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Topic 1:: Developments in East Asia 1200-1450

The Song dynasty ruled China from 960 to 1279 and represented a period of economic, technological, and cultural flourishing. The Song developed advanced agricultural techniques, a domestic industry, and a large internal trade network supported by infrastructure like the Grand Canal. China had the world's largest city, Hangzhou, and innovations including gunpowder, printing, and the compass. Neighboring regions like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam adopted Chinese culture but adapted it to their own societies. The Mongol Empire later brought unity and exchange along the Silk Road, connecting East Asia to other regions.

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39 views13 pages

Topic 1:: Developments in East Asia 1200-1450

The Song dynasty ruled China from 960 to 1279 and represented a period of economic, technological, and cultural flourishing. The Song developed advanced agricultural techniques, a domestic industry, and a large internal trade network supported by infrastructure like the Grand Canal. China had the world's largest city, Hangzhou, and innovations including gunpowder, printing, and the compass. Neighboring regions like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam adopted Chinese culture but adapted it to their own societies. The Mongol Empire later brought unity and exchange along the Silk Road, connecting East Asia to other regions.

Uploaded by

MOLLIE KRON
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Topic 1:

Developments in
East Asia 1200-
1450
Revival of Large Empires

Song dynasty of China was wealthiest & most


innovative
Regional trade led to growth in Sub-Saharan (SS)
Africa & SE Asia

CONTEXT
Unity in Central Asia

After a devastating conquest, the Mongols


brought unity and an unprecedented exchange of
goods, ideas, and diseases along the Silk Roads
Intro : Song Dynasty in a Nutshell

At the beginning of the 1200s China was rich in wealth,


culture, and the most innovative state in the world

* porcelain, the compass, and gunpowder were invented


* Hangzhou as the largest city in the world (over 2
million) 1.1 Dev. In E. Asia (pp. 3-11)
GOV: Song China 960-1279

• Smaller than Tang before it, but government was wealthy, supported arts

• Bureaucracy: large hierarchy of workers – ran all levels of gov’t.


 Confucian Exam System rewarded talented nobles and gave
bureaucracy talented workers

 Meritocracy: Emperor Song Taizu encouraged promising poor men to


take exam, giving his gov’t highly motivated workers (earned it through
merit, not bribes) Confucian Buzzword!
Filial piety: children respecting their
parents/elders
ECON: agriculture, foreign trade, improved
roads/canals led to pop. growth and $$$
• Grand Canal: linked north and south; 30,000 miles long
Internal trade boomed, and Gov’t could store rice from south for times of
famine
• Gunpowder: invented earlier, the Song make the first guns

• Agricultural Productivity
• Champa rice imported from Vietnam– drought resistant and fast-ripening
• Improved plows, irrigation, fertilizer and water wheels increased food
•  population grew from 25% to 40% of all humans by 1279
Manufacturing & Trade
“Black earth” = coal led to mass-produced steel for goods, ships, and structure-
reinforcement (Pagodas)

• proto-industrialization: Song gov’t. hired home-based workers-- made


porcelain & silk
• These workers were called artisans skilled crafts-people

Invention of the compass & paper money helped China become world’s most
commercialized society
Taxes: paying $ replaced doing labor; led to econ growth
Tributes: neighboring countries forced to pay “tribute”, kowtow; Zheng He led
huge fleets into Indian Ocean collecting tribute
SOC: social structure
• New Social Class: nobles whose son passes exam, move ABOVE
“ scholar-gentry” educated gov’t bureaucracy

Power-Gap: well below the nobles were 3 groups: farmer


artisan/craftsman
merchant

Role of women: defer to men; have sons


Foot binding: noble wives were required (“social status”), but symbol of constraint
TEC: Intellectual and Cultural Developments
• Paper & Printing: block printing helped China pass along info on many subjects
EX. Farm efficiency, war tactics

* Wood-block printing: 100s of years ahead of the Guttenberg press


Reading & Poetry: Confucian classics and Li Bo poems in high demand by the
numerous literate upper classes.
Religious Diversity
Buddhism: already popular by 1200 (monk Xuanzang)

• All 3 forms of Buddhism believed in the Four Noble Truths (eliminating self-
centered desire leads to enlightenment)
• B. & Taoism: syncretic actions changed Buddhism to reflect Taoist beliefs (Chan
Buddhism) popular but disruptive to tradition
• B. & Neo Confucism: Emperor and scholar-gentry reacted against Buddhism
(Buddhist-Backlash)

• Filial-piety emphasized to reduce Buddhists equalitarian teachings

• Neo-Confucism: movement by traditionalists (patriarchy!) to push back against


foreign influence (women rulers?! Empress Wu ruled in earlier Tang dynasty)
College-word ALERT!!

•hegemony
• 1: preponderant influence or authority over others : DOMINATION
sentenceChina battled for hegemony in Asia
• 2 : the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a
dominant group
Comparing Japan, Korea, and Vietnam
Sinification: Chinese culture so strong that its neighbors were heavily
influenced
JAPAN
-selective borrower due to its Islands isolation
-Prince Shotoku Taishi promoted Bud. & Conf., and block printing

Heian Period: used Chinese styles in politics, art and lit., BUT added
 The Novel: Lady Murasaki wrote Tale of Genji, worlds FIRST novel.
• KOREA
• NEXT DOOR TO CHINA, HEAVILY INFLUENCED (Tribute State)
• Culturally SIMILAR- adopted Conf. & Bud. Elites loved Confucism; peasants embraced Buddhism (egalitarian)
• DIFFERENCE- landed nobles more powerful than emperor, so no merit-based system for entering bureaucracy

• VIETNAM
• Somewhat Sinified (less than Korea, more than Japan)
• SIMILAR- writing & architecture DIFFERENCE- violent class/rebellions politically

• Nuclear families: big cultural difference as Vietnam focused on mom/dad and children vs. Chinese multi-generational
model

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