Question

Which of the following was NOT an accomplishment achieved by the Chinese during the Tang-Song Era?
A) Moveable type printing
B) Flourishing trade along with the silk route network
C) A golden age of poetry and art
D) Development of explosive powder.
E) Stirrups for improvised horsemanship.

Answer 1

Hint: The period from the start of the Tang Dynasty in 618 to the end of Sang Dynasty in 1279 is considered the Golden Age of China as they made numerous advantages in art and innovation. It was the time of peace and prosperity as a well-governed, rich, educated and cosmopolitan empire.

Complete answer:
Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) During the Song Dynasty in China, Bi Sheng developed the world’s first moveable type system for printing using ceramic materials in around 1040 AD. This invention changed the way documents were printed in ancient China making them more efficient and easier. Characters carved into small clay blocks were used instead of carving an entire book into one huge block. Hence this statement is true.

Option B) The Silk Road rose to its most flourishing period in history under the Tang Dynasty. As the Tang dynasty took control of most of Central Asia, travel along the silk routes became safer and faster. Due to the increased safety many merchants and other travellers set up boomtowns and market centres along the routes. Hence this statement is correct.

Option C) China was the most culturally rich during the Tang Dynasty Reign. In this period, poetry along with other art forms continued to be an important part of the social life of people at all levels of society. Although literature was theoretically available to everyone, scholars were required to master poetry for civil services exams. This also resulted in a large record of poets and poems, some of which survive today. Hence this statement is true.

Option D) Accidental invention of explosive powder called the ‘gunpowder’ by a Tang Dynasty Chinese alchemist led to huge developments in the military sector. Around 850 AD the secret weapon was used in military applications in China and eventually around the world. Hence this statement is true.

Option E) A figurine similar to a stirrup dated 302 AD was excavated from a Western Jin Dynasty tomb in Changsha. It is believed that the Chinese had acquired a form of the saddle and mounted cavalry had become the dominant use of horses in the military during the Han Dynasty regime. Hence this system is false.

Hence the correct answer is option ‘E’.

Note: The scientific inventions and literary achievements of the Tang and Song period revolutionised several aspects of society from military warfare to art and poetry. Religious, academic, artistic life and cultural exchange flourished in the prosperous cultural centres of the country.