Illustrated Chinese History 3: The Civilized Crossroads Surrounded by Powerful Enemies

The Song Dynasty, succeeding the turbulent era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, stood out for its cultural brilliance in Chinese history. Throughout its existence, it faced powerful neighbouring nations like Liao, Xia, Jin, and Mongolia. History often portrays the Song Dynasty as culturally strong but militarily weak. This raises questions: Why did Song emperors prioritize economic benefits for peripheral "barbarians" rather than engaging in warfare? How does data reflect the dominance of civil officials in the Song Dynasty? How do the population, army size, and war horse numbers of the Northern Song Dynasty compare to Liao and Xia? Eventually, the Song Dynasty confronted its most formidable adversary, the Mongols. Under Genghis Khan and later Kublai Khan, the Mongol Empire swept across Eurasia, leading to the downfall of the Southern Song Dynasty after the capture of Xiangyang City, sealing its fate.