The Song dynasty, founded by Emperor Taizu, succeeded the T'ang dynasty and ruled from 960 to1279. China under Song rule became the first country in the history of the world to issue paper money and found a permanent standing navy. In comparison to the T'ang dynasty, the song was by far more culturally advanced, but lacked a strong military force.

The Song reign divided into two periods: The Northern Song and Southern Song. Southern Song refers to when the dynasty lost the northern territories to the Manchurians in 1127 and retreated south to the Yangtze River. Despite the large loss of land, they still held 60 percent of China's population and the important agricultural lands. This nation succumbed to Mongol invaders in 1279.

The high status of the scholar-gentry was restored along with the Confucian bureaucracy, playing prominent roles in social and political aspects of China.

Song architects tamed the Chinese waters, constructing dams, canals, and bridges. Gunpowder, accidentally invented by Tang alchemists, was soon put to military use. Other inventions or innovations included the compass, coal-fueled energy for households, kites, the abacus, poetry, and landscape painting.

Families were patriarchal, with the wife and groom being of similar age. The wife was legally protected against unlawful divorce or abandonment. The laws of child behavior were strict: Should a child intentionally bring harm to his elders, he/she was often sentenced to death. Should the parent or guardian bring unprovoked violence upon his/her child, years of labor was the common punishment.