East Asian CivilizationsReview Part 3 Section 6

Han Empire in China

Han empire had existed for 400 years, advances in trade and technology.

Silk Road: first trade route between China and Europe.

People traveled in caravans through deserts and mountains.

Tang Dynasty takes over Armies force neighboring countries to acknowledge Chinese superiority and pay tribute.

Tang’s most important developments were gunpowder and block printing.

Empire weakened 300 years later and a new dynasty takes over.

Song dynasty

Ruled China for 300 years, Golden Age

Wealth and culture expands across all of East Asia.

China produces books, better ships, paper money, arts, and literature.

Genghis Khan Leader of the Mongols, wanted to take over China.

Known for brutality to enemies, many allowed him to take over out of fear.

Created large multiethnic state in Asia

Positive qualities: encouraged arts, literacy, united people

Mongols take over Mongols invade in 1279 and remove Song dynasty

Establish peace, political stability, and expand trade.

Believed heaven gave them the right to rule

Realized the Chinese were very advanced and did not try to change their culture.

Kublai Khan

Genghis Khan’s grandson and leader of Mongolian rule in China.

Improved everyday life for Chinese: Built roads and canals. Assisted with the poor Encouraged book making and observation of the stars.

Maintained a large military presence in China

Marco Polo

European explorer who traveled to China and worked under Kublai Khan

Book: Travels of Marco Polo

Brought Chinese ideas to Europe, inspired later adventurers to explore the world.

Ming takeover

Ming dynasty takes over after Mongols in 1368

Restore Confucianism as main beliefs, build up industries and navy.

Forced Mongols to marry with ethnic Chinese or face persecution.

Chinese Exploration

Chinese begin to explore Indian Ocean and East Africa.

Zheng He: led explorations to expand empire, collect tribute, and promote trade.

Showed military strength of China and collected treasures for empire.

Korea

Koreans are influenced by Chinese developments but try to maintain own culture as well.

Improve on block printing and create a simpler alphabet than the Chinese.

New alphabet made it easier for many Koreans to read.

Japan rises

Japan felt influence of Chinese but was not conquered by them because of seas surrounding Japan.

Nobles are sent to China to study Chinese government and technology.

Eventually Japan’s society adopted some of these ideas brought back.

Japanese Feudalism

Emperor is powerless, real power belongs to shogun.

Shogun: supreme military commander.

Shogun distribute lands to lords who help shogun by supplying army when called upon

Samurai: lesser lords who were warriors for shogun.

Tokugawa shogunate

Brought central government control, peace, and stability to Japan.

Encourage trade and the development of samurai culture.

Committed to ancient ideas which brought conflict when foreigners arrived.