HIST 270: Chapter 8 Reading Guide

Ebrey, A History of China — Chapter 8: China Among Equals: Song, Liao, Xia, and Jin (907–1279)

Note: This is a reading guide, not a study guide. It is designed to be completed while you read — directing you to specific passages, keeping you engaged, and holding you accountable as you move through the text. The goal is comprehension and evidence-gathering, not review.

Chinese history can feel unfamiliar at first. This guide will help you identify and understand the most important events and processes, so that by the time you finish the chapter, you will have a solid grasp of the material your professor wants you to know — and be well prepared for the Chapter Quiz.

Step 1: Find the sentence using the page and opening words provided. Type it verbatim into the first box.
Step 2: Answer the question in your own words. No outside research needed or permitted.
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Review Question 1

On Page 130, find the sentence beginning with the words: "After a Liao..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

The Founding of the Song and the Peace Treaties: How did the founders of the Song Dynasty resolve the threat of internal warlordism, and what unprecedented diplomatic strategies did they use to manage the Khitan Liao Empire to the north?

Review Question 2

On Page 131, find the sentence beginning with the words: "This dual form..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Dual Administration in the Liao Dynasty: Analyze the political and administrative structure of the Khitan Liao Dynasty. How did the Liao utilize a dual system of government to manage both their tribal populations and their sedentary Chinese subjects?

Review Question 3

On Page 132, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Agricultural prosperity and..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

The Medieval Economic Revolution: What were the primary drivers of the medieval Chinese economic revolution during the Song period, and how did these changes affect the demographic and commercial landscape?

Review Question 4

On Page 134, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Chinese junks were..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Maritime Trade and Technology: Evaluate the expansion of international maritime trade during the Song Dynasty. What technological innovations and economic incentives allowed Song Chinese merchants to thrive in the South Seas?

Review Question 5

On Page 134, find the sentence beginning with the words: "The spread of..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

The Scholar-Official Class and the Examination System: Discuss the evolution and societal impact of the civil service examination system during the Song period. How did the spread of printing affect the composition and culture of the scholar-official elite?

Review Question 6

On Page 137, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Realizing that government..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Factionalism and Wang Anshi’s Reforms: What were the primary goals of Wang Anshi’s "New Policies," and why did they provoke such severe factional strife within the Song bureaucracy?

Review Question 7

On Page 138, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Jin emperors had..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

The Jurchen Jin and the Fall of the Northern Song: Explain the collapse of the Northern Song and the subsequent rise of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty. How did the Jin adapt to ruling a large Chinese population while asserting their own political authority?

Review Question 8

On Page 139, find the sentence beginning with the words: "The government still..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Hangzhou and the Survival of the Southern Song: Despite the catastrophic loss of northern China to the Jurchens, how did the Southern Song Dynasty manage to survive and thrive economically with its new capital at Hangzhou?

Review Question 9

On Page 140, find the sentence beginning with the words: "He encouraged his..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Neo-Confucianism and Zhu Xi’s Synthesis: Characterize the intellectual movement known as the "Learning of the Way" (Neo-Confucianism). How did Zhu Xi synthesize earlier philosophical ideas to create a comprehensive moral and educational framework?

Review Question 10

On Page 141, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Before a wedding..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Gender Roles, Marriage, and Family Life: How did the economic and social realities of the Song period affect the lives of women, particularly concerning marriage practices, property, and new physical standards of beauty?

Review Question 11

On Page 144, find the sentence beginning with the words: "Gods were seen..."

Type the entire sentence verbatim here to identify the evidence:

Popular Religion and the Spirit Realm: Describe the religious landscape of ordinary people during the Song Dynasty as documented in works like Hong Mai’s The Record of the Listener. How did commoners conceptualize and interact with the spirit realm?