However, the spread of education brought with it new troubles. Textbooks on a myriad of subjects, from history and archaeology to law and even forensic medicine, were written and published to supply the growing demand. Literary works also became more diversified and specialised. The Song heralded the rise of the scholarly elite, who would eventually come to rival and replace the aristocracy in matters of government. Droves of scholars became well-versed in Classical studies, philosophy, politics, and Classical poetry the basic foundations of the imperial examinations. Thus a wider range of people were capable of receiving a decent education, which in turn led to greater social mobility. China’s citizens from all walks of life began consuming literature voraciously and the country’s literacy drastically increased. While laboriously hand-written copies of texts were extortionately expensive, printed copies could be mass-produced and were affordable to a wider range of social classes.
During the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127), this process was further enhanced when a Chinese inventor named Bi Sheng created movable type printing. Towards the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the development of woodblock printing meant that thousands of books could be quickly, easily, and cheaply produced. In terms of science and technology, the Song Dynasty saw advancements that would have a drastic effect not only China, but also the rest of the world. The spread of affordable literature gave rise to an elite class of scholars from a variety of social backgrounds the burgeoning trade economy meant that financial prosperity was widespread and leisure activities gradually became a pastime enjoyed by more than just the privileged few. In many ways, the Song Dynasty was an era of great change and reformation in Chinese history.
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