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The Asian World 400-1500
China – Mongols – Early Japan/Korea
– India – Southeast Asia
Early China (a reminder)



Zhou Dynasty (1030-771 BC) – utilized the “Mandate of
Heaven” to overthrow Shang Dynasty set up a feudal
system, made first books, calendar, silk
Emperor Qin (221 BC) – Created First Empire, began Great
Wall, built royal tomb, unified Chinese calligraphy,
standardized system of weights and measurements, coined
money (circular w/square hole – to keep on string for
protection).
Han Dynasty (202 BC – 22- AD– eased the harsh policies of
Qin and reduced taxes – would last 400 yrs. Best known –
Wudi who made civil service system based on Confucius.
Made 1st paper, acupuncture, anesthesia, used Silk Road for
lucrative Silk trade with Romans.
Regents Practice
Both the Ancient Romans and the
Ancient Chinese viewed foreigners
as barbarians. This is an example
of
1. materialism
2. Imperialism
3. Ethnocentrism
4. cultural diffusion
Sui Dynasty (581-617 AD)
 Reunited China after
barbarian invasions.
 Consolidated empire
w/state-supported Buddhism
and two-tiered bureaucracy
 Constructed Grand Canal
btw. Yangtze & Yellow –
longest man-made waterway
in history (1200 miles)
 Negatives – used forced
labor, high taxes, military
failures (Shortest Lived
Dynasty)
Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD)
 Empire Builders
(Celestial Empire) –
conquered territories
deep into Central Asia
(88 Asian peoples
controlled by Tang).
 Made Vietnam, Tibet &
Korea tributary states
(although independent
had to pay tribute to
China)
 Golden Age of Culture –
Li Bai (famous poet),
wood block printing,
chess (from India),
playing cards
Medieval China – Politics
(Tang)
Empress Wu (690-705)
 Only woman to rule China
as independent sovereign
 Concubine of emperor Gaozong – used her power to
place relatives in key
positions, owed loyalty to
her when he died
 Deposed in her 80s by
aristocratic reaction to her
excesses and nepotism
(favoritism to relatives)
 Regarded as evil villain –
but not really bad ruler
Li Bai (Li Bo) – 8th c. Daoist Poet
Amongst the flowers is a pot of wine;
I pour alone but with no friend at hand;
So I lift the cup to invite the shining moon;
Along with my shadow, a fellowship of three.
The moon understands not the art of drinking;
The shadow gingerly follows my movements;
Still I make the moon and the shadow my company;
To enjoy the springtime before too late.
The moon lingers while I am singing;
The shadow scatters while I am dancing;
We share the cheers of delight when sober;
We separate our ways after getting drunk;
Forever will we keep this unfettered friendship;
Til we meet again far in the Milky Way.
Wood Block Printing – 7th c.
 Advantage – 40,000 Chinese characters – easier to
carve only once.
 Used for canonical Buddhist texts, later Confucius
writing
 Scholar-gentry class replaced landed aristocracy as
political and economic elite.
 Moveable Type introduced in 1050.
Diamond
Sutra,
earliest
printed text
- 868
Tang Continued
 Created land-equalization system - redistributing land
based on size of house-hold – strengthen central
govt., weakened power of large landholders
 Civil service exam reintroduced - will be used for next
1300 yrs (covered names, printed so never knew test
taker) - meritocracy
 Three main exports of China come into vogue – tea,
silk, and porcelain.
 Negative – spent too lavishly (one emperor kept 100s
of dancers and musicians to entertain his mistress);
Arab army defeats Chinese in east in 751 (Chinese
prisoners teach Arabs how to make paper), peasant
uprisings break China into 10 states, eventually turn
against Buddhist.
Tang Technologies
 Steel introduced (mixing
cast iron and wrought
iron in fire) for swords
 Cotton introduced
 Gunpower for explosives
and primitive
flamethrowers (40 yrds)
made of saltpeter, sulfur
and charcoal
 Mechanical Clocks
(learned water-powered
clocks from Middle
Easterners)
Medieval China –
Intellectual/Tech.
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 Sui’s Grand Canal
 Tang’s City of Chang’an (eastern
most city of Silk Road –
wealthiest in world)
Medieval China – Politics
(Tang)
Weakness of Tang – empire
expanded beyond effective
communication and control
(provincial governors rebelled),
as wealth increased –
corruption and intrigue
(eunuchs controlled access to
emperors, became policy
makers), expanded bureaurcacy
led to increased tax and
peasant revolts and land given
to rich landlords.
Tang Collapse
10th century – Khitan (northern
nomadic people) caused
collapse (used classic strategy
of “barbarians to oppose
barbarians” – hired Turkish
Uighurs to protect Silk Road,
but Kirghis [another nomadic
group] defeated Uighurs and
then turned on Tang)
Song Dynasty (960-1275)
Economic Prosperity
 Iron & Steel production
 Paper Currency introduced.
 New Interest in trade – colonies
in SE Asia, larger ships (600
people plus cargo) w/multiple
masts, compass.
 Neo-Confucianism – revival of
Confucian thought, now mixed
with Daoism & Buddhism. stressed importance of
observation and investigation.
Medieval China – Politics
(Song)
Northern Song
(960 to 1127)
 unified northern
China (except
nomadic
Khitan), moved
capital east to
Kaifeng (where
Grand Canal
was)
 Constant threat
from Central
Eurasian
nomads
Medieval China – Politics
(Song)
Southern Song (1127 to
1279).
 Nomadic pressures –
forced to move
capital south to
Hangzhou on coast
of Yangtze
 Lost control of Tibet
 Economic expansion
 Increased pop. to 40
million
 Song rulers forced to
pay tribute to
foreigners
(Jurchen/Jin in
Manchuria)
Chinese Women
 Higher position in Tang and Song
than in later dynasties.
 Dowries provided to men, women did
not own anything.
 Footbinding emerged to show
subordinate position (lily-shaped foot
sign of beauty) – also sign of nobility
Footbinding





young girls anywhere from the age of four to six before arch developed.
the four smallest toes on each foot were broken
silk bandages, ten feet long and two inches wide, were wrapped around
the smallest toes and pulled tightly to the heel. Every two days, the
binding was removed and rebound.
After 3 years foot basically died causing great stenches and sometimes
led to death of child through infection
Although prohibited later during Manchu dynasty still continued and still
found in countryside today.
AP Practice
11. The Song Dynasty
1. is best known for its scientific and technological prowess.
2. united China’s land under a strong, stable empire that
lasted several centuries.
3. successfully resisted the Mongols and remained outside
their sphere of influence..
4. suffered terribly as a result of the bubonic plague.
5. isolated China from the rest of the known world..
Mongols
 Pastorial people from
Mongolia. Organized into
clans.
Temujin – unified
the Mongols and in
1206 elected
Genghis Khan
(strong ruler)
Land where Genghis was born.
Mongolian
Yurt
Mongolian Army
 Strength based on
strategy & mobility
(horse-back archers –
each soldier had 2 up
to 16 horses – could
swap – had the
technology of stirrup)
– small units (10) to
be able to deploy in
ambushes and feintretreat
Genghis Khan’s Empire
Only death of
Genghis stopped
all out attack on Europe
Capital at Karakorum – but prohibited fellow
Mongols from sedentary occupations or living
in cities – but under successors will settle
into administrative positions
Treatment of Conquered Territory
by Mongols
 Used fear – would decimate towns.
 If one came out in open – would be
saved; if tried to hide – would be
killed.
 One town where son-in-law killed –
he had it destroyed to the ground so
that the land could now be plowed
After Death of Genghis
 Divided among heirs – khanates
 Began a movement against Persia & China.
 Learned gunpowder from China (now
handguns & cannons)
Kublai Khan – 1279-1294
 Grandson of Genghis.
 Conquered Song Dynasty
established new dynasty
– Yuan (good at adapting
to Chinese politics –
except highest positions
reserved for Mongols)
 Marco Polo visits China
and was impressed by
court of Kublai Khan. Pax
Mongolia
 Expanded into Vietnam
Mongols in China
• Government – favored Mongols and allied Islamic peoples
over Chinese (even gave administrative jobs to foreign
merchants like Marco Polo), did not like Confucianism so no
Civil Service Exam – scholar-gentry very angry over this.
• Class Distinctions- intermarriage prohibited, Chinese
forbidden to learn Mongol script – but Kublai was fascinated
with Chinese court practices
• Mongol Women – refused to practice foot binding, some
continued to hunt and fight in war – but Mongol stay in
China to short to influence China’s long-standing Confucian
treatment of women.
• Religion – although traditionally animist, Khans very
interested in other religions (Buddhism, Christianity, Daoist
and Muslims all in Khan’s court)
AP Practice
In China, the Mongols broke with Chinese traditions
by
1. forbidding foreign merchants to enter the
country.
2. encouraging the Confucian system of education.
3. continuing civil service examinations.
4. imposing foot-biding on their women.
5. allowing foreign administrators to enter China.
Japan’s Kamikaze
1274, 1281
 Tried to go against Japan but
horse archery not successful
against islands
 According to myth twice
Japan saved by “kamikaze”
divine winds or typhoons
 (Reality – ships were flat
bottom boats – not good for
rough sea; also may have
been sabotaged by Korean
shipbuilders upset with
Mongols)
What defines a “Golden Age”?
Under Pax Mongolia - Trade flourished, and travelers such as Ibn
Battuta and Marco Polo were able to write remarkable accounts of
the lands they visited, but led to bubonic plague, also opened up. The
Black Death, originating in Central Asia, was one of a succession of
plagues that followed the trade routes by land and sea, decimating
parts of Europe and China.
Collapse
 Too much money spent on conquest
 Internal corruption
 Peasant overthrew government and
established Ming Dynasty
Mongol Empire
Golden Horde (Tartars)
 One of the khanates or
grandson of Genghis Khan,
Batu Khan, advanced far
into eastern Europe and
established in 1251 the
rule of the Golden Horde
in Russia.
 As a result, Russia
experienced a cultural
decay and isolation from
Europe - reason for why
Russia is part of Asia
during Middle Ages.
AP Practice
The Mongols
 a. succeeded in their attempt to conquer
Japan.
 b. facilitated trade along the Silk Roads.
 c. constructed cities and irrigation systems
during their conquest of Persia.
 d. had little respect for craftsmen and their
work.
 e. established no communications with
western Europe.
AP Practice
The Mongol Empire was divided into
four Khanates, which governed all of
the following lands EXCEPT
 a. China
 b. Korea
 c. Russia
 d. Persia
 e. Japan
Homework
Bell Ringer
What is a this
type of tree
called?
“Japan” named by Marco Polo
In 1200s, Japanese call it
Nippon or “Source of the Sun”
Geography:
How did the
geography of Japan
influence its cultural
development?
•Archipelago
(chain of islands)
•Sea of
Japan/Pacific
Ocean
Because Mountainous – need
terrace farming; need to acquire raw
materials from China
•Mountainous
•Mild Climate
 120 miles to China – close for cultural contact,
far away to avoid direct political domination
 Mts w/limited agricultural land (only 20%)
promoted regionalism and competition
(ultimately militarism)
 1500 earthquakes a year w/over 150
volcanoes (60 active – not Fuji)
 Protected from invasion (why very different
from China – no real central authority needed)
18TH Century Japan
Formation of Haiku
• Three lines.
• Five syllables, Seven syllables,
Five syllables.
• Theme is generally related to
nature.
• Avoid end-rhyming the lines.
• Vary the rhythms from line to
line.
• Avoid ending too many lines in
a row with a one-syllable word.
In the rains of spring
An umbrella and raincoat
Pass by, conversing.
- Buson
Summer smells are here
Not cut grass or sweet flowers
Just armpits, funk feet
An original composition by Ms. Lyons when
she was working at Barnes and Nobles
and customers were taking off their shoes!
Yuck
Cultural Borrowings from China
(400-800s):
•System of clan – family groups tracing origins to a common
ancestor. People live in extended families.
•Chinese writing
•Buddhism (“becomes the vehicle for spreading Chinese
culture to Japan”), Confucianism & Taoism
•Architecture of palace and shrines imitate Chinese styles.
•Some ideas rejected – Chinese “civil service” did not work in
Japan – not impressed with Confucianism
Korea greatly influenced the
development of early Japan
by
1. acting as a bridge for ideas
from China
2. providing Japan with the
technology for
industrialization
3. serving as a barrier against
Chinese aggression
4. protecting Japan from early
European exploration
A valid generalization about early Japanese
culture is that Japan
1. had a strong influence on the development
of culture in Korea
2. spread Shinto throughout Asia
3. maintained a uniquely individual culture
while borrowing much from other cultures
4. imported almost all of its cultural ideas from
China, resulting in nearly identical cultures
Japanese Writing –
Many of the characters
were of Chinese types.
They used wooden tablets
(strips) called mokkan.
The mokkan were of
several types, including
documents, labels for
goods in transport, and
tallies for other
classification purposes.
Helped to make for a
strong administration.
Japanese Religion –
Zen Buddhism – the Yamato ruler in 552 welcomed
Buddhist missionaries from China.
Shinto –
traditional
Japanese
religion based
on respect for
nature.
Worshipped
kami (spirits).
There are "Four Affirmations“ in Shinto:
1. Tradition and the family: The family is seen
as the main mechanism by which traditions
are preserved. Their main celebrations
relate to birth and marriage. (closely
connected to Confucianism)
2. Love of nature:
Nature is sacred;
to be in contact
with nature is to
be close to the
Gods. Natural
objects are
worshipped as
sacred spirits.
3. Physical cleanliness: They take baths,
wash their hands, and rinse out their
mouth often.
4. "Matsuri": To worship and honor gods and
ancestral spirits.
LET’S BRAINSTORM –
What other religions/belief
systems have similar features as
Shinto?
Why do they have these
similarities? What does it say
about their culture and or social
values?
Animism –
nature
spirits
Confucianism
- family
Islam cleanliness
Political History of Japan:
•400 – Yamato emerged as strongest clan (first and only
Japanese dynasty). This dynasty is still present.
•800s – As Chinese influence decreased, the Yamato
Emperor lost real power – became figurehead, while noble
families (such as Fujiwara) gained new power. 1603 to
WHY DID JAPAN ONLY
HAVE ONE DYNASTY WHILE
CHINA HAD SEVERAL?
Feudalism comes into existence.
(knights = samurai) – a
decentralized political structure
(geography supports
decentralized)
1192 powerful samurai leader Yoritomo Minamoto becomes first
shogun (chief general under
emperor). These shoguns
become key feudal lords.
1500s – after civil war Hideyoshi
unites all of Japan under his
control.
Feudal societies are generally
characterized by
1.
2.
3.
4.
an emphasis on social order
a representative government
many economic opportunities
the protection of political rights
The diagram illustrates the
social structure of
feudal Japan.
This pyramid shows
that feudal Japan had
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
a classless society
a growing middle class
high social mobility
a well-defined class
system
Samurai Code of Conduct – bushido (“way of the
warrior”) is similar to notion of chivalry.
•Loyalty
•Obedience
•Simplicity
•Courage
•Honor
Those who disgraced the
code of conduct were
expected to kill
themselves – seppuku.
Samurai statue near
Imperial Palace
Samurai
armor for a
boy, 16th
century.
• Bushido – bravery, pride, honor, absolute loyalty, disdain for
death (“Death before Dishonor”), commit ritual suicide
(seppuku) if fail in battle, etc.
• Skilled in martial arts, horsemanship and archery
AP Compare/Contrast Questions
• Why would a place
choose a feudal
governmental
structure?
• How does
feudalism in Japan
and Europe
compare/contrast?
• Why do they have
these differences &
similarities?
Feudalism in Western Europe was similar
to feudalism in Japan in that
1. power was based on class
relationships
2. equality among the social classes
3. direct democracy
4. monotheism
The code of bushido of the Japanese samurai is
most similar to
1.
2.
3.
4.
belief in reincarnation and karma of Hindus
practice of chivalry by European knights
teachings of Judaism
theory of natural rights of the Enlightenment
writers
Japan - Social
Korea will have Bone Ranking
System – very similar with color
limits (Is this where color belt
system comes from in Karate /
TKD?)
• People were also
• Women in Japan
classified into different
– Had rights in early
ranks and were required
Japan
to wear clothing with
– When introduced
colors and styles
Buddhism relegated
approved for each specific
women to a
rank.
subordinate position
• Most were peasants who
– Nevertheless,
played a role in all
worked the land owned by
levels of society
the lord
– Aristocratic women
• eta, hereditary
– confined behind
screens would write
slaves
diaries and poetry
Class System
Emperor and Imperial Court
Families
Shogun
Daimyo
Samurai
Ronin
Farmers (peasants)
Artisans
Merchants
Outcasts: eta
Japan –
Intellectual/Technological
• Terrace farming
• Writing system based on
Chinese
• Military weapons
Tokugawa Shogunate
• 1860s –– period of peace and stability
with strong central government that
replaces feudal warfare
• Shoguns replace power of emperor.
• Strong isolationism – Japanese
merchants can not trade with outsiders –
under penalty of death (allow only one
ship a year – Dutch)
• Caused because Christian missionaries
began destroying Shinto shrines
In Japan between 1603 and 1868, the most
notable action taken by the Tokugawa
Shogunate was the
1. military conquest of China
2. development of extensive trade with the
Americas
3. formation of cultural links with Europe
4. virtual isolation of the country from the
outside world
Japanese Feudalism –
Court Life – preserved through writings of Murasaki
Shikibu (900s). Tale of Genji (world’s first novel)