The Northern Song Dynasty: Rise and Fall of a Dynasty

From Zhao Kuangyin's ascension to the throne in 960 to the Jin army's capture of Kaifeng in 1127, the Northern Song dynasty lasted 168 years. The Northern Song ended the division and fragmentation of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, which had endured for half a century, and reached its height in the eleventh century. Its economy surpassed those of other lands, pioneering a range of economic models. Its cultural achievements flourished: six of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song came from the Northern Song, and Song ci poetry reached great literary heights, standing alongside Tang poetry as one of the twin peaks of Chinese verse. Yet the tradition of valuing civil officials over military strength greatly weakened the Northern Song army. The threat from northern peoples could never be eliminated, hanging overhead like a sharp sword until one day it finally fell.