Mr. Fetzner / History 9 Name:_______________________Ch 7 & 12 Study Guide Period:______ Date:____________

The Mauryan Empire of India (Ch 7 Sec 1)

I. Chandragupta Maurya was a great Indian military leader who seized power from the Magadha Kingdom about 321 BC and started the Mauryan Empire.

A. Wars of Conquest : Chandragupta Maurya led a powerful army across northern India and into the Indus Valley where Alexander the Great’s successor (Seleucus I) was trying to reestablish Greek control over the region.

In 303 BC : Chandragupta Maurya beats Seleucus and gained some of the Greek controlled lands making the new Indian Empire stretch2,000 miles across India.

This was the first time Northern India had ever been politically united.

B. Running the Empire : Chandragupta Maurya did many things to control his empire:1. Vast Army: 600,000 foot soldiers, 30,000 cavalry, 9,000 elephants. Used this

massive force to enlarge his empire, but so many soldiers required lots of $$ and supplies (logistics).

2. Taxes: heavy taxes on farmer’s crops (1/2 of crop) and an income tax on trading, mining and manufacturing.

3. Farmers were exempt from military service and given income by the army.4. Kautilya : (Chandragupta Maurya’s advisor) a Brahmin priest who wrote a ruler’s

handbook called the Arthasastra. This book outlined many strict but effective ways to govern and hold a vast empire together.

Used a network of government spies to keep people in line!5. Provinces : Chandragupta Maurya broke his empire up into 4 sections called

provinces which were each ruled by a trusted royal prince. Each province had many smaller local areas called districts whose officials collected taxes and enforced the law – this made the Empire easier to govern.

C. Asoka : Chandragupta Maurya’s grandson, came to power in 269 BC.Why Important?

1. At first he was a conqueror like his father and grandfather, but after a particularly bloody battle at a place called Kalinga where 100,000 soldiers were killed he lost his taste for battle and looked for a solution.

2. Converted to Buddhism and preached non-violence, peace to all, religious toleration and cultural acceptance throughout his kingdom.

3. He loved his people and encouraged the many diverse groups in his empire to tolerate each other and live in peace.

4. Built Roads : made travel and trade easier throughout India, he even ordered rest stops built for weary travelers.

** After Asoka’s death the Mauryan Empire broke apart into many separate ruling kingdoms, these kingdoms often fought with each other and chaos reigned in India for the next 500 years. Key Idea: It is always difficult to replace a good and long-lived ruler.

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II. Indian family life:A. Most villagers were farmers whose families were Patriarchal (led by the eldest male).

B. Tamil People :: in southern India were Matriarchal (led by the eldest female). Some of these southern Indian Tamil kingdoms were very powerful (Never Conquered).

III. The Gupta Empire: began in 320 A.D. with the marriage of Chandra Gupta I (not related to Chandragupta Maurya) to an influential and powerful princess.

Chandra Gupta I used the Ganges river valley as a power base and expanded his power from there. His son (Samudra) and grandson (Chandra Gupta II) also expanded Gupta control through conquest,diplomacy, and marriage alliances.

A NEW GOLDEN AGE IN INDIA: Conquest brought much of India under the influence of one ruler, this promoted

trade and economic prosperity. Prosperity brought a period of great achievements in art, Medicine, literature,

science, and math.

Trade Spreads Indian Religions and Culture (Ch 7 sec2)

Main Idea: Indian religions, culture, and technology evolved due to cultural diffusion caused by conflict and invasions. Plus the building of Empires and increased trade (prosperity) helped spread this new culture and as a result influenced many people in Southwest Asia.

I. Changes in Religious Thought: By 250 B.C. the Buddhist and Hindu religions had become further removed from the people. Hinduism was dominated by the Brahmin priest class and Buddhism’s ideas of self-denial was very difficult to follow. Change was needed to make these religions more appealing to the masses. (self denial: to refuse life’s luxuries).

A. The New Form of Buddhism : By 100 A.D. a new form of Buddhism had developed called Mahayana, the original Buddhism was called Theravada.1. Mahayana Buddhists : believe in Buddha as a god (divine), also believe that it is

possible to become a Buddha in your own lifetime, these people are called Bodhisattvas and they give up “nirvana” to stay here on Earth to do good works and save others.

2. Theravada Buddhists : believe in the “old” traditional ways of Buddhism. Believe in the Buddha as a TEACHER, not a god.

Effects of these new ideas: Inspired new art forms, huge statues of Buddha were carved for worship and wealthy merchants, eager to do good works, paid for the building of great Buddhist temples (STUPAS) - led to architectural wonders.

B. Changes in Hinduism : The Priests (Brahmin Caste) had come to dominate the religion by the 300’s B.C. and the “the people” had less and less direct contact (only the priest could perform the highly ritualized sacrifices). In response to the growing popularity of Buddhism and influence from outside

cultures, Hinduism had to CHANGE.

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How did it change and become more appealing? Hinduism became more personal and monotheistic in that even though Hinduism still

believed in many gods (over 200), most people believed in only one divine force and the many gods represented parts of that “force.” They came to identify with just one god and worshipped just that one god (although acknowledging the other gods still makes you polytheistic).

Three of the most popular Hindu Gods:o Brahma : creator of the world, Vishnu: preserver of the world & Shiva: destroyer of

the worldII. Flowering of Indian Culture: During the Gupta Empire (320 A.D. - ~500 A.D.), internal

prosperity and contact with outside cultures caused a many great achievements. A. Literature and the Performing Arts: Poetry: Kalidasa, the court poet for Chandra Gupta II, wrote many emotionally stirring and tragic plays. Most famous Shakuntala - “princess” tragic love story. Kalidasa is known as the “Indian Shakespeare.”Tamil Poems: in southern India, these works of literature capture the basic beliefs of Indian culture - thoughts about love, relationships, roles in life etc. Drama: “traveling circuses” put on “shows” in cities - combined drama and dance and influenced the classical Indian dance forms still used today.B. Astronomy, Mathematics, and Medicine: contact with other cultures increased cultural

diffusion.1. Astronomy : sailors needed to be able to read the stars, calendar based on the sun adopted,

seven day week, and a day divided by hours. By the time of the Gupta Empire the Indians knew that the world was round.

2. Mathematics : modern numbers (1-9) come from India. The concept of zero and the decimal system was also invented by the Indians. Aryabhata : calculated value of pi and the length of the solar year to 365.3586…, this is

very close to modern calculations done with an Atomic clock!3. Medicine : The medical books describing diseases and medicinal plants were written.

Indian doctors performed surgery (some even plastic surgery!) and possibly gave innoculations (like our shots to prevent diseases).

III. The Spread of Indian Trade: India has always been rich in precious resources: spices (pepper), diamonds, sapphires, gold, pearls, and beautiful woods.A. Overland Trade : Acted as the “middlemen” between the Chinese and the West (Europe and the

Mediterranean) on the Silk Road. Middle men buy goods form one source and sell to another, its a great way to make money!

B. Sea Trade : Trade with the Roman Empire through Arabia and the Red Sea was a brisk business. The Romans spent tons of gold on Indian goods and luxuries. Indians also traded their cotton cloth with Africa and China.

C. Effects of Trade : 1. BANKING develops - merchants borrowed money and paid interest on the loans. 2. Indian traders spread Indian culture to other places –Buddhism & Hinduism spread,

especially to Southeast Asia. Indian art, architecture and dance also spread.3. Buddhism will greatly influence China, today there are many more Buddhists outside of

India than in India itself.3

The Han Dynasty in China 202 B.C. - 220 A.D. (Ch 7 sec 3)

The Han dynasty expanded China’s borders and developed a system of government that lasted for centuries. This pattern of strong central government is still a part of Chinese life today.I. Emperors and Politics:

A. Liu Bang becomes the first Emperor of the Han Dynasty in 202 B.C. after defeating his main rival in battle.

He establishes control in two ways:1. Centralized the Government : the country is run by one strong central authority.2. Won Popular Support : wins the favor of the people by lowering taxes and

softening harsh punishments. (Policies of the Legalist Qin Emperors)B. Empress Lu : One of the many wives of Liu Bang. Seizes power with the help of

friends and names children too young to rule as Emperors. Stays in power until she dies.

Why is Lu Important? Empress Lu shows how the court of the Emperor worked. It had great rivalries over which a wife would win the Emperor’s favor and so have her son named heir to the Empire.

C. Court Politics : Emperors often had more than one wife and several concubines. The woman who delivered the eldest male heir was usually favored but not always loved. Concubines and 2nd wives would often fight/argue/conspire over who’s son would become emperor, each wanting their own to be declared successor (the next ruler).

D. Wu Di : “The Martial Emperor,” expanded the Chinese lands through conquest.1. Wudi was smart: he looked for allies to help in war and encouraged settlement of

newly conquered lands to help control them.2. Wudi was Liu Bang’s great grandson and took the throne in 141 BC. He was the

longest lasting Emperor of China when he died in 87 BC. (54 years).

E. Xiongnu : (like the Mongols) nomadic people who were fierce warriors and the reason for the building of the Great Wall. They were defeated for awhile by Wudi but continued to be a thorn in China’s side for centuries.

F. Total Control : Han emperors were technically in total control. They were semi-divine or like gods and got their power directly from the heavens. (The Mandate of Heaven) If they ruled well then China would prosper, if they did not then China would suffer.

G. The Bureaucracy : A system of departments and categories whose jobs were to carry out the functions of government. This made ruling the 60 million Chinese during Han times easier. The Bureaucracy was simply a hierarchy (ranking) of government jobs.

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II. The Highly Structured Government of the Chinese

A. How are people selected to be a part of the Han bureaucracy? Why was this important?

1) In the Han bureaucracy, the guy in charge (the Emperor or sometimes Empress) was not elected. The Emperor’s position was hereditary (passed down from father to son). The Chinese considered their emperor semi-divine (god-like).

2) HOWEVER the higher levels of the bureaucracy (but under the Emperor) had to go through a rigorous examination system to become qualified for government jobs.

Why Important?Because of the examination system, Han Chinese government officials (Scholar Officials) were more qualified to do their job and as a result did a better job! (It also set a precedent – an example – for all future dynasties & copied by those later dynasties)

B. What exactly was the examination system?

The examination system was a rigorous (hard) system of tests that determined if a person (male only) was qualified to hold a government job. It was started by the Han Emperor Wu Di who ruled China from 141 – 87 B.C.

Characteristics of the Examination System: Extremely difficult: a person might study all his life and not qualify, some people

didn’t pass until in their 60’s! (And you thought you had it tough!) Had three main levels: local, commandery, and imperial (closest to Emperor). A

person had to “pass” a test at each level. It also had 18 different “ranks” within those three levels.

Once you “passed” the exam you had job security and great POWER. However, it wasn’t enough to just “pass” you had to do better than all the other

candidates who were also taking the exam. If only a few government positions were open only a few people “passed.” (Like getting into college – only so many can go to “Harvard.”)

The main subject on the test was Confucius’ teachings which included learning qualities like respect (filial piety), generosity, truthfulness, diligence (hard work), kindness, and benevolence (lead by example).

A family might only be able to send one of their boys to be educated at Wu Di’s school.

A student often had many benefactors pr “sponsors” who will willing to “invest” in the student’s future (as a possible gov’t administrator).

How could corruption find its way into this system? A person who took the test was often in debt (student loan) and needed to pay back

those who supported him, this could cause pressure to “steal” or play “favorites” with their power, leading to corruption.

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Having benefactors (sponsors) means that you “owe” them your position. They will want a return on their investment! These “favors” can be seen as CORRUPTION!

III. Contributions of the Han:A. Inventions:

1. Paper : 105 AD helped the spread of education and literacy (books are now cheaper). Easier record keeping allowed the government to expand.

2. New Farm Equipment : Collar Harness for horses to pull heavy loads and a new plow for faster

farming. The wheelbarrow, iron tools, and the water mill for grinding grain into flour. Result : POPULATION GROWTH

3. Silk : the making of silk was done by both the gov’t and individuals but the process was a very highly guarded secret. Silk was a luxury item wanted by the rich of the world and they would pay big bucks for it. Silk helped open China to trade with the world.

B. Trade and Commerce1. Commerce : (Trade, the buying and selling of goods). The Chinese gov’t

established monopolies over salt, iron, minting coins and alcohol.2. Silk Roads : a trade route between China and the West. Caravan merchants who

traveled this route would trade horses for Chinese silk which could then be traded for almost anything in India, Africa, and Europe.

C. Unifying Chinese Culture : The Chinese were coming into contact with more and more foreign peoples, these foreigners brought with them lots of different ideas and customs, some of which the Chinese liked, others they did not like.

1. Assimilation : the process of making conquered people part of one’s own culture. (ex: American immigrants are encouraged to “become American”). The Chinese government encouraged assimilation through settlement and intermarrying with the local population.

2. Sima Qian : The Grand Historian, combined all previous Chinese histories into one work from the first dynasties to the Han.

Why was Sima Qian’s work Important? People with a common history share a link and are more unified.

3. Women’s Role : In China’s Patriarchal (male dominated) world, women were to lead quiet lives at home, be faithful to their husbands, loyal and modest. They had to listen to the men BUT…

The Inner Chambers : Women, especially the oldest (grandma), had command of the household. A man had to be respectful toward his mother’s wishes. His wife was another story – wives didn’t really gain in

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power until they gave birth to sons and then their husbands passed on (died).

D. Problems : as the Han dynasty aged, it was plagued by Corruption and many other problems.

1. Gap between rich and poor : Chinese tradition said that all land was divided equally between each son.a. This tradition led to smaller and smaller pieces of land which made it hard

to grow enough food to live on.b. Farmers had to borrow $$$ to live, when they couldn’t pay back loans,

large landowners then took over their land as payment. c. Large landowners didn’t have to pay taxes.d. The more land they had the less land the government could tax.e. The gov’t had to raise taxes on the land they did have to make up the

difference. f. This system gets worse and worse as time passes and creates a lot of

discontent and anger among the people.2. Corruption : Weak emperors and corrupt officials plagued the Han. At one

point it was overthrown by a Confucian scholar named Wang Mang who tried to correct the problem through land reform (taking land from the wealthy to give to the poor) and coining more money but in doing so he made too many enemies and was assassinated.

The Second Half of the Han from 23 AD to 220 AD was prosperous at first but within 100 years was back to the corruption of the former Han and eventually split into three warring kingdoms.

Ch 12 Sec 1: The Tang and Song Dynasties of China

Setting: After the Han dynasty split into rival kingdoms in 220 A.D. China was once again without a strong centralized government with rival warlords fighting for dominance. In 589 A.D. Sui Wendi united China once again but his huge state projects (rebuilding the Great Wall and digging the Grand Canal) caused the peasants to turn against his successor and the Sui dynasty fell after only 29 years (very similar to the Qin – Legalist harsh policy = rebellion). I. Tang Dynasty: Was started by Tang Taizong in 618 A.D. after he successfully defeated a

rival rebel general, His Dynasty would last until 907 A.D. Tang rulers had the advantage of a strong foundation laid down by the Sui Dynasty. They also learned lessons from Sui mistakes.A. Accomplishments :

1. Most known for Military expansion : The Tang expanded territory and strengthened the central government by building more roads and canals to bring the vast territory of China closer together.

2. Lowered taxes and encouraged trade, did some land reform.

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3. Wu Zhao : first woman who declared herself emperor, ruled during the conquest Korea. Ruled through he weak husband and sons at first but then officially in 690.

4. Examination system was encouraged: picked the best and brightest for government office – this created an elite upper class known as the Gentry.

B. Decay : after 100 years of prosperity the Tang Dynasty slowly declined due to crushing taxes caused by the rising costs of government. They became too strong for their own good, armies cost $$, taxes go up, peasants revolt, invasions pick off small chunks until Tang is overthrown.

II. Song Dynasty: (960 - 1279) after a long period of war following the execution of the last Tang Emperor in 907 a strong general emerges who once again unites China under his leadership. (Song Taizu).

A. Setting : The Song was never a great military power and never controlled as much territory as the Tang but what it did control, prospered. In 1126 the Song rulers were forced out of the North by the Jurchen people from Manchuria who established the Jin Empire in the north. The South became the economic heartland of China and grew rich from its trade with the north and from its rich agricultural resources.

B. Accomplishments : 1. Technology : paper, gunpowder, printing (moveable type), compass, and the

mechanical clock.2. Agriculture : fast-ripening rice from Vietnam, can grow two crops a year.3. Trade : both over the Silk routes and over seas. These greatly increased urban

growth. (contacts between peoples furthered the spread of ideas)4. Art : growth of cities and urban wealth stimulated artistic creativity.

C. Changes in Society :

1. The Chinese became more mobile, cities grew due to trade which created more opportunities for professional jobs and skilled workers.

2. The examination system had created a new much larger upper class of people called scholar-officials. Status was achieved through education and civil-service positions.

3. The cities contained a rising middle class (merchants, shop keepers, artisans, etc.)4. Peasants : usually toiled on land as tenant farmers and led a humble life.5. Women : The status of women declined during the Tang and Song except in the

countryside among the peasants where they were needed to help work.

Foot Binding: began during this period, binding a very young girls foot with cloth in order to produce a “lily-foot”. It was done to reflect the wealth and prestige of the husband who could afford to have a beautiful but impractical wife. The woman became crippled for life.

Ch 12 Sec 2 The Mongols

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I. Who were the Mongols ? The Mongols were a nomadic people from the Asian Steppe. The were fierce warriors who took pride in their skill on horseback, discipline, ruthlessness, and courage. They were glory hunters who welcomed battle to prove their skills and take booty.A. The Asian Steppe : a stretch of dry grassland from Manchuria to Hungary. It receives

very little rainfall so only very hardy grasses grow there.Why Important? 1. It served as the highway of the silkroads

2. It was (is) the homeland for Nomadic people like the Mongols.B. Lifestyle : Pastoralists: people who herd domestic animals.

1. The Mongols were pastoralists when not fighting and moved to good grazing lands for their animals.

2. The Mongol’s animals provided for all their basic needs including food, clothing, and housing (Yurts).

3. They often moved in a regular pattern to keep their claim on good pasture land.4. They fought over the rights to graze their animals on certain lands because it was

difficult to claim land that was not occupied. 5. The Mongols were not farmers and so often had contacts (both peaceful and

forceful) with the settled lands surrounding the Steppe in order to acquire what they could not produce. (grain, metal, cloth, and tea)

C. Organization : The Mongols were organized into clans (a group of distantly related people). 1. Each clan member could trace their lineage to a common ancestor. 2. Clans fought each other at times and at other times united to raid their settled

neighbors. They were led by clan leaders or Khans.3. When united soldiers did not fight alongside their fellow clansmen, instead they

fought in mixed units to promote loyalty to their commanders and not their clan.

II. Genghis Khan unites the Mongols:

A. Temujin : a self made clan leader who began his crusade to unite the Mongols in 1200 AD. He began by ruthlessly conquering his rivals one by one until finally in 1206 he had become the “universal ruler” of the Mongols or Genghis Khan.

B. Conquests : In the next 21 years Genghis would conquer the northern Jin dynasty of China and all of Central Asia. There were many reasons for his success:1. Organization : Genghis Khan was a brilliant organizer, his army was modeled on the

Chinese with a hierarchy of groups (10,000 - 1,000 - 100 - 10)2. Strategy : Genghis used a variety of battle tactics like trickery and spying to find out

his enemies weaknesses.3. Opportunistic : Genghis adopted the weapons of the people he conquered and used

them on his next target. (Ex: Chinese catapults and gunpowder charges.)4. Cruelty : He would kill everyone alive in the first city he conquered, after that he

usually only needed to threaten to attack and whole cities would surrender in order to avoid being completely destroyed. (like modern terrorist tactics)

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C. Death of Genghis Khan : died of illness in 1227 but his successors continued to conquer lands that eventually stretched from Eastern Europe to China. This was the largest unified land Empire in history.

D. Genghis Khan’s Successors : Ogadai Khan (son) took over where his father left off and continued to expand his empire. No one knows how far the Western expansion of the Mongols would have reached but in 1241 Ogadai died and with him so did the Western expansion of the Mongols.

E. The Khanates : After the death of Ogadai the Mongol Empire was broken down into four Khanates, each ruled by a descendant of Genghis.

F. Impacts/Effects of the Mongol conquests:1. Destruction : Total areas were often destroyed and left without the ability to start

again. The Mongols destroyed the ancient irrigation systems in Persia which the people

did not have the resources to rebuild. Whole cities disappeared.

2. Promoted Trade : Pax Mongolica or “The Mongol Peace” guaranteed safe travel for merchants, travelers and missionaries. New ideas were quickly spread (gunpowder and the other inventions we studied in class made their way west).

Ch 12 Sec 3 The Mongols: Kublai Khan

Main Idea: Kublai Khan encouraged trade as ruler of China but the Yuan dynasty was faced with many problems. The influence of Chinese ideas on Western Civilization (Europe) began with the Mongols encouragement of trade.I. Empire of the Great Khan: The Yuan (a.k.a. the Mongol) Dynasty (1279-1368)

A. Kublai Khan : Genghis’ grandson, became the first “foreigner” to completely conquer China. In 1279 he completed the conquest started by his father Ogadai and grandfather Genghis.

B. Benefits of Mongol Rule in China:1. Opened China up to more trade.2. United China under one ruler for the first time in 300 years.3. The Mongols were “assimilated” by the Chinese.4. He changed little about Chinese culture and political system. Kublai liked the

“civilizing” influence of the Chinese and is today remembered as one of their greatest emperors.

C. Failure in Japan : twice Kublai tried to conquer Japan and failed at great cost. First: in 1274 and the fleet was destroyed by a massive storm. Second: in 1281 made it to Japan with 150,000 troops but was caught off shore in

another storm and destroyed, the survivors were quickly killed by the Japanese. Kamikaze : means “divine (godlike) wind” - it saved Japan.

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D. Success in China : Kublai was successful in controlling the huge Chinese population by using the system of Chinese government already in place. The Mongols were too few so he needed to rely on Chinese officials and the Chinese examination system to help him rule successfully.

Reasons for success:1. Willing to use what works. (examination system)2. Improved roads and canals to ensure everyone was well supplied with the necessities

of life.3. Encouraged Trade : enriched China and spread Chinese inventions west like:

porcelain, printing, gunpowder, the compass, paper money, spinning wheel, mechanical clock, and playing cards.

E. Marco Polo : a young Venetian trader who first traveled the silk road to China from Europe when he was just 17. After his return his stories of China’s wonders became a legend to the Europeans who viewed China with disbelief and wonder. This greatly increased Europe’s curiosity about the East.

F. Decline : like the previous dynasties in China, after Kublai’s death his successors were less able to deal with the many problems that came with such a huge empire.

Problems: 1. War : Many wars were fought to further expand territory and at great cost to the

Chinese armies and people.2. Secession Problems : After Kublai died (at 80 in 1294) his descendants struggled

among themselves over who should rule. (4 Khans in 8 years once)3. Corruption of government officials. 4. Natural Disasters (signs that the Mandate of Heaven has been lost).5. Rebellion.

G. Overthrow of the Yuan Dynasty : In 1368 Chinese Rebels finally overthrew the Mongols and seized power. The rebel leader (Ming Hongwu) began a new dynasty - The Ming.

H. Other Khanates : The Khanate of the Golden Horde lasted the longest of the 4 Khanates started after the death of Genghis Khan. It ruled Russia for 250 years and affected that countries view of the world forever. A Khanate = a Mongol Kingdom.

Ch 12 Sec 4 Japan & Geography

Main Idea: Japanese culture is linked to their geography. Japan is an island country that consists of 4 main islands and several thousand smaller ones. Geography helped to make the Japanese who they are today.I. Geographic features that had an impact on Japan:

A. Archipelago : a group of islands. Being a volcanic island and surrounded by seas is going to have a large impact on Japan:1. Isolation : an island is hard to attack and easy to defend. This kept Japan safe

from invasions (like the Mongols). Isolation led to many things:

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a) Unique Identity : Japan was far enough away from Asia to allow the Japanese to develop a one of a kind culture.

b) Selective Borrowing : Japan could borrow from other cultures without being overwhelmed by them. They didn't need to fear being taken over. If they didn't like a part of a foreign culture, they simply through it out or adapted it to fit their own.

2. Access to the Sea : this is going to lead to good sailors, fishermen, and traders.

3. Irregular Coastline : the coastline of Japan is rough and that makes it good for harbors because ships are sheltered from stormy seas.

B. Mountainous Interior : Japan is a volcanic island chain, this means volcanoes, earthquakes, and few mineral resources.

Effects of a Mountainous (& volcanic) interior:1. Nature orientated culture : dealing with natural hazards like volcanic eruptions

and earthquakes, hurricanes and tidal waves made the Japanese respect the power of nature and this is shown in their religion: Shinto.

2. Increase in Population density : most of the people live along the coast and in the valleys.

3. Little fertile farmland : led to intense competition for the farmland that did exist. This is a factor in the development of Japanese feudalism.

4. Few Natural Resources : in addition to little farmland, Japan also has limited natural resources such as iron ore and other mineral useful in today's modern industrial world.

5. Fast flowing rivers : these are good for irrigation and later on (today) hydroelectric power.

Japanese Early History: Main Idea: As an island nation located near China, Japan benefited from cultural diffusion. By establishing an early pattern of selective borrowing, Japan acquired many aspects of Chinese culture without being overwhelmed by them. In recent times, Japan has modernized by selectively borrowing from Western technology and culture. I. Why the Japanese are Different:

1. Developed a unique identity: isolated islands, secure boundaries, selective borrowing.

2. Chinese history is divided by dynasties, Japanese history is divided, not by emperors, but by the family that actually held power at a given time. Each family used the emperor to back up its control.

3. By 600’s B.C., a single emperor, claiming descent from the sun goddess, emerged to unite the Japanese under his rule.

4. They borrowed many ideas from the mainland-religion, architectural styles, symbols for words, and others. But they freely adapted these ideas to their own culture

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Example: Writing system, and religion. They never adopted something as is, they always made modifications to suit their own needs.

II. Rise of Feudalism (1185-1600): The imperial system, or rule by an emperor, gradually weakened as noble families gained power in the 800s. The emperor' s role became primarily religious and ceremonial. In the late 1100s, the imperial system gave way to feudalism--a social, political, and economic system based on personal loyalties, class distinctions, and the granting of land rights. Under feudalism, political power rested in the hands of military warlords (the SAMURAI).

A. The Social Hierarchy of Feudalism: The different social classes of traditional Japanese Society.1. The Emperor: Just a figurehead, He held the highest rank in society but had no

political power.2. The Shogun: The shogun, or military governor general. assumed the political

power of the emperor and ruled with the support of a noble class of landowners.3. Daimyo: Great landholders called Daimyo swore allegiance to the shogun, but

were very powerful lords in their own right (High ranking Samurai).4. Samurai: Warriors called samurai swore allegiance to a Daimyo or to the

shogun, and, in return for their military support, were granted land and states. Their code of conduct, called bushido, stressed simplicity, courage, honor. and unquestioning obedience to one's lord. Warriors with no overlord to serve were called Ronin and could be hired by other nobles.

5. Peasants and Artisans: Beneath the samurai class were peasants who worked the farms and artisans who made their weapons. In return for their services, they received the protection of the samurai.

6. Merchants: Merchants held low social status despite the fact that they might possess considerably more wealth than members of other social classes.

China vs. Japan: The Japanese ordered their society in much the same way as the Chinese, with one important exception. In China the scholar-gentry occupied the highest class. In Japan the samurai, or warrior class, held the highest position in society. This difference was a result of Japanese feudalism.

B. System of Loyalties: In Japan feudal principles of loyalty governed society. The traditional political structure rested upon personal loyalties between the samurai (warriors) and Daimyo (lord). This differed from China where rulers recruited administrators by civil service examinations. At the top of Japanese society was the shogun, who ruled on behalf of the emperor.

C. Code of Honor: Feudalism limited the influence of Confucianism in Japan. Confucius, for example, considered the family to be the basis of society. Under feudalism, however, a Japanese warrior might place the interests of his lord above

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those of his family. The code of bushido, "way of the warrior." provided the framework for Japanese ideas on honor and proper conduct in society.

III. Traditional Japanese families: Were very similar to Confucian families in China. 1. Patriarchal : male dominated. Parents arranged marriages, and women occupied a

lower status than men. The oldest male in the household, usually the father, looked out for the interests of the family as a whole.

2. Individual desires mattered little. If individuals threatened the family's good name, the family would expel them. Open displays of love between a husband and wife were considered "unmanly" according to the warrior code.

IV. Japanese Religions: Unlike other major religions, Japanese religions allow people to be involved with more than one religion at a time. A person seeking religious fulfillment may look for answers in a blend of religions. The two major religions in Japan are Shinto and Buddhism.

A. Shinto: Shinto originated in Japan. It has no founder or sacred scriptures. The name Shinto means the way of the kami, or spirits. The followers of Shinto

believe all things (living and nonliving) possess a kami, or divine spirit. Shinto even gives Mt. Fuji a guardian spirit.

According to Shinto, the imperial family possesses a kami that descends from the Sun Goddess. As a result, they are given special reverence.

A. Buddhism: Mahayana Buddhism arrived in Japan from Korea in the mid-500s. The Japanese selectively borrowed from Buddhism and blended it with Shinto beliefs to form a branch of Buddhism known as Tendai.

Two of Japan's most popular Buddhist sects grew out of Tendai teachings:1. Jodo : offers enlightenment to all people through faith and intervention of a

deity known as the Infinite Light2. Zen: Zen calls for strict discipline, meditation, and humility as the paths to

Satori (the Japanese word for nirvana or enlightenment).

V. Major Social Themes:1. Japan's island location has allowed it to borrow selectively from other cultures

without being overwhelmed by them.2. Traditional Japanese society rested upon a system of feudal relationships, which

sometimes limited the influence of Confucianism.

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