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[[Image:Huizong-Cranes.jpg|center|thumb|750px|''Auspicious Cranes'', painting and calligraphy by [[Emperor Huizong]], [[1112]].]]
[[Image:Huizong-Cranes.jpg|center|thumb|750px|''Auspicious Cranes'', painting and calligraphy by [[Emperor Huizong]], [[1112]].]]
==Politics & Political Culture==
The founder of the dynasty, [[Emperor Taizu]], came to power as a leading general of the [[Later Zhou Dynasty]], one of the states of the preceding Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms period. He secured his power by encouraging other generals to then retire to their estates; the Song Dynasty, though not without its political and military difficulties and economic vibrancy, might be said to have had a tone, or character, of relaxed contemplation and cultured enjoyment of life, that is, at least for the elites. Elite families focused less on amassing power with which to control or threaten the state, and were instead typified more by the amassing of wealth & prestige simply for more comfortable or luxurious lives and societal position, as local gentry and/or as office-holding upper gentry.<ref name=schiro>Conrad Schirokauer, et al, ''A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations'', Fourth Edition, Cengage Learning (2012), 190-191.</ref>
Song Taizu further secured his power, and the peace and order of the new state, by separating military and civil official career tracks, and taking various steps to separate generals and soldiers from one another, and from local bases of power, in efforts to assure their loyalty to the center and to prevent rebellion.<ref name=schiro/>
==Economics==
==Economics==
