Social And Political Changes In China During The Late Classical Period

China during the Late Classical Period was a very extraordinary region. The Chinese surpassed all others during that time period with their advanced cultural and political aspects. During the Late Classical Period which was between 100 C.E. and 589 C.E., political and cultural changes in East Asia occurred due to the pressure from bordering nomadic tribes like the Hsiung-nu that were trying to invade China. Also, there was a decline of interest in Confucian tradition as Buddhism started to spread throughout China.
Political changes in China initiated the decline of the empire. China had a dynasty system in place meaning that rulers came from long hereditary lines. The Han dynasty ruled for most of the Late Classical Period. The quality of
emperors from the Han dynasty kept declining bringing about an empire that became substantially weaker. China had also commenced to expand its borders further into East Asia resulting in a strain on the economy that caused famine among the lower classes. Due to this famine, peasants banned together in a group called The Yellow Turbans. With this group and foreign invaders known as the Hsiung-nu both pressuring the government, civil war soon followed. The Han dynasty fell in 220 C.E. splitting China into three warring kingdoms. It could be said that the end of this dynasty during the Late Classical Period was brought about due to the political changes that occurred. China’s culture also experienced a dramatic change during the Late Classical Period. Throughout many generations, Confucian had been the dominant religion of China; however, Buddhism became the main religion after the fall of the Han dynasty. A philosophy called Daoism also came to be embraced by the people of China during this time. Art during the Late Classical Period was very decorative which seemed to reflect Chinese writing. Astronomers invented an accurate calendar, and scholars began to study the mathematics involved with music. The Late Classical Period completely transformed the ways of culture in China forever. During the Late Classical Period which was between 100 C.E. and 589 C.E., China witnessed a long running dynasty come to an end resulting in many political changes. There was also a shift in religion to Buddhism which was a significant cultural change. These conversions in China during this time period completely revamped its political and cultural aspects. The Late Classical Period helped drive China to become a more advanced civilization.