The Great Song Is a Little Soft

Of all the dynasties, none was more full of contradictions than the Song.

Zhao Kuangyin founded the dynasty after being draped in the imperial yellow robe, establishing a policy that favored scholars and looked down on military strength. Scholars prospered, while generals were kept in check.

The Song suffered defeat after defeat in its wars abroad, paying for peace. The Northern Song fell during the Jingkang Incident, while the Southern Song was forced to cling to its corner of the south.

And yet the Great Song was immensely prosperous: its streets bustled, its literary culture flourished, its poetry endured through the ages, and its crafts and technology were second to none. It was a flourishing age full of the warmth and bustle of everyday life.