Chapter 13: Spread of Civilizations in East Asia

1. Chapter 13:Spread of Civilizations in East Asia

2. Two Golden Ages of China

3. The Tang and Song Dynasties • China expanded and prospered under the Tang and Song dynasties • Tang emperors restored the Han system of uniform government throughout China • They rebuilt bureaucracy and enlarged the civil service system. • Set up schools and developed a new law code. • Distributed land to peasants which increased government revenues • Chinese wealth and culture dominated East Asia when its armies did not. • Economy and foreign trade flourished. Chinese built better ships, irrigation methods improved and population grew.

4. Three Levels of Chinese Society: Status of Women had great authority and ran family affairs. Footbinding reinforced their social status.

5. Achievements of Arts and Literature • Poetry was the most respected form of Chinese literature • poems reflected on the shortness of life and the immensity of the universe • Li Bo, Du Fu, and Li Qingzhao were among the greatest Chinese poets. • painting and calligraphy were essential skills for the scholar-gentry. Landscape painting and vivid, realistic portraits of Chinese emperors triumphed during the Song dynasty.

6. The Mongol and Ming Empires

7. The Mighty Mongols • Genghiz Khan – Became supreme ruler of all Mongols. • The Mongols were skilled and trained warrior horsemen that traveled with little food. • Against China and its walled cities, they used new weapons of warefare, such as cannons. • They allowed conquered peoples to live the way they wanted, as long as they paid regular tribute. • Trade increased and conquered areas became mixed with foreign ways.

8. The Yuan Dynasty • Kublai Khan – Grandson of Genghiz Khan, toppled the Song emperor in 1279. • Reserved jobs in the military and government for Mongols or non-Chinese officials. • Tolerant of all religions. • Traded with Europe Chinese products, such as gunpowder and porcelain. • In 1271, Marco Polo left Italy, arrived in China, and was impressed by how advanced it was.

9. The Ming Dynasty Under Chinese Rule • Zhu Yuanzhang – forged the rebel army that defeated the Mongols. • 1368 – The Ming dynasty was founded. • Farmers were able to support the growing population. • Chinese arts and literature continued to grow. • Zhang He – traveled abroad to promote trade and to collect tribute from lesser powers across the “western seas.” • 1433 – the emperor banned the building of seagoing ships because it cost too much money.

10. Korea and Its Traditions

11. Geography Of Korea • A mountainous peninsula south from the Asian mainland. • Most people live along the western plains, a major farming region. • It is separated from China by the Yalu River. • Many cultural and technological influences were from China. • Korea served as cultural bridge linking China and Japan.

12. Korea United • Between 300 and 600 A.D. three kingdoms in Korea warred with each other or China. • Korea only had three dynasties. • It became a tributary state under China and adapted to its society during the Shilla. • During the Koryo dynasty, Buddhism reached greatest influence. • Scholars were influenced by the Chinese in poems, paintings, and inventions. • 1200s to 1350s – Mongols occupied Korea. • 1392 – Chosen dynasty set up by Korean general Yi Song-gye. • 1443 – King Sejong decided to replace Chinese writing with hangul – an alphabet using symbols to represent sounds of spoken Korean. • 1590s – Japan tried to invade Asian mainland through Korea, but took their skill artisans instead.

13. An Island Empire Emerges

14. Japan’s Geography • Japan is locatedon an archipelago, or a chain of islands. • Surrounding seas have protected and isolated Japan. • Most people settled in narrow river valleys along the coastal plains. • A mild climate and sufficient rainfall helped farmers make of the land.

15. Early Traditions and Looking to China • Japanese society was divided into clans. The Yamato clan dominated Honshu, the largest Japanese island and set up Japan’s first and only dynasty. • The worship of the forces of nature became known as Shinto. Shinto never evolved into an international religion, but its traditions have survived to the present day. • The Korean bridge helped influenced Japan’s culture. • Japan kept some Chinese ways but discarded or modified others.

16. The Heian Period • A blend of cultures that occurred from 794 to 1185. • Men studied Chinese while women were still forbidden to learn the language. • Heian women produced the most important works of Japanese literature. • Sei Shonagon and Murasaki Shikibu were two of the best known Heian writers.

17. Japan’s Feudal Age

18. The Age of the Samurai:

19. The Mongol Invasions in Japan • 1274 - Kublai Khan launched an invasion from Korea. • 1281 – Mongols landed an even larger invasion force, but was destroyed by a typhoon. Order and Unity Under the Tokugawas • 1603 – Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled peacefully until 1868. • Centralized feudalism – kept outward forms of feudal society, but imposed central government. • New laws fixed the old social older and upheld a strict moral code.

20. Zen Buddhism • Zen was a Buddhist sect from China in Japan. • It emphasized mediation, devotion to one’s duty, and reverence for nature. • Zen monks were great scholars.