Timeline of the Song dynasty

This is a timeline of the Song dynasty (960–1279). The Song dynasty was founded by Zhao Kuangyin, posthumously known as Emperor Taizu of Song, who ended the period of division known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The Song dynasty is commonly separated into two historical periods, the Northern Song (960–1127) and the Southern Song (1127–1278), divided by the loss of the north to the Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115–1234). In 1279, the Mongol Yuan dynasty conquered the Song.

10th century

960s

Year Date Event
960 February Zhao Kuangyin declares himself Emperor Taizu of Song, replacing Later Zhou
963 Song conquers tang
Song dynasty introduces the appointment by protection system, which allows high officials to nominate their sons, grandsons, and nephews for the civil service
965 Song conquest of Later Shu: Song conquers Later Shu
Tao Gu provides the first written documentation of using cormorants for fishing
967 Long Yanyao of Nanning, the Yang clan of Bo Prefecture, and the Tian clan of Si Prefecture submit to the Song dynasty in return for their autonomy
Song dynasty recognizes the Bole of the Luodian kingdom, the Mangbu of the Badedian kingdom, and the Awangren of the Yushi kingdom
968 Vietnamese king Đinh Bộ Lĩnh of the Đinh dynasty unites the kingdom and renames it to Đại Cồ Việt
969 Gunpowder propelled fire arrows, rocket arrows, are invented by Yue Yifang and Feng Jisheng.

970s

Year Date Event
971 Song conquest of Southern Han: Song conquers Southern Han - marks the last time elephants are used in Chinese warfare
972 Emperor Taizu of Song recognized the independence of Vietnamese kingdom Đại Cồ Việt with establishing the nominate tributary relation
974 The earliest natural history of pharmaceuticals, the Kaibao Bencao, is printed
The Mo clan of Nandan submits to Song authority
975 Song conquest of Southern Tang: Song conquers Southern Tang
Emperor Taizu of Song tries to convince Pugui of the Mu'ege Kingdom situated in northwest, central, east, and southeast Guizhou to acquiesce to Song overlordship
976 14 November Emperor Taizu of Song dies and his brother Zhao Guangyi succeeds him as Emperor Taizong of Song
Song dynasty and aboriginal allies in Guizhou attack the Mu'ege Kingdom, forcing them to retreat to Dafang County
977 The price ratio of iron to rice reaches 632:100
978 Song conquers Wuyue
979 Song conquest of Northern Han: Song conquers Northern Han
Battle of Gaoliang River: Song dynasty invades Liao dynasty and is defeated

980s

Year Date Event
980 Emperor Jingzong of Liao invades the Song dynasty and retakes territory in Hebei
Long Yanyao's grandson Long Qiongju presents tribute to the Emperor Taizong of Song
981 Battle of Bạch Đằng (981): Song dynasty invades Đại Cồ Việt (Early Lê dynasty) with initial success but is ambushed and the campaign ends with Lê Hoàn accepting Song suzerainty
982 Jiqian's rebellion: Li Jipeng of the Dingnan Jiedushi surrenders to the Song, but his cousin Li Jiqian rebels
983 The complete 130,000 block print edition of the Tripiṭaka Buddhist Canon, the Kaibao Canon 開寶藏) is finished
984 Qiao Weiyue invents the pound lock
986 Song dynasty attacks the Khitans but is defeated

990s

Year Date Event
993 A drought hits Sichuan and peasant rebellions break out
994 Jiqian's rebellion: Song dynasty deposes Li Jiqian
Earliest record of promissory note
995 Rebellions in Sichuan are suppressed
Long Hanyao of Nanning presents tribute to the Song court
996 Jiqian's rebellion: Li Jiqian rebels with Tanguts and raids Song supplies
997 9 May Emperor Taizong of Song dies and his son Zhao Heng becomes Emperor Zhenzong of Song
998 Khitans invade the Song dynasty
Jiqian's rebellion: Song dynasty legitimizes Li Jiqian as governor of Dingnan Jiedushi
Long Hanyao of Nanning presents tribute to the Song court

11th century

1000s

Year Date Event
1000 Khitan forces retreat from the Song dynasty after failing to take key cities
Zhuang rebels attack Yongzhou but the attack is defeated by Zhuang troops of the Song-allied Huang clan
Tang Fu demonstrates gunpowder pots and caltrops to the Song court and is rewarded.
Chinese discover that magnetic north and true north are not the same
1001 Tanguts capture Ordos
Khitans attack the Song dynasty but are repulsed
Zhuang rebels calling themselves the Troops of Chen (chenbing) rebel in Yizhou. Their leader, Su Chengzhun, is defeated three months later.
1002 Shi Pu demonstrates fireballs utilizing gunpowder to the Song court and blueprints are created for promulgation throughout the realm.
1003 Khitans invade the Song dynasty and retreat without making permanent gains
1004 Emperor Shengzong of Liao conducts a full-scale invasion of the Song dynasty which ends in stalemate
A banquet is held for a Nong chieftain in Song territory, leading to military retaliation from Đại Cồ Việt
1005 January Chanyuan Treaty: The Song dynasty agrees to pay the Khitans an annual tribute of silk and silver
1009 Emperor Zhenzong of Song introduces quotas on degrees awarded
Song dynasty modifies the appointment by protection system by requiring candidates to study at the Directorate of Education and sit the examination, which passes at least 50 percent of them

1010s

Year Date Event
1010 Tanguts request famine relief from the Song
1012 Song court sponsors the propagation of the early maturing Champa rice, allowing rice to be harvested twice a year
1014 King Lý Thái Tổ of the Lý dynasty that ruled Đại Việt sends 100 Dali horses to Song court as gifts
1016 Locusts plague the Song capital of Kaifeng
1017 Đại Cồ Việt raids the Song dynasty
1018 Yellow River dikes collapse

1020s

Year Date Event
1021 Agricultural land reaches 13 percent of Song state territory
1022 23 March Emperor Zhenzong of Song dies and his son succeeds him as Emperor Renzong of Song; Empress Liu becomes regent
1023 Song dynasty establishes a Bureau for Exchange Bills in Chengdu after craftsmen, artisans, and farmers reject the replacement of the smaller copper coins with heavy iron coins
Song dynasty starts circulating exchange bills, each worth 1,256,340 strings of cash per 3-year circulation period
1024 Earliest known extant printing block for paper money, the jiaozi
1026 Torrential rains damage the Yellow River dikes and cause widespread flooding in the Song capital of Kaifeng
1027 Repairs on the Yellow River dikes are finished

1030s

Year Date Event
1033 Empress Liu's regency ends as she dies
Drought hits northern China
1034 Li Yuanhao of the Tanguts raids Song dynasty
1036 Unprecedented spread of literati culture throughout society compels the Song court to promulgate sumptuary regulations for citizens of Kaifeng
Song civil service doubles in size
All officials, their sons and grandsons, are relieved from obligations to serve as village officers
Đại Cồ Việt raids the Song dynasty
1037 Earthquake kills 12,000 people, injures 5,600, and kills or injures 50,000 cattle around Kaifeng
1038 10 November Li Yuanhao declares himself Emperor Jingzong of Western Xia
The Meng clan (Zhuang people) in Yizhou of Guangnan West Circuit rebels and is suppressed
1039 Western Xia attacks Song dynasty but is repulsed
Famine strikes north China

1040s

Year Date Event
1040 Song-Xia War (1040–1044): Western Xia invades Song dynasty
1041 Song-Xia War (1040–1044): Western Xia defeats a Song army and kills 6,000
Movable type is invented by Bi Sheng
1042 Song-Xia War (1040–1044): Western Xia conducts a full-scale invasion of the Song dynasty but is repelled
Song-Xia War (1040–1044): Khitans force the Song dynasty to increase annual tribute to 200,000 taels of silver and 300,000 bolts of silk
Song dynasty appoints Degai of the Mu'ege Kingdom as regional inspector
1043 The Yao people of Guiyang rebel
Emperor Renzong of Song enacts the Confucian Qingli Reforms and schools are established at prefectures with sufficient number of students
The School of Four Gates opens - it provides students with a 500-day education, stipends, meals, a place in the dormitory, and exemption from the prefectural examinations
1044 Song-Xia War (1040–1044): Western Xia and Song dynasty cease hostilities
Ou Xifan of the Ou clan rebels to the northwest of Yizhou in Guangnan West Circuit. Ou Xifan declares the Great Tang and wages war on the Song. He is caught a year later and executed by vivisection.
Rebellions break out in Sichuan
The chemical formula for gunpowder appears in the military manual Wujing Zongyao, also known as the Complete Essentials for the Military Classics.
"Thunderclap bombs" are mentioned in the Wujing Zongyao.
A "triple-bed-crossbow" firing fire arrows is mentioned in the Wujing Zongyao.
Earliest recorded use of the compass for navigation
1046 Proportion of jinshi degree holders in the Song dynasty bureaucracy reach a third of all total bureaucratic positions
1047 Drought hits northern China
1048 Wang Ze rebels in Hebei and is suppressed
1049 Nong Zhigao rebellions: Nong Zhigao of the Zhuang people rebels in Guangnan West Circuit
Rebellions in Sichuan are suppressed
The Iron Pagoda is completed

1050s

Year Date Event
1051 The Yao rebellion of Guiyang is suppressed
1053 Nong Zhigao rebellions: Nong Zhigao's rebellion is suppressed
1055 Peng Shixi rebels in Jinghu
1056 Heavy rains overload the Yellow River, causing widespread flooding and a major shift in the river's course
1058 Rebellion breaks out in Yongzhou
Peng Shixi's rebellion is suppressed
1059 The Luoyang Bridge (Quanzhou) is completed

1060s

Year Date Event
1061 The rebellion in Yongzhou is suppressed
1063 30 April Emperor Renzong of Song dies and his cousin Zhao Zongshi succeeds him as Emperor Yingzong of Song
1064 Yizong raids: Western Xia raids Song dynasty
1065 fall Kaifeng experiences massive floods
1066 Yizong raids: Western Xia raids Song dynasty
The Song court starts holding jinshi examinations triennially, a decision that would endure until 1905
1067 25 January Emperor Yingzong of Song dies and his son Zhao Xu succeeds him as Emperor Shenzong of Song
Private trade of gunpowder ingredients is banned in the Song dynasty.
1068 Enrollment in the School of Four Gates reaches 900
Huang Huaixin starts planning the construction of dry docks

1070s

Year Date Event
1070 Western Xia attacks the Song dynasty
The Song court carries out water-control and land reclamation projects which reclaim 38,829,799 acres of agricultural land
Annual copper production in the Song dynasty reaches 12,982 tons, more than the total global production in 1800
The first jinshi imperial examinations to emphasize statecraft over poetry are held
1072 Song dynasty starts colonizing the Qinghai region, taking control of Wushengjun
1075 Lý–Song War: Lý Thường Kiệt and Nùng Tông Đán of the Lý dynasty that ruled Đại Việt invade the Song dynasty, capturing Qinzhou, Lianzhou, and destroying Yongzhou before retreating
Shen Kuo describes the process of making steel using repeated forging under a cold blast for "partial decarbonization", considered by some historians to be a direct predecessor of the Bessemer process
1076 autumn Lý–Song War: Guo Kui of the Song dynasty invades Đại Việt (Lý dynasty) and pushes to the Cầu River, where the war reaches a stalemate
Trade of gunpowder ingredients with the Liao and Western Xia dynasties is outlawed by the Song court
1077 Lý–Song War: Đại Việt (Lý dynasty) becomes a Song tributary in return for the withdraw of Song troops
1078 Annual iron production in the Song dynasty reaches 125,000 tons and becomes the largest iron industry in the world, an achievement that lasts until 1796 during the industrial revolution in England and Wales; per capita iron production reaches 3.1 pound, the world's highest per capita iron production until 1700 in Western Europe
1079 Lý–Song War: Song dynasty gives up claims to Cao Bằng and Lạng Sơn in return for Song captives

1080s

Year Date Event
1080 Number of qualified officials reach 34,000
Mints in the Song dynasty reach annual production of 5,000,000 strings of copper cash and 800,000 strings of iron coins
The Price ratio of iron to rice falls to 177:100 in Sichuan and 135:100 in Shanxi
1081 Song-Xia War (1081–1085): Song dynasty invades Western Xia with initial success, but the odd failure to bring siege weapons and extreme supply problems cause widespread mutiny and the invasion turns into a massive rout
1083 Three hundred thousand fire arrows are produced by the Song court and delivered to two garrisons.
1085 1 April Emperor Shenzong of Song dies and his son Zhao Xu succeeds him as Emperor Zhezong of Song; Empress Gao becomes regent
Drought hits the Kaifeng region
Annual grain harvest reaches 18,700,000 tons
1086 Su Song invents the astronomical clock
1088 Song and the Lý of Đại Việt finalize their border agreement, which with minor changes throughout the centuries, is basically the same as the modern China–Vietnam border
1089 Song and Western Xia conclude a peace treaty

1090s

Year Date Event
1092 Earliest known extant depiction of an endless power-transmitting chain drive
1093 Emperess Gao's regency ends as she dies
1097 Advance and fortify: Song dynasty conducts an advance and fortify campaign against the Western Xia
1098 Advance and fortify: Western Xia retaliates against Song incursions but fails to defeat Song fortifications
1099 Advance and fortify: Western Xia sues for peace

12th century

1100s

Year Date Event
1100 23 February Emperor Zhezong of Song dies and his brother Zhao Ji succeeds him as Emperor Huizong of Song
Total population employed in the Song bureaucracy reaches 0.02 percent
Coke (fuel) replaces charcoal in iron smelting
1102 The Song court mandates the construction of Security and Relief clinics in every prefecture
Cai Jing suggests that the best graduates of the Taixue should be selected for appointment without having to take the imperial examinations and that the examinations themselves should be replaced by a reformed education system; his ideas are ultimately rejected
1103 Song occupation of Tsongkha: Song dynasty invades Tsongkha and Western Xia
Public pharmacies are extended from Kaifeng to the circuits
Earliest recorded references to foot binding
1104 Song occupation of Tsongkha: Song annexes Tsongkha
Song court mandates public cemeteries for the destitute
The Taixue allows enrollment from poor families for an admission fee of 2,000 cash, roughly 4 months of income for a low wage farmer, or 15 percent of monthly salary for a low official
1105 Reports of embezzlement relating to the public welfare initiatives start rolling in
1106 Song occupation of Tsongkha: Song dynasty and Western Xia end hostilities and the war ends inconclusively
Graduates of the prefectural examinations are reduced to 3% of candidates
1107 Song dynasty starts issuing a new note called a 'money voucher' (qianyin)
Song dynasty mandates the superiority of the Taoist clergy in rank and honors to their Buddhist counterparts
1108 Song dynasty sets an annual recruitment quota of 70 Taoist priests for the imperial examinations

1110s

Year Date Event
1110 The Song army puts on a firework display for the emperor including a spectacle which opened with "a noise like thunder" and explosives that light up the night. Considered by some to be the first mention of gunpowder fireworks.
1111 Earliest recorded use of the compass for maritime navigation
1113 Song-Xia War (1113–1119): Song dynasty invades Western Xia
1114 The Palace of Extended Blessings (Yanfu Gong), a park-like compound extending the palace precincts to the north, is constructed
1115 28 January Wanyan Aguda declares himself Emperor Taizu of Jin
1119 Song-Xia War (1113–1119): The war between Song dynasty and Western Xia ends inconclusively
Song Jiang rebels in Jingdong Circuit

1120s

Year Date Event
1120 Fang La rebels in Liangzhe Circuit and is suppressed
Song court announces cutbacks to public welfare
1121 Song Jiang's rebellion in Jingdong Circuit is suppressed
1123 Song dynasty attacks the Liao dynasty but is repelled
Zhang Jue rebels in Ping Prefecture and defects to the Song dynasty but the Jin dynasty immediately retaliates and crushes his army; Zhang Jue is executed by the Song as reconciliation towards the Jin
1125 26 March Emperor Tianzuo of Liao is captured by the Jin dynasty; so ends the Liao dynasty
November Jin dynasty invades the Song dynasty and occupies Shanxi and Hebei
1126 18 January Emperor Huizong of Song abdicates to his son Zhao Huan, who succeeds him as Emperor Qinzong of Song
31 January Jingkang Incident: Thunderclap bomb as well as fire arrows and fire bombs are used by Song troops during the siege of Kaifeng by the Jin dynasty (1115–1234).
5 March Jin army retreats from Kaifeng after the Song dynasty promises to pay an annual indemnity
June Jin dynasty defeats two Song armies
December Jin army returns with fire arrows and gunpowder bombs and lays siege to Kaifeng
1127 12 June Emperor Qinzong of Song's brother Zhao Gou is declared Emperor Gaozong of Song and the capital is moved to Lin'an
December Jingkang Incident: Kaifeng falls to the Jin dynasty and emperors Qinzong and Huizong are captured; territory north of the Huai River is annexed by the Jin - earliest recorded use of "molten metal bombs", suspected to contain gunpowder
1128 The earliest extant depiction of a cannon appears among the Dazu Rock Carvings, one of which is a human figure holding a gourd shaped hand cannon.
1129 Former Song official Liu Yu is enthroned as emperor of the Jin puppet state of Qi
Gunpowder weapons are applied to naval warfare as Song warships are outfitted with trebuchets and supplies of gunpowder bombs.

1130s

Year Date Event
1130 Battle of Huangtiandang: Jin forces are ambushed and stopped at the Yangtze for some time before making the crossing
Zhong Xiang rebels in Hunan
1131 Jin dynasty invades Shaanxi but is repelled, in particular by a volley fire tactic implemented by general Wu Jie (吳 玠) and his younger brother Wu Lin (吳璘)
Li Cheng rebels in Huainan and is suppressed
The Song dynasty establishes China's first standing navy
1132 Siege of De'an: Fire lances are used by Song troops to repel Jin invaders
Gunpowder is referred to specifically for its military applications for the first time and is known as "fire bomb medicine" rather than "fire medicine".
Firecrackers using gunpowder are mentioned for the first time.
1133 Jin puppet state Qi invades Song dynasty but is repelled by Yue Fei
Ayong of the Mu'ege Kingdom leads a large trade delegation of several thousand to the Song city of Luzhou in Sichuan
1135 4 June Emperor Huizong of Song dies
Jin puppet state Qi captures Xiangyang
Yue Fei of the Song dynasty retaliates and recaptures much of the lost territory
The rebellion in Hunan is suppressed
1136 Jin puppet state Qi invades the Song dynasty but is repelled

1140s

Year Date Event
1140 Jin dynasty invades Song dynasty
Battle of Yancheng: Yue Fei launches a successful attack against the Jin and makes considerable territorial gains, but is forced to withdraw by Emperor Gaozong of Song
1141 Yue Fei is arrested
1142 27 January Yue Fei is executed
October Song and Jin agree to the Treaty of Shaoxing which stipulates that the Song must pay Jin an annual indemnity; the Huai River is settled as the boundary between the two states
1143 Buddhist monks in the Song dynasty surge to 200,000 and become the largest class of land owners
1145 The Dongguan Bridge is constructed in Yongchun County, Fujian Province

1150s

Year Date Event
1150 Annual registration for prefectural examinations reaches 100,000 applicants
1151 The Anping Bridge is completed

1160s

Year Date Event
1160 Song dynasty starts issuing huizi, their official paper currency
1161 14 June Emperor Qinzong of Song dies
28 October Jin dynasty invades Song dynasty
16 November Battle of Tangdao: Fire arrows are employed by a Song fleet in sinking a Jin fleet off the shore of Shandong peninsula.
26–27 November Battle of Caishi: Thunderclap bombs are employed by Song treadmill boats in sinking a Jin fleet on the Yangtze.
1162 24 July Emperor Gaozong of Song abdicates to his adopted son Zhao Bocong who becomes Emperor Xiaozong of Song
Copper production in the Song dynasty suffers a complete breakdown and falls to 157 tons per year
1163 summer Song dynasty invades Jin dynasty but is defeated
Fire lances are attached to war carts, known as "at-your-desire-war-carts", for defending Song mobile trebuchets.
1165 Song and Jin conclude a peace treaty reducing Song tribute and returning borders to the Huai River
1167 Song dynasty releases 2 million taels to exchange for huizi and destroy them in order to correct overissue

1170s

Year Date Event
1170 The Song dynasty stations officers at the Penghu Islands
1171 Chinese fishermen settle on the Penghu Islands
1175 More huizi are issued to meet demand

1180s

Year Date Event
1181 Earliest extant printed maps with a date of publication are printed
1187 9 November Emperor Gaozong of Song dies
1188 Emperor Xiaozong of Song creates a new office called the Policy Deliberation Hall (Yishi tang) to train his son Zhao Dun for his eventual accession
1189 18 February Emperor Xiaozong of Song abdicates to his son Zhao Dun, who becomes Emperor Guangzong of Song

1190s

Year Date Event
1190 Casual references to foot binding become more common; foot binding is no longer associated with dancing nor is the practice confined to entertainers
1191 Emperor Guangzong of Song withdraws from the court
1194 28 June Emperor Xiaozong of Song dies
24 July Emperor Guangzong of Song is forced to abdicate and his son Zhao Kuo succeeds him as Emperor Ningzong of Song
1195 Rebellion breaks out in Sichuan
Earliest known extant depiction of a fishing reel
1198 Song court bans Neo-Confucianism

13th century

1200s

Year Date Event
1200 17 September Emperor Guangzong of Song dies
1202 Ban on Neo-Confucianism ends
1204 Song forces start showing military aggression along the Jin border
1206 spring Kokochu, also known as Teb Tengri, chief shaman of the Mongols, bestows upon Temüjin the title of Genghis Khan, "Oceanic Ruler" of the Mongol Empire, at the kurultai of Burkhan Khaldun, sacred mountain of the Mongols
20 June Song dynasty declares war on Jin dynasty
December The governor-general of Sichuan, Wu Xi, defects to the Jin dynasty
1207 29 March Song loyalists kill Wu Xi
Thunderclap bombs are employed by Song forces in a sneak attack on a Jin camp, killing 2000 men and 800 horses.
April Song and Jin enter a stalemate
1208 2 November Song and Jin agree to a peace renewing the Song's tributary relationship with the Jin
Yao people rebel in Jinghu and are suppressed
Rebellion breaks out in Sichuan
Massive fires erupt in Lin'an
Drought and locusts hits Zhejiang
1209 Locusts plague Zhejiang

1210s

Year Date Event
1210 Rebellion breaks out in Jinghu and is suppressed
Earliest known depiction of a trip hammer
Floodwaters and locusts hit Zhejiang
1211 Massive fires erupt in Lin'an
Rebellion breaks out in Sichuan
1212 Floodwaters hit Zhejiang
1213 Rebellion breaks out in Sichuan
Floodwaters hit Zhejiang
1214 Jin dynasty raids Song dynasty
Drought hits Zhejiang
1215 Drought and locusts hit Zhejiang
1216 Earthquakes hit Sichuan
1217 spring Jin dynasty invades Song dynasty but is repelled
Rebellion breaks out in Sichuan
Floodwaters hit Zhejiang
1219 Jin dynasty invades Song dynasty but is repelled
Rebellion breaks out in Sichuan and is suppressed

1220s

Year Date Event
1220 Rebellion breaks out in Sichuan
Massive fires erupt in Lin'an
1221 Jin dynasty invades Song dynasty but is repelled
Iron casing bombs are employed by Jin troops in the siege of Qi Prefecture (Hubei).
1224 17 September Emperor Ningzong of Song dies and his adopted son Zhao Yun succeeds him as Emperor Lizong of Song
Song and Jin cease hostilities
1225 Rebels in Shandong invade the Song dynasty and are repelled
1227 September Emperor Mozhu of Western Xia surrenders to the Mongol Empire and is promptly executed; so ends the Western Xia
1229 New Vietnamese monarch, Trần Thái Tông of the Trần dynasty, sends a diplomatic mission to Song China

1230s

Year Date Event
1230 Co-viative projectiles are added to fire lances.
1231 Song patrols kill a Mongol envoy and in retaliation the Mongols raid Sichuan
Massive fires erupt in Lin'an
1233 summer Song dynasty invades Jin dynasty
1234 9 February Siege of Caizhou: Emperor Aizong of Jin abdicates to a distant relative, Hudun, who becomes Emperor Mo of Jin, and commits suicide; Emperor Mo of Jin is killed by the Mongols; so ends the Jin dynasty
Mongols annihilate the Song army at Luoyang
1235 Mongols raid the Song dynasty
Massive fires erupt in Lin'an
1236 Mongols rout Song forces in Sichuan
1237 Large bombs requiring several hundred men to hurl using trebuchets are employed by Mongols in the siege of Anfeng (modern Shouxian, Anhui Province).
Massive fires erupt in Lin'an
1238 Counterattacks by Song forces force Mongols to withdraw

1240s

Year Date Event
1240 Foot binding spreads to daughters and wives of officials
1242 Mongols raid Sichuan
1243 Mongols raid Sichuan
1244 Mongols raid Huainan
1245 Mongols occupy Shou Prefecture
Rockets are used during a military exercise conducted by the Song navy.
1246 Mongols raid Huainan
1247 Issues of huizi to subsidize rising expenditures and declining revenues reach a value of 650,000,000 strings of cash, an increase by a factor of 25 over half a century
Qin Jiushao discovers Horner's method and introduces the zero symbol into Chinese mathematics

1250s

Year Date Event
1250 Annual registration for prefectural examinations reaches 400,000 candidates
1252 Mongol forces under the Chinese general Wang Dechen advance into Sichuan and occupy Li Prefecture
Massive fires erupt in Lin'an
1253 Mongol forces occupy Li Prefecture
1254 Mongol raids on the northern Song border intensify
1256 summer Möngke Khan declares war on the Song dynasty, citing imprisonment of Mongol envoys as casus belli
The Bazi Bridge is completed in Shaoxing
1257 Three hundred thirty-three "fire emitting tubes" are produced in a Song arsenal in Jiankang Prefecture (Nanjing, Jiangsu).
Massive fires erupt in Lin'an
1258 Mongols capture Chengdu
1259 January Möngke Khan's forces take Ya Prefecture
February Siege of Diaoyu Castle: Möngke Khan's forces lay siege to Diaoyu Fortress
July Siege of Diaoyu Castle: Möngke Khan calls off the siege of Diaoyu Fortress
August Taghachar attacks Huainan
12 August Möngke Khan dies from dysentery or a wound inflicted by a Song trebuchet, forcing Mongol forces to withdraw from Song territory
September Kublai Khan's forces cross the Yangtze and lays siege to Ezhou, however he receives news of Möngke Khan's death and Ariq Böke's mobilization, forcing hm to withdraw and deal with his brother
The History of Song describes a "fire-emitting lance" employing a pellet wad projectile which occludes the barrel. Some consider this to be the first bullet.
The city of Qingzhou produces one to two thousand iron cased bomb shells a month and sends them in deliveries of ten to twenty thousand at a time to Xiangyang and Yingzhou.
Floodwaters hit Zhejiang

1260s

Year Date Event
1260 5 May Kublai Khan convenes a kurultai at Kaiping, which elects him as ruler of the Mongol Empire; so ends the centralized Mongol Empire
Kublai Khan's envoy Hao Jing proposes that the Song dynasty acknowledge Kublai as Son of Heaven in return for autonomy and gets jailed
1261 Kublai Khan sends funds to Li Tan of Shandong to make war on the Song dynasty
1262 22 February Mongol-allied warlord of Shandong, Li Tan, defects to the Song dynasty
August Kublai Khan's Chinese generals Shi Tianze and Shi Chu crush Li Tan's forces and capture him; Li Tan is trampled to death by horses
1263 Massive fires erupt in Lin'an
1264 Emperor Lizong of Song dies and his nephew Zhao Qi succeeds him as Emperor Duzong of Song
Massive fires erupt in Lin'an
A display of miniature rockets frightens the Song empress.
The value of huizi collapses
1265 Song dynasty and Mongol forces clash in Sichuan
1268 Battle of Xiangyang: Aju of the Mongols lays siege to Xiangyang

1270s

Year Date Event
1271 Kublai Khan declares himself emperor of the Yuan dynasty
Chinese people start visiting Taiwan
1272 Battle of Xiangyang: Riverine relief forces use fire lances to repel boarders and break the Mongol blockade of Xiangyang
1273 March Battle of Xiangyang: Lü Wenhuan surrenders Xiangyang to Yuan
1274 12 August Emperor Duzong of Song dies and his son Zhao Xian succeeds him as Emperor Gong of Song; Xie Daoqing becomes regent
1275 January Bayan's forces cross the Yangtze at Hankou
March Bayan's forces meet Jia Sidao in battle at Dingjiao Prefecture and annihilate his force using artillery equipment
Mongols conquer the Hanshui region
1276 Mongol army annihilates a Song army near modern Guichi District
22 March Lin'an surrenders to the Mongols and Emperor Gong of Song is eventually moved to Dunhuang where he raises a family and becomes a monk
Yuan general of Uyghur descent, Arigh Kaya, conquers Hunan and Guangxi
Yuan commander Sodu occupies Fuzhou
14 June Song loyalists enthrone Zhao Shi, brother of Emperor Gong of Song, as Emperor Duanzong of Song
Reusable fire lance barrels made of metal are employed by the Song army.
Fire lances are used by Song cavalry in combating Mongols.
1277 April Muslim superintendent of Quanzhou Pu Shougeng defects to Yuan
A suicide bombing occurs in China when Song garrisons set off a large bomb, killing themselves.
1278 February Yuan commander Sodu occupies Guangzhou
9 May Emperor Duanzong of Song dies in Guangnan and is succeeded by his brother Zhao Bing
1279 19 March Battle of Yamen: Mongol fleet annihilates the Song fleet and Zhao Bing dies at sea; so ends the Song dynasty

See also

  • Timeline of the Khitans
  • Timeline of the Jurchens
  • Timeline of the Tanguts

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