The Song Dynasty

By JenniferRGant
  • Jan 1, 960

    Emperor Taizu founds the Song Dynasty

  • Period: Jan 1, 960 to Jan 1, 1234

    The dynasty

  • Period: Jan 1, 960 to Jan 1, 1127

    Northern Song Dynasty

    In the capital city of Kaifeng emperor Taizing led the empire, instituting successful policies and winning many wars to expand the empire.
  • Jan 1, 1004

    Payments to avoid war

    The empire has to pay off the northern states to keep them from invading.
  • Jan 1, 1012

    New strain of rice

    The new strain of rice ripens early and is drought resistant. This creates a rice production boom which leads to a huge growth in population and an economic revolution.
  • Jan 1, 1041

    Movable type invented

    Using baked clay Bi Sheng created the first movable type.
  • Jan 24, 1044

    Gunpowder is made more powerful

    While gunpowder was already used this new gunpowder was made much more powerful.
  • Jan 1, 1075

    Attempt to annex Viet territory

    The Song thought that the people of the Viet territory were weak but after two years of fighting it ended in a stalemate.
  • Jan 1, 1078

    Iron production peaks

    Iron is needed to make the weapons that the armies use. The peak of production in 1078 was six times more than was produced in the year 800 in the Sung empire.
  • Jan 1, 1100

    Population reaches 100 million!

  • Jan 1, 1127

    The Song flee south.

    Corruption had begun to decrease the power of the empire. The Jurchen state captured the Song emperor and declared it the Jin Empire. People fled to the south and created the Southern Song Empire.
  • Period: Jan 1, 1127 to Jan 1, 1279

    The Southern Song Dynasty

    The new capital city is in Hangzhou. The focused on foreign trade and a new era of prosperity began.
  • Jan 1, 1188

    Zhu Xi writes Dauxe

    It was a commentary on government which contributed to Neo-Confucianism.
  • Jan 1, 1235

    Mongols attack

    After attacking the Song empire the Mongols and Song create a brief alliance. It is stopped when Mongols turn on the Song and begin attacking again.
  • Jan 1, 1276

    Song Dynasty crumbles

    After decades of attacks by the Mongols the Song crumbles.