China’s internal changes and their relations with the world between the Tang and the Qing

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China’s internal changes and their relations with the world between the Tang and the Qing
Economic Changes
There were significant changes that took place between the Tang and Qing dynasty. For instance, important changes were realized in agriculture whereby despite millet being the major cereal in the Northern region, there was the introduction of wheat. Further, the Chinese farmers embraced the idea of intensive agriculture, where the soil was improved through the addition of manure as well as night soil (Lee 194). Thereafter, crops such as soybean became one of the important crops that appeared in varieties within the period of change. The changes saw the carefully regulated rows within the plantations replacing the fallow system and weeding taking place throughout the growing season. The knowledge on the importance of rotating crops was conceived during this period for the purposes of preserving the aspect of soil fertility. In this case, the use of the soybean was considered a key part of the rotation (Meng and Hu 120).
The population pressure exerted a force that ensured the expansion of the cropland with irrigation being constructed within various states. The projects were undertaken to drain swampy areas and replace the fertile topsoil, ensuring water is channeled into rice paddies within the Sichuan Basin. The gradual population movements from the north due to the harsh climate towards the productive south led to an increase in productivity amongst the population. During the Tang regime, the Huai and the Yangtze were identified as the areas of grain surplus that acted as a replacement to the Hebei and Henan areas. The agricultural revolution across the lands led to surplus grains which were transported annually from the south as tax revenue. There were also new crops such as sugar and tea, with the southern productivity reflecting double-cropping in grain production. The production of silk was realized after the An Lushan rebellion, where the production increased across Sichuan and Yangtse delta regions. This is contrary to previous regimes, such as early Tang times, where silk production was limited to the northeast (Wang 2).
The other economic change entails the growth of trade across the regions of China with the rising of great commercial centers within new cities that necessitated the demand for luxuries. The period saw the development of the iron industry, where the Chinese developed their skills at creating weapons alongside tools (Wang 3). There was a reduction in the numbers of the nobility during the Chunqiu period, reducing the aspect of power struggles across states, making it easier for stronger states to conquer the weaker ones. There was the rise of a new class comprising the shi class alongside descendants of the old nobility who were distinguished by education in literary tradition and military arts. The Shi acted as the providers of administrators, tutors, and intellectual leaders of the new society. In this case, the famous philosophers such as Confucius, Mencius, Mozi, alongside Xunzi, were known to be members of the shi class and were considered high-ranking officials in the dynas...