LEQ: Writing a Thesis

Thesis Writing Prompt

Prompt: Evaluate the extent to which the Song Dynasty represented continuity in Chinese political traditions, 1000–1300 CE. Write a 1–2 sentence thesis.

Mini-Comparison Notes (Tang vs. Song vs. Yuan Governance)

• Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE):
• Relied on Confucian ideology and the imperial exam system.
• Maintained strong military presence to secure frontiers.
• Aristocracy still influential in politics.
• Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE):
• Expanded and standardized civil service exams → larger scholar-official class.
• Stronger central bureaucracy; less power for aristocrats.
• Heavy reliance on Confucian values (Neo-Confucianism).
• Militarily weaker compared to Tang and vulnerable to invasions.
• Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368 CE):
• Mongol rulers adapted some Chinese practices but reduced role of Confucian exams (favored Mongols and Central Asians in government).
• Less reliance on scholar-officials; Confucian elite sidelined.
• Example of disruption of traditional political structures.