Imperial China: Tang, Song & Ming
Aligned to C3.D2.His.4 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
From the 600s to the 1600s, the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties made China one of the world's most advanced societies. They refined a civil-service exam system for choosing officials and produced inventions such as gunpowder, printing, the compass, and paper money that later spread worldwide.
Worked example
During the Ming dynasty, Admiral Zheng He led enormous treasure fleets as far as East Africa, showing China's naval power decades before European voyages of exploration.
Practice questions
- List the three dynasties in chronological order and name two Chinese inventions from this era.
- Explain how the civil-service examination system was meant to choose government officials.
- Analyze how Chinese inventions like printing or the compass affected other parts of the world.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
La China imperial: Tang, Song y Ming
Desde el siglo VII hasta el XVII, las dinastías Tang, Song y Ming convirtieron a China en una de las sociedades más avanzadas del mundo. Perfeccionaron un sistema de exámenes para el servicio civil que elegía a los funcionarios y crearon inventos como la pólvora, la imprenta, la brújula y el papel moneda, que después se difundieron por el mundo.
Ejemplo: Durante la dinastía Ming, el almirante Zheng He dirigió enormes flotas del tesoro hasta el este de África, mostrando el poder naval de China décadas antes de los viajes europeos de exploración.
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