exam at 19. Argues for education for its own sake.
