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960
Start of the Song Dynasty (Northern)
The Song Dynasty begins, sparking an three-century long era of war, culture and innovation. -
961
Capital City of the Song
The capital city of the Southern Song was Hangzhou. It was the largest city in the world at the time with a population of well over 1 million people. -
968
Rice becomes relevant in China
It was during the Song dynasty that rice became such an important crop for the Chinese. Drought-resistant and fast-growing rice was introduced to southern China. This new rice allowed farmers to have two harvests in a single year, doubling the amount of rice they could grow. -
999
Movable-type Printing
In movable type printing, movable components are used to reproduce the elements of a document. This system of printing was invented during the Song Dynasty reign by artisan Bi Sheng. Movable type, alongside woodblock printing, allowed mass production of wood books which could be sold at affordable prices. This led to an expansion in the educated class in China as parents encouraged their children to read and write to succeed in the imperial examination. -
1080
Architecture Reaches New Heights
Buildings like the Liaodi Pagoda were constructed, and engineers learn to create bridges spanning over 4,000 feet long. -
1088
First use of Compasses for Navigation
The magnetic mariner’s compass allowed navigation in open sea far from the shore as it removed dependence on weather. It was first described by great Chinese polymath Shen Kuo in his 1088 work Dream Pool Essays. The use of compass for navigation was an important step in the history of navigation and would later contribute in the Age of Discovery. -
1099
Pre-Modern Economic Revolution
During the three century reign of Song dynasty, China experienced sustained growth in per capita income. A unified tax system and efficient trade routes helped in the development of a truly nationwide market. There was also a significant increase in trade with the global market, and merchants established commercial contact as far as East Africa. All this made China a global leader and the richest nation in the world. -
1115
Start of the Jin-Song Wars
Jurchen tribes rebelled and declare the formation of the Jin. This leads to an eventual war between the Song people and the Jin tribe. -
1127
End of North Song Dynasty
Capital of Song Dynasty went south instead. -
1128
Start of the Southern Song Dynasty
Capital is situated south now, and the Southern Dynasty begins. -
1132
The First Permanent Standing Chinese Navy
It was during the Song Dynasty that a permanent, standing navy was first established in China, primarily to fight the Jin Dynasty. At its heights during the late twelfth century it consisted of 20 squadrons of some 52,000 marines. Many of the Song naval warships were paddle-wheel driven crafts which were considered essential for success in battle due to their swift movement. There were also some large naval ships which could hold around 1000 soldiers. -
1140
Mathematical Advances
Jia Xian of Song Dynasty invented the Jia Xian triangle, which was a version of Pascal’s triangle used to determine binomial coefficients. He explained it in 1100, around 500 years BEFORE the French mathematician Blaise Pascal. Song mathematician Yang Hui is the first known person in whose work quadratic equations with negative coefficients of ‘x’ appear. Qin Jiushao of Song was the first to introduce the 0 symbol into Chinese mathematics. -
1140
Mongol Alliance
The Song people ally with the Mongols in an attempt to repel the Jin. -
1186
Song Ci is born
The forensic scientist, judge, and physician Song Ci, great contributor to the forensic world, is born into a bureaucratic family in Jianyang. He was notorious for personally going to examine a crime scene every time an incident happened that involved death. -
1250
Forensic Science Developed due to the Works of Song Ci
Forensic science is accelerated by Song Ci's book Xi Yuan Lu (Washing away wrongs) which gives an in-depth explanation on how to tell how someone dies. (ie. drowning, starvation, choking) -
1277
Mongol Betrayal
The Mongols helped them to conquer the Jin, but then turned on the Song. The leader of the Mongols, Kublai Khan, conquered all of China and began his own dynasty, the Yuan dynasty, soon afterwards. -
1279
End of the Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty ends, giving way to the Chinese Yuan Dynasty. -
1280
Yuan Dynasty
An era of prosperity succeeds the Song Dynasty. -
