960 CE
The Song dynasty was founded in China by Zhao Kuangyin, beginning an era of remarkable economic growth, technological innovation, and cultural flourishing that would last over three centuries.
Politics & Power
- General Zhao Kuangyin was proclaimed emperor by his troops at Chenqiao in a military coup, founding the Song dynasty as Emperor Taizu and beginning the process of reunifying China after the fragmented Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
- Emperor Taizu pursued a deliberate policy of subordinating the military to civilian authority, a lesson drawn from the instability of the preceding era, which shaped the Song dynasty's character as one of the most culturally and economically advanced but militarily cautious states in Chinese history.
Climate & Environment
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration was approximately 276 parts per million, as later confirmed by ice core analysis.
Population & Demographics
- World population is estimated to have been approximately 300 million.