Silk in the Song Dynasty

• Where was silk produced in the era of the Song Dynasty, and what were some of the most important export markets?

  Some of the most important export markets were the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Central Asia, and Korea

  
  

  Silk was produced in Jiangnan
• How did the economy work during the Song Dynasty? Who made silk in particular?

  There was strong state involvement and a private industry

  Lingjing Office, Urban workshops, and households often made the silks
• State Involvement

  national road and canal system
• Private Industry

  local industries and merchants and smugglers
• Other than clothing, what other uses were there for silk?

  form of currency and diplomacy
• Was the silk trade part of a wider Afro-Eurasian trading system? How?

  Yes because of the exportations of silk, which was ultimately fueled by the Song Dynasty
• What does the Pictures of Tilling and Weaving tell us about who did most of the work to produce silk?

  It shows Tilling as female, which tells us most of the people who produced silk were women. Additionally, there are babies involved in the industry, which also lets us to believe the productions were a family-based industry.

  
• Was there an industrial revolution in China in this period? What evidence is there for it?

  To an extent, yes, because some similarities are the rising use of coal, increasing use of iron, new technologies emerging, and documentations of innovations. However, there were differences, such as less concentration of wealth and more laborers and fewer machines
• How does the production and trade of silk impact the government, economy, social interactions, and cultural developments of China?

  The production and trade of silk have been crucial for China, providing revenue for the government, driving economic growth, and shaping social interactions. Silk served as a symbol of wealth and status, influencing cultural developments and artistic expressions. Through the silk trade, China engaged in diplomatic relations and cultural exchanges, connecting with distant regions and enriching its societal fabric