Chapter 8

The Asian World

400 A.D. – 1500 A.D.

Modern Day Asia

Key Events• Innovations in agricultural production, the

reemergence of trade routes, and a unified central government allowed China to prosper under the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties

• Japan’s geography isolated it from other countries and caused the island nation to develop it’s own unique culture

• The Muslim expansion made both Islam and Hinduism powerful religions in the Indian subcontinent

• Because of the geography of the region, Southeast Asian countries developed into a series of separate states with their own culture, religion, and language

The Impact Today• Gunpowder and printing were

invented during the Tang dynasty in China

• The expansion of Islam into northwestern India is reflected in the current division of the Indian subcontinent into India, which is mostly Hindu, and the two Islamic states of Bangladesh and Pakistan

Chapter Preview• “Japan Faces Kublai Khan”• Battle between Japan and China (Mongols led by Kublia Khan) became a victory for Japan with the help of “Supernatural” storms

Section 1

China Reunified

The Sui Dynasty

• The Han dynasty ended in 220 A.D. and China fell into chaos

• The Sui dynasty only lasted from 581 – 618, but unified China

• Sui Yangdi (The 2nd emperor)– Completed Grand Canal (linking Yellow

and Yangtze rivers)– A cruel ruler who was eventually

rebelled against and murdered, bringing an end to the dynasty

The Tang Dynasty

• Lasted from 618 – 907• Attempted to create a more stable

economy• China became the greatest power of

east Asia• During the 8th century, the Tang

dynasty weakened and were rebelled against.

• Eventually unrest led to the collapse in 907

The Song Dynasty

• Rose to Power in 960• The Song Dynasty thrived from 960

to 1279 during a period of economic prosperity and cultural achievement

• They did have problems with groups invading from the north and occupying large parts of Chinese territory.

• Eventually during the 1200’s the Mongols overthrow the Song Dynasty and created a dynasty of their own

Government and the Economy

• From the Sui to the Song dynasties, the Chinese economy grew in size and complexity. Agriculture flourished and manufacturing and trade grew dramatically.

• China was still primarily a farming society.

• Reform efforts and improved farming techniques led to an abundance of food.

• Technological improvements related to the use of steel and cotton

Government and the Economy (continued)

• Gunpowder was also invented during the Tang dynasty – used to make explosives and flamethrowers.

• The Silk Road trading route was renewed and caravans carried goods back and forth between China and the countries of Southwest and South Asia.

• Due to trade, the city of Changan, with a population of 2 million, became the wealthiest city in the world.

Silk Road Map

Chinese Society• New forms of entertainment – Playing

cards and chess (brought from India).• Block printing was invented in the 8th

century • Most Chinese people still lived off the

land in villages• The scholar-gentry emerged• Dowry was paid from a girl’s parents

to her husband upon marriage.

Section 2

The Mongols and China

The Mongol Empire• The Mongols were pastoral people

from the region of modern day Mongolia

• Genghis Khan unified the Mongols in the late 1100’s and early 1200’s

• Brought much of the Eurasian landmass under a single rule

• Genghis Khan died in 1227 and the empire was split into several territories called khanates each under the rule of one of his sons

Genghis Khan

The Mongol Dynasty in China

• In 1279, one of Genghis Khan’s grandsons, named Kublai Khan, continued the Mongol Dynasty

• He ruled China until his death in 1294 and established the capital at Khanbaliq (Beijing)

• The Mongol dynasty eventually falls due to:– Over spending on foreign conquests– Corruption at court– Growing internal instability

Mongol Empire Map

Confucianism• Confucianism was dominant in

China from the Song dynasty until the early 20th century

• Confucianism is a philosophy based on the teachings of Confucius

• Confucius believed that moral character and social responsibility were the way to lead a fulfilling life

Confucius

Buddhism• Brought to China in the first century

A.D. by merchants from India• It was popular in the beginning, but

was eventually criticized for being a foreign religion

• During the later Tang period, the government destroyed countless Buddhist temples

• Buddhism no longer received support from the state

Neo-Confucianism• Served as a Confucian response

to Buddhism• Neo-Confucianism teaches that

the world is real, not an illusion, and that fulfillment comes not from withdrawal but from participation in the world

• Divide the world into a material world and a spiritual world.

Literature and Art• The invention of printing

during the Tang dynasty helped to make literature more readily available and more popular• Li Bo and Duo Fu were two of

the most popular poets during the Tang era• Tang artists perfected the

making of porcelain

Section 3

Early Japan and Korea

The Geography of Japan• Japan is a chain of many islands • The population is on 4 main islands

(Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku)

• Much of Japan is very mountainous• The mountains are volcanic in

origin• Volcanic soils are very fertile,

which has helped in farming. However, the area is very prone to earthquakes.

Japan

The Rise of the Japanese State

• The people were divided between a small aristocratic class (the rulers) and a large population of rice farmers, artisans, and household servants• Local rulers of each group

protected the population in return for a share of the harvest

Rice Farmers

Samurai Warriors• With little central power,

aristocrats took justice into their own hands by employing samurai warriors to protect their security and property• The samurai lived by a strict

warrior code (Bushido).• Above all , the samurai’s code

was based on loyalty to his lord.

Shogunate• A powerful noble, Minamoto

Yoritomo, defeated several rivals and set up power near the modern city of Tokyo

• Created a centralized government called shogunate under a military leader (shogun)

• In 1281 Japan was invaded by 150,000 Mongols under Kublai Khan (Destroyed by a massive typhoon)

Collapse of Central Rule• The power of aristocrats grew in

the 14th and 15th centuries• Daimyo (“great names”) controlled

large land estates that owed no tax to the government

• By 1500, Japan was close to chaos. A disastrous civil war from 1467 – 1477, led to the virtual destruction of Kyoto.

Life in Early Japan• Mostly a farming society, growing

wet rice. Noble families controlled most of the land

• Manufacturing and trade later began in the Kamakura period.

• Shipped out raw materials, paintings, swords, and manufactured goods in return for silk, porcelain, books, and copper coins.

Women and Religion in Japan

• Women were clearly considered subordinate. A husband could divorce his wife if she did not produce a male child, or if she committed adultery, talked too much, was jealous, or had a serious illness.

• Religious beliefs were of Shinto, which is still practiced today.

• Buddhism also evolved in Japan, specifically Zen Buddhism.

“Golden Pavilion” Art

Section 4

India after the Guptas

The Decline of Buddhism• A Split developed among

followers of Buddhism • Those that followed the original

teachings of the Buddha were called Theravada

• Mahayana Buddhists thought that Theravada teachings were too strict for ordinary people

• In the end neither sect remained popular in India

Eastward Expansion of Islam

• Islam became popular in the northwestern corner of the Indian subcontinent and had a major impact on Indian civilization

• The impact still exists today in the division of the subcontinent into mostly Hindu India and two Islamic states, Bangladesh and Pakistan

Impact if Timur Lenk• Timur Lenk was the ruler of a

Mongol state based in Samarkland

• Seized power in 1369 and immediately launched a program of conquest

• During the the 1380’s he placed the entire region east of the Caspian Sea under this authority and then occupied Mesopotamia

Islam and Indian Society• Muslim rulers in India viewed

themselves as foreign conquerors and were intolerant of other faiths

• Generally used peaceful means to encourage people to convert to Islam

• They realized that there were too many Hindus to convert them all

Economy and Daily Life• Between 500 and 1500 most

Indians:– Farmed their own tiny plots of land– Paid a share of their harvest to a

landlord

• Rulers had the most wealth, and rich merchants lived in the cities

• India’s location also made it a center for trade between Southwest Asia and East Asia

The Wonder of Indian Culture

• From the 8th century on, Indian architects built monumental Hindu temples

• The greatest example of Hindu temple art of this period are found at Khajuraho

• The use of prose was well established in India by the 6th and 7th centuries

Hindu Temple in Khajuraho

Section 5

Civilization in Southeast

Asia

The Land and People of Southeast Asia

• Mainland region is southward from the China border

• Another area is the extensive archipelago, most of which is part of present day Indonesia and the Philippines

• The geographical barriers help explain why Southeast Asia is one of the few regions in Asia that were never unified under a single government

The Formation of States

• Between 500 and 1500, a number of organized states developed throughout Southeast Asia:– Vietnam– Angkor– Thailand– Burma– The Malay World

• Review of chart on Page 276

Economic Forces

• States were of 2 types:–Agricultural: Economy primarily

based on farming–Trading: Economy based mainly on

trade–Of course, both had some trading

and some farming activities

Social Structures• Hereditary aristocrats held both

political power and economic wealth.

• Most of the rest of the population consisted of farmers, fishers, artisans, and merchants.

• The majority of the people were rice farmers.

• Woman worked side by side with men in the fields and often played an active role in trading activities.

Culture and Religion

• Famous architecture structure – The temple of Angkor Wat (Surrounded by walls of 1,700 and 1,500 feet)• Eventually a form of

Buddhism known as Theravada Buddhism became the religion of the masses in much of Southeast Asia.

Temple of Angkor Wat

Chapter 8The Asian World

Wrap Up and Review

Key Events (Re-visited)• Innovations in agricultural production, the

reemergence of trade routes, and a unified central government allowed China to prosper under the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties

• Japan’s geography isolated it from other countries and caused the island nation to develop it’s own unique culture

• The Muslim expansion made both Islam and Hinduism powerful religions in the Indian subcontinent

• Because of the geography of the region, Southeast Asian countries developed into a series of separate states with their own culture, religion, and language

The Impact Today (Re-visited)

• Gunpowder and printing were invented during the Tang dynasty in China

• The expansion of Islam into northwestern India is reflected in the current division of the Indian subcontinent into India, which is mostly Hindu, and the two Islamic states of Bangladesh and Pakistan