Middle Ages
Tang / Song / Yuan Dynasties
618 AD – 1368 AD · peak 1100 AD
The Tang (618–907 AD) and Song (960–1279 AD) dynasties represent heights of Chinese cultural and technological development, fostering innovations such as gunpowder, the maritime compass, and movable type. The Tang period is noted for its cosmopolitan capital, Chang'an, and territorial expansion via the Silk Road, while the Song dynasty oversaw the world's first government-issued banknotes. Both eras ended through internal rebellions and external pressures, culminating in the Mongol conquest of the 13th century.
Capital: Chang'an / Kaifeng
Key figures
Battles in this period
Trade routes in use
- Silk Road (130 BC – 1450 AD)
- Trans-Saharan Gold Route (700 AD – 1500 AD)
- Route from the Varangians to the Greeks (800 AD – 1100 AD)
- Hanseatic League (1200 AD – 1600 AD)
- Indian Ocean Spice Route (800 AD – 1500 AD)