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SS 2nd Endterm Reviewer
I. Early Civilizations and Empires of China
Dynasty – a series of rulers all coming from one family.
BCE – Before Common Era
CE – Common Era
ca – circa/around (ex. ca 1700 BCE– around 1700 BCE)
Sinocentrism – Chinese centered
-Chinese believed that they were the middle kingdom. (native name for China is “zhong
guo” which means “Middle Kingdom.”
-they believed that people outside China were barbarians.
Huang Ho River (Yellow River)
-colored yellow because of mineral deposits.
-source of life. (Provided fertile soil) ; gave birth to the Chinese civilization.
-nicknamed “China’s sorrow” because when it overflowed, millions would be killed.
-Cradle of civilization.
Shang Dynasty – (ca 1700-1100)
 Shang Dynasty lasted for 600 years.
 Artifacts found to prove existence: oracle bones & bronze vases. (How oracle bones were used:
people would carve their questions/inquiries on ox bones/underside of turtles and after, they’d
heat them. The cracks on the bones would be interpreted into answers to their questions and
predictions of the future.)
 oracle bones served as the earliest evidence of Chinese writing.
 Started the use of humans as sacrifices.
 practiced ancestor worship.
 Emperors used the skullcaps of their enemies as drinking vessels.
 economy was mainly characterized by farming.
 Shang rulers became cruel and
wicked, which led to the dynasty’s
collapse.
Zhou Dynasty – (ca 1100-221 BCE)
 Mandate of Heaven: sign from a
heaven that a family would rule. If the
dynasty was successful & peaceful,
they believed that the ruling family
had the Mandate of Heaven. When
there were wars and the dynasty
would start to decline, people believed
that the family had lost the Mandate
of Heaven.
 Warring States period, which was a
result of Feudalism.
- Feudalism: political system in which
nobles/lords are granted the use of lands that legally belong to the king. In return, the nobles owe
loyalty & military service to the king and protection to the people who live on their lands.
Eventually the lords wanted more power & built armies. This led to the Warring States period where
the noble families were all at war, fighting to expand their territory.
 Chinese wanted to restore the values of harmony and peace. These were lost due to the wars.
 Golden Age of Philosophy due to the birth of 2 great philosophies.
A. Confucius
-developed Confucianism.
-believed that to achieve harmony, one must obey the rules.
-did not believe in equality.
-believed in the existence of 5 relationships: 1) ruler  subject. 2) husband  wife. 3) Father 
son. 4) Older brother  younger brother. 5) older friend  younger friend.
-regarded China as a family with the emperor as the ruler/father.
-Family was given more importance ; family before self. The last name was written before their
given name.
-Filial Piety – children must always respect their parents.
-firmly believed in education.
B. Lao Tzu
-developed Taoism/Daoism
-believed that to achieve harmony, you must “go with the flow” and let the universal force guide
you.
-Developed “yin” and “yang” He believed that there must be a balance between forces, and they
must co-exist.
Chin Dynasty (ca 221-206 BCE) [15 years of rule]
 Greatest dynasty therefore the name “China” came from this dynasty.
 Trade and culture flourished.
 Shih Huang-ti – First emperor.
-unified China. United all kingdoms under his rule and created the first empire.
-ordered construction of roads & standardized measurements.
-ordered the burning of all books. Only practical books about medicine & farming were saved.
-imposed heavy taxes.
-Shih Huang-ti unified China at the expense of human freedom.
 Great Wall of China (constructed by Shih Huang-ti)
-protected China from invasions.
-only man-made structure seen from the moon.
-longest graveyard. People working on the wall died there and were buried there.
 Terra Cotta warriors
-Shih Huang-ti was afraid of death because he was afraid that the ghosts of the people he killed
would haunt him. He ordered the creation of 2,000 terra cotta warriors to guard his tomb.
 Chin dynasty collapsed after the death of Shih Huang-ti.
Han Dynasty – (206 BCE – 220 CE)
 Reversed the policies of Shih Huang-ti
 Confucianism was the core of the government.
 Greatest ruler of Han Dynasty – Wu-ti
-founded a national university to teach the “Five Classics” of Confucius (most precious books).
 Civil Service Exam – determined who are competent in the teachings of Confucius. Graduates
who passed were chosen for high positions in the government. Only men were allowed.
 Placed importance in education.
 First contact with Europe.
 Paper was invented. Since paper was cheaper, books were more available. This helped spread
education.
 Inventions: wheelbarrow, collar harness, perfected the use of the plow, use of watermills to grind
grain.
 Great Silk Road
-silk linked China with Persia and the rest of the civilized world.
-allowed trade to flourish between Asia and Europe.
-Bandits would rob those traveling along the silk road. As a result, trade points were set up.
Merchants would pay taxes at every point in exchange for protection.
 Buddhism came to China with traders on the Great Silk Road.
 Buddhism spread because of the wars during the late Han dynasty. People sought comfort in the
kind and merciful Buddha.
Sui Dynasty – (581-616 CE)
 Reunited China after the collapse of the Han dynasty.
 Grand Canal was formed.
-served as a trade route & decongested the Yangtze river.
Tang Dynasty – (618 – 907 BCE)
 Golden Age of Chinese Civilization. Period of prosperity and peace. Great cultural development.
 Started the use of block printing.
 Porcelain. A precious export because China was the only one that knew how to produce it. The
process of making porcelain was a great secret only known to the Chinese.
 Literature & poetry flourished.
 During this period, China was the most powerful, most sophisticated and wealthiest country in the
world.
 Buddhism reached its height.
Sung Dynasty – (960 – 1278 CE)
 Invention of gunpowder (used for fireworks) and the compass.
 Started Feng Shui.
 Greatest problem  Mongolian invasions
Yuan Dynasty – (1278 – 1368 CE)
 First foreign dynasty of China.
 Founded by Kublai Khan.
-ruled and united China for 300 years.
-he appointed Mongolians & foreigners to higher government positions & Chinese to lower ones.
-allowed himself to learn Chinese culture to gain the trust of the people.
-under his rule, China opened to more foreign contacts and trade.
 Marco Polo – Venetian (Italian) trader who served in Kublai Khan’s court for 17 years. After
returning to Europe, he informed the Europeans about the sophistication and technology of China.
II. Empires of India (Maurya, Gupta & Mughal)
Indian name for India  Bharat
Aryans:
 Nomads
 Brought Hinduism
-based on sanatana Dharma  eternal dharma (Dharma- role ; fulfillment of duty)
-oldest religion.
-collaboration of many different religions and traditions.
-developed the caste system (religious element is hard to separate from the general cultural
practice.)
-had 3 major gods: 1) Bhrama – creator. 2)Vishnu – preserver. 3)shiva – destroyer.
 Sanskrit writing.
 Vedas – holy scripture
- “Veda” means knowledge or wisdom.
-oldest religious text. (Hindu)
- consists of 4 religious books.
-written in Sanskrit.
-Hindu core of beliefs, hymns & poems, religious prayers & magical spells.
 Varna (social classes)
-caste system (started with classification by skin color)
-Aryans were in the upper classes.
OUTCASTS
untouchables
-classes couldn’t interact with one another.
-people were born into their caste/class for
life, unless they did something to make
them go down to a lower class.
-Caste dictated the duties & life of the
people.
-Buddhism appealed to lower caste
members because it was less rigid.
-One could only get to a better class if he
fulfilled his duties and after death, would
be reincarnated into a higher class. If you
did not do your duties well, you would be
reincarnated into something lower.
-strong religious influence.
-rigid structure.
Mauryan Empire
 Founded by Chandragupta Maurya - first emperor
-conquered other kingdoms and spread his power.
-imposed heavy taxes
 Kautilya
-adviser of Chandragupta Maurya.
-part of the Brahmin caste.
 Asoka
-grandson of Changragupta Maurya.
-Mauryan empire reached it’s greatest height under his rule.
-conquered diff. parts of India through bloody wars.
-at first, followed the teachings of Kautilya but then converted to Buddhism.
-“Great Propagator of Buddhism”
-Most peaceful ruler
-practiced religious toleration. Had respect for other religions and did not persecute them.
Gupta Empire
 Chandra Gupta I – first emperor of Gupta empire.
-built the empire after turmoil and war in India.
-called the “Great King of Kings”
-tolerant of all religions
 Golden Age of Hinduism. (Buddhism became weak)
 India’s Golden Age (many contributions & Indian culture and civilization flourished.)
-pi (3.1416)
-rotation of the earth.
-zero “0”
-algebra
-Mahabharatta (longest & oldest epic in the world that depicts 2 warring families.)
 Collapsed when nomadic tribes invaded. (Mongolians)
The Rajputs
 Descendants of one of the major ruling warrior clans in India.
 Introduced sati/suttee: the religious funeral practice of burning widowed women.
 Part of the kshatriyas caste.
 Lived by a code of honor & bravery (much like the Japanese samurais)
Mughal Empire
 Ruled by Mongolians. (The Mongolian Empire was the biggest empire on earth.)
 Established by Babur “The Tiger”
 Akbar the Great – greatest Mughal ruler
-only 13 years old when he ascended to the throne.
-allowed religious tolerance.
-reign was especially marked by fairness.
-abolished taxes on Muslims and Hindus & distributed land to both Muslims and Hindus.
-military conqueror.
-welcomed cultural influences
-literature was revived.
-Ramayana (ancient Sanskrit epic about the story of Rama & Sita; showed an example of the
ideal Indian wife)
-women were required to cover their whole bodies & men were protective of them.
*Purdah: seclusion of women. Women could not be seen by men outside their family.
-Urdu: language which combines Persian & Arabic words with Hindu grammar.
 Shah Jahan
-ordered the construction of the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
-people were heavily taxed to support the construction of the monuments.
 Aurangzeb
-anti-Hindu
-oppresive and cruel ruler.
-brought back the non-Muslim tax.
III. Japanese Civilization
Japan  native name: Nihon
 came from the word “jiphen”
 is an archipelago, thus allowing it to develop without much foreign interference.
 has 4 major islands.
 youngest civilization.
 native residents: Ainus
 According to legend, all emperors are descendants of the sun goddess, Amaterasu (daughter of
the gods Izanagi and Izanami).
 Amaterasu is the most powerful goddess because everything needs light (sun).
 First emperor – Jimmu Tenno
*Tenno: emperor ; son of heaven
 Tenno dynasty was never overthrown because the people believed that the emperors were of
divine descent (descendants of Amaterasu).
 Native religion of Japan – Shinto or “way of the gods”
-highest god is Amaterasu.
 Periods were named after the place where the capital was, not the name of the rulers.
Nara Period
 Buddhist ideas of worship spread (because of Korean travelers). Some Buddhism rituals
became Shinto rituals, and some Shinto gods and goddesses were worshipped in Buddhist
temples.
 Prince Shotoku
-tried (but failed) to implement the civil service exam because in Japan, noble birth from a
wealthy family was the key to getting a powerful job in the government.
-sent missionaries to China to study the civilization so that they could adopt their practices
and make it their own to improve their culture.
Japanese adopted Chinese ways to suit their needs.
Heian Period
 Capital was transferred from Nara to Heian (present day Kyoto).
 Highly refined court society.
 Japan’s Golden Age -emphasized poems, clothes, calligraphy
 Literature was written mostly by women. They wrote in the native language using Kana.
-Tale of Genji – written by Lady Murasaki. Was an account of the life of a prince in the
imperial court. ; world’s first novel.
 Feudalism was practiced. Noble families became powerful, and went to war for territory.
Kamakura Period (Rise of the Shogunate)
 Minamoto Yoritomo – first shogun of Japan & founded the shogunate.
*Shogun: military/politic leader ; general.
*shogunate: years under a shogun
*bakufu: government of the shogun
*Daimyo: local land lords
*Fief: land given to a daimyo to control and protect.
*Samurai: loyal to their assigned daimyo/master and protected them and their fief.
 The emperor was a figurehead since the shogun was the one who really controlled the
country & made the decisions. The shogun still paid respect to the emperor.
 Bushido: code of honor of the samurais.
 Seppuku/Harakiri: honorable suicide. If a samurai failed to do his duties, he would rather die
in honor (harakiri) than live in shame.
 Mongolians tried to invade Japan twice but a typhoon destroyed the Mongolian fleet. The
Japanese believed a divine wind (kamikazee) was sent to help them (kami – spirit).
Edo Period
 Sakoku - Japan closed its doors to foreign influences so they could build their own culture.
-Nagasaki  only place in Japan where trade was allowed (between Japan & the Dutch.)
 Nobunaga tried to stop Buddhism because he wanted to maintain power. The government
was built upon Shinto beliefs (emperor was a descendant of the Shinto goddess Amaterasu)
If the people stopped believing in Shinto, they would be harder to control.
 Hideyoshi prevented the spread of Christianity.
 Sakoku ended after 200 years. Americans threatened Japan and told them to open their
country. Treaty of Kanagawa – Japan opened 2 ports for the Americans & gave assistance to
shipwrecked sailors.
Meiji Period
 After sakoku ended, the shogunate ended & the emperor was restored as the political ruler.
 Meiji Restoration: period when the emperor’s political rights were restored. Shogunate was
abolished (therefore the samurai class was abolished).
 Japanese adopted and modified western influence to suit their condition.
Japanese contributions:
 Kabuki – Japanese dance drama
 Haiku – Japanese poem, originally about appreciation for nature. Followed the pattern 5-7-5
 Katakana & Hiragana writing system.
 Kojiki – records of Japan’s ancient history.
 Nihonji –myths contained in the Kojiki ; chronicles of Japan.
IV. Korean Civilization
Native name – hanguo
Korea  land of the morning calm.
 King Tangun – founded 1st Korean kingdom.
 3 rival kingdoms of Korea: 1) Koguryo – biggest & most powerful. 2)Paekche. 3)Sillasmallest &weakest. (Politically divided, but the people were united in culture & practices.)
 Koguryo Kingdom – first kingdom, largest & closest to China.
 Paekche Kingdom – refuges who went south to avoid Koguryo.
 Silla Kingdom – weakest & most underdeveloped, last to adopt foreign ideas, had military
alliance with China.
 China helped Silla conquer the other kingdoms. Koreans discovered that China wanted to
take over Korea, so they went to war. Wang Kien rebelled against China & unified Korea.
 Wang Kien gained control & unified Korea. (became king through rebellion.)
Koryo Dynasty
 Established by Wang Kien.
 Koryo  inspiration for modern name “Korea”
 Centralized government
 Korean blue-green celadon (comparable to Chinese porcelain)
 Tripitaka – over 80,000 Buddhist scriptures printed on large wooden blocks.
 Printing using metal blocks.
 Civil service exam & universities. (civil service exam wasn’t effective because officials
passed on their duties to their sons)
 Social classes: aristocrats, military, commoners & slaves.
 Mongols invaded China & demanded tribute.
 Hanja – Chinese characters in Korea.
Yi Dynasty
 -Yi Tai-jo – overthrew Koryo dynasty.
 Sejong – greatest Korean king.
-Korea’s golden age (culture flourished)
-Confucianism was strong
-strictly implemented Civil Service Exam.
-invention of Korean Alphabet  Hangul (greatest contribution of Sejong)
Japanese Invasion
 Bloody war with Japan. Led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
 Koreans experienced traumatic was experiences because they were always conquered.
-as a result, Korea closed its doors for 250 years & remained in isolation.
-called the “Hermit Kingdom”
V. Southeast Asian Kingdoms and Empires
-southeast Asians came from different lands.
-influenced by nearby countries.
-do not have a binding factor.
*no specific language or culture. Never under one empire ; never united. No major religion.
Khmer Empire - Present day Cambodia
 Greatest landmark  Angkoy Wat (temple dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu)
 Longest lasting empire of the region.
 Jayavarman VII  greatest Khmer king.
 Angkor period  greatest era because it was the height of culture & learning.
 Improved rice cultivation & built elaborate irrigation systems & waterways.
Annamese Empire - Dominant people of Vietnam.
 Ancestors were Mongolians from China who settled in Tonkin.
 People least influenced by India
Siamese Kingdom - Present day Thailand.
 Only country in southeast asia to remain independent since the early times.
 Thai  free. Their country is called Muang Thai  land of the free.
 Thai culture emerged based on Hindu and Chinese cultural patterns.
 Invented the script which would be basis for the modern Thai system of writing.
Burmese Empire
 Migrants from Tibet, China & India.
 Kingdom of Pagan laid the foundation for the first Burmese kingdom.
 Anawrata united Burma under one government.
 Buddhist art and literature flourished.
 Bunyin Naung  Napoleon of Burma
Srivijaya Empire - Located on Sumatra, Indonesia
 Influenced much of maritime southeast asia.
 Coastal trading center & controlled coastal trade routes.
 Thalassocracy  state which ruled over mostly maritime dominions.
 Rich in gold and held in high esteem.
Sailendra Empire
 “king of the mountains”
 built the greatest Buddhism temple called the Borobodur.
Majapahit Empire – current New Guinea
 last Hindu empire of the Malay Archipelago
 one of the greatest states in Indonesian history.
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Strong commercial relation with Vietnam, China & Thailand.
1389 –empire’s peak & the start of urbanization and flourishing of trade & commerce.
Islam religion spread.
Developed a high degree of commercial & artistic activities.
Reached its peak under the rule of Hayam Wuruk, who extened his rule over maritime
southeast Asia.