Polities

The Song Dynasty

SUUNG

Citation Formats

General Reference

History Atlas. "The Song Dynasty." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://history.interactiveatlas.org/polities/song-dynasty.

APA Style

History Atlas. (n.d.). The Song Dynasty. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://history.interactiveatlas.org/polities/song-dynasty

BibTeX

@misc{historyatlas-the-song-dynasty,
  author = {History Atlas},
  title = {The Song Dynasty},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://history.interactiveatlas.org/polities/song-dynasty},
  note = {Accessed August 30, 2026}
}

The Song dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279, founded by Emperor Taizu of Song after he usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and conquered the rest of the Ten Kingdoms. During the Northern Song, the capital was Bianjing (now Kaifeng); after the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty seized the north in the Jin-Song wars, the court retreated south of the Yangtze and ruled the Southern Song from Lin'an (now Hangzhou). Technology, science, philosophy, mathematics and engineering flourished during the Song era: it was the first government in world history to issue paper banknotes, the first Chinese government to maintain a permanent standing navy, and its scholars recorded the first known chemical formula for gunpowder. Neo-Confucian philosophy, expanded civil-service examinations and rapid growth in printing and urban commerce marked Song society. The Mongol-led Yuan dynasty conquered the Southern Song in 1279 after the Battle of Yamen, reuniting China.

Facts

Government Type

Monarchy 1

Capital

Bianjing (now Kaifeng) during the Northern Song; Lin'an (now Hangzhou) during the Southern Song, from 1127 1

Start Year

960 1

End Year

1279 1

Cross-Tradition Connections

In Era

The Post-Classical and Medieval Period

The Song Golden Age

Ruled By

Emperor Taizu of Song

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Song Dynasty

WikipediaLead section, paragraph 1

Quote, Lead section, paragraph 1

The Song dynasty (/sʊŋ/ SUUNG) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, ending the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

View the Source

1. Wikipedia: Song Dynasty

WikipediaInfobox, government field

Quote, Infobox, government field

Monarchy

View the Source

1. Wikipedia: Song Dynasty

WikipediaLead section, paragraph 2

Quote, Lead section, paragraph 2

during the Northern Song (960-1127), the capital was in the northern city of Bianjing (now Kaifeng) ... the Song court retreated south of the Yangtze and established its capital at Lin'an (now Hangzhou).

View the Source

1. Wikipedia: Song Dynasty

WikipediaLead section, paragraph 1, start date

Quote, Lead section, paragraph 1, start date