Download 15. The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia

Chapter 14
The Resurgence of Empire
in East Asia
©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
1
The Sui Dynasty (589-618 C.E.)
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Regional kingdoms succeed collapse of Han
dynasty
Yang Jian consolidates control of all of China,
initiates Sui dynasty
Massive building projects
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
Military labor
Conscripted labor
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2
The Grand Canal

Intended to promote trade between north and
south China
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Most Chinese rivers flow west-east
Linked network of earlier canals
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2000 kilometers (1240 miles)
Roads on either bank
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3
The Tang Dynasty (618-907 C.E.)
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Wide discontent over conscripted labor in Sui
dynasty
Military failures in Korea prompt rebellion
Emperor assassinated in 618 C.E.

Tang dynasty initiated
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4
Tang Taizong
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Second emperor of Tang dynasty (r. 627-649
C.E.)
Murdered two brothers, thrust father aside to take
throne
Strong ruler
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Built capital at Chang’an
Law and order
Taxes, prices low
More effective implementation of earlier Sui policies
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5
Major Achievements of Tang
Dynasty

Transportation and communications
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Extensive postal, courier services
Equal-field system
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20% of land, hereditary ownership
80% redistributed according to formula
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Family size, land fertility
Worked well until eighth century

Corruption, loss of land to Buddhist monasteries
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6
Bureaucracy of Merit

Imperial civil service examinations

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Confucian educational curriculum
Most advance through merit

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Educational opportunity widely available
Built loyalty to the dynasty
System remains strong until early twentieth century
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7
Tang Military Expansion and
Foreign Relations
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Manchuria, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet
One of the largest expansions of China in its
history
Established tributary relationships
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Gifts
China as “Middle Kingdom”

The kowtow ritual
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8
The Sui and Tang Dynasties, 589-907 C.E.
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9
Tang Decline
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Governmental neglect: emperor obsessed with
music, favorite concubine
775 C.E. rebellion under An Lushan, former
military commander
Captures Chang’an, but rebellion crushed by 763
Nomadic Uighur mercenaries invited to suppress
rebellion, sacked Chang’an and Luoyang
Tang decline continues, rebellions in ninth
century, last emperor abdicates 907
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10
Song Dynasty (960-1279 C.E.)
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Emphasis on administration, industry, education,
the arts
Military not emphasized
Direction of first emperor, Song Taizu (r. 960-976
C.E.)
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
Former military leader
Made emperor by troops
Instituted policy of imperial favor for civil servants,
expanded meritocracy
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11
The Song Dynasty, 960-1279 C.E.
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12
Song Weaknesses

Size of bureaucracy heavy drain on economy
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Two peasant rebellions in twelfth century
Internal inertia prevents reform of bureaucracy
Civil service leadership of military
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Lacked military training
Unable to contain nomadic attacks
Jurchen conquer, force Song dynasty to Hangzhou,
southern China (Southern Song)
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13
Agricultural Economies of the Tang
and Song Dynasties
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Developed Vietnamese fast-ripening rice, two
crops per year
Technology: iron plows, use of draft animals
Soil fertilization, improved irrigation

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Water wheels, canals
Terrace farming
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14
Population Growth
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Result of increased
agricultural production
Effective food
distribution system

Transportation
networks built under
Tang and Song
dynasties
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15
Urbanization
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Chang’an world’s most populous city: two
million residents

Southern Song capital Hangzhou: over one million
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16
Patriarchal Social Structures
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Increased emphasis on ancestor worship
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Foot binding gains popularity
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Elaborate grave rituals
Extended family gatherings in honor of deceased
ancestors
Increased control by male family members
Wu Zhao (626-706 C.E.)
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17
Foot Binding
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18
Technology and Industry
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Porcelain (“chinaware”)
Increase of iron production due to use of coke, not
coal, in furnaces
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Gunpowder invented
Earlier printing techniques refined
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Agricultural tools, weaponry
Moveable type by mid-eleventh century
Yet complex Chinese ideographs make wood block
technique easier
Naval technology
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19
Emergence of a Market Economy

Letters of credit developed to deal with copper
coin shortages
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Development of independently produced paper
money
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Promissory notes, checks also used
Not as stable, riots when not honored
Government claims monopoly on money
production in eleventh century
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20
China and the Hemispheric Economy
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
Increasingly cosmopolitan nature of Chinese
cities
Chinese silk opens up trade routes, but increases
local demands for imported luxury goods
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21
Cultural Change in Tang and Song
China
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Declining confidence in Confucianism after
collapse of Han dynasty
Increasing popularity of Buddhism
Christianity, Manichaeism, Zoroastrianism, Islam
also appear
Clientele primarily foreign merchant class
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22
Dunhuang
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Mahayana Buddhism especially popular in
western China (Gansu province), 600-1000 C.E.
Buddhist temples, libraries
Economic success as converts donate land
holdings
Increased popularity through donations of
agricultural produce to the poor
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23
Conflicts with Chinese Culture
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Buddhism:
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Text-based (Buddhist
teachings)
Emphasis on
Metaphysics
Ascetic ideal
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Celibacy
isolation
Confucianism:
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Text-based (Confucian
teachings)
Daoism not text-based
Emphasis on ethics,
politics
Family-centered
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Procreation
Filial piety
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24
Schools of Buddhism
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Buddhists adapt ideology to Chinese climate
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Accommodated family lifestyle
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Dharma translated as dao
Nirvana translated as wuwei
“One son in monastery for ten generations of salvation”
Chan school; Zen Buddhism
Pure Land school
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25
Persecution of Buddhists
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Daoist/Confucian persecution supported in late
Tang dynasty
840s begins systematic closure of Buddhist
temples, expulsions
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Zoroastrians, Christians, Manichaeans as well
Economic motive: seizure of large monastic
landholdings
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26
Neo-Confucianism
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Song dynasty refrains from persecuting
Buddhists, but favors Confucians
Neo-Confucians influenced by Buddhist thought
Philosopher Zhu Xi (1130-1200 C.E.)
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27
China and Korea
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Silla Dynasty: Tang armies withdraw, Korea
recognizes Tang as emperor
Technically a vassal state, but highly independent
Chinese influence on Korean culture pervasive
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28
China and Vietnam
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Vietnamese adaptation to Chinese culture,
technology
But ongoing resentment at political domination
Assert independence when Tang dynasty falls in
tenth century
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29
China and Early Japan
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Chinese armies never invade Japan
Yet Chinese culture pervasive
Imitation of Tang administration
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Establishment of new capital at Nara, hence “Nara
Japan” (710-794 C.E.)
Adoption of Confucian, Buddhist teachings
Yet retention of Shinto religion
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30
Heian Japan (794-1185 C.E.)
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Japanese emperor moves court to Heian (Kyoto)
Yet emperor figurehead, real power in hands of
Fujiwara clan
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Pattern in Japanese history: weak emperor, power
behind the throne
Helps explain longevity of the institution
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31
Japanese Literature
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Influence of Chinese kanji characters
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Classic curriculum dominated by Chinese
The Tale of Genji
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32
Institution of the Shogun
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Civil war between Taira and Minamoto clans in
twelfth century
Minamoto leader named shogun, 1185 C.E.
Ruled from Kamakura, allowed imperial throne to
continue in Kyoto
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33
Medieval Japan
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Kamakura (1185-1333 C.E.) and Muromachi
(1336-1573 C.E.) periods
Decentralized power in hands of warlords
Military authority in hands of samurai

Professional warriors
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34
Borderlands of postclassical China:
Korea, Vietnam, and Japan
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