Or Sung dynasty; Chinese imperial family 960–1279, founded by northern general Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin 928–76). A distinction is conventionally made between the Northern Song period 960–1126, when the capital was at Kaifeng, and Southern Song 1127–1279, when it was at Hangzhou (Hangchow). A stable government was supported by a thoroughly centralized administration. The dynasty was eventually ended by Mongol invasion.
During the Song era, such technologies as shipbuilding, firearms, clock-making, and the use of the compass far outstripped those of Europe. Painting, poetry, and ceramics flourished, as did economic development, particularly in the rice-growing SE. NE China remained independent of the Song, being ruled by theLiao and Jin dynasties.