Empires in East Asia

1
Empires in East Asia

• 12.1 Tang and Song China
• 12.2 3 The Mongol Conquests Empire
• 12.4 Feudal Japan
• 12.5 SE Asia Korea

2
The Sui Dynasty Reunites China(500 years after
the Han)

• Lasted from 581-618
• Only had 2 emperors
• Accomplished
• Grand Canal- connected 2 rivers to form a trade
  route between rice fields in the south and the
  northern cities
• Rebuilding of the Great Wall of China
• Fell due to revolts of overworked and overtaxed
  people
• Thousands died on both state projects- people
  resented and assassinated the 2nd Sui emperor

3
The Tang Dynasty

• Lasted from 618-907
• Empress Wu Zhao named herself emperor and
  expanded the empire into the rest of China and
  Korea- regained land lost after the fall of the
  Han Dynasty
• She is the only woman in Chinese history to do
  this!

4
Tang Accomplishments

• Strong Central Government
• Expanded Roads and the Grand Canal
• Promoted Trade
• Improvements in agriculture
• Revived the Confucian Civil Service examination
  system

5
The Fall of the Tang Dynasty

• Taxes were increased due to the large government
  around 700
• Invading Muslim Armies
• Border attacks and internal rebellions
• China was divided into separate kingdoms ruled by
  warlords

6
Taizu Reunites China- the Song Dynasty

• Lasted about 3 centuries (960 1279)
• Never able to reunite all of China, but set up a
  government in southern china
• Accomplishments Strong economy and large
  economic growth

7
Prosperity and Innovation During the Tang and
Song Dynasties

• Science Technology- movable type, gunpowder,
  magnetic compass, porcelain
• Agriculture- rice cultivation (two crops each
  year)
• Trade and Foreign Contacts- Guarded silk roads,
  built large port cities, and influenced other
  groups
• Poetry Art- paintings of nature

8
Changes in Society

• A new upper class, gentry, emerged who achieved
  status through education and civil service
• Status and role of women
• Were always subservient to men
• Treatment was worse in cities
• Custom of foot binding- display of wealth and
  status

9
The Mongols (Section 2)

• Geography- Steppe region, dry grasslands
• Skills- horsemen, raising domesticated animals-
  followed a pattern of movement
• Way of life pastoralists who traveled in kinship
  groups (CLANS)

10
The Rise of the Mongols

• United under the leadership of Genghis Kahn
• After conquering the Russians, Turks, etc. Set
  his sites on China
• Characteristics of Genghis Kahn- Campaign of
  Terror- and organized
• 10,000 Army 1,000 brigades
• 100 companies 10 squads

11
The Mongol Empire

• Genghis died due to illness his successors
  continued to expand the Empire. In less than 50
  years they conquered territories from China to
  Poland
• The empire was divided into 4 khanates
• of the great Kahn- Mongolia/China
• of the Chagatai- Central Asia
• of the I khanate- Persia
• of the Golden Horde- Russia

12
The Mongols as Rulers

• Ruthless in war used cruelty as a weapon,
  trickery, terrifying enemies into surrender
• Tolerant in peace
• Pax Mongolica (Mongolian Peace)
• Safe passage for traders and travelers
• Active Trade
• Possibly began to spread the plague
• Chinese innovations reached the west

13
The Mongol Empire (Section 3)

• A new guy to knowKublai Khan
• Grandson of Genghis Kahn
• Title Emperor of China (and The Great Khan)
• Founded the Yuan Dynasty
• By the time he came to power the empire was split
  into 4 divisions
• Know that Kublai Khan wanted to control all of
  China- legacy of his grandfather

14
The Yuan Dynasty

• Area that it covered- all of Mongolia, Korea,
  Tibet and all of China
• Conquering the land of china was Genghis Khans
  greatest achievement
• Importance- first time a foreign invader
  controlled China and first to unite all of China
  after the Tang Dynasty

15
Kublai Khan Breaks Mongol Traditions

• Change in lifestyle- gave up the nomadic life
  common with Mongolian Rulers
• Moved the capital to China so he could be the
  rightful
• Next goal was to conquer Japan, he never did!

16
Back to China

• Kublai Khan turned his focus back to China
• Mongol theory on public office Mongols and
  Chinese lived apart and obeyed different laws,
  kept Chinese out of high office, but kept them in
  local leadership positions Foreigners were more
  trustworthy due to no local loyalties

17
What Happened Under Kublai Khans Empire?

• Trade foreign trade increased- Mongol Peace by
  making Central Asia safe for trade and travel-
  invited foreign merchants to visit.
• Most Famous Visitor- Marco Polo- traveled to
  China along the Silk Roads with his father in
  1272. They remained there until 1292- Marco told
  wondrous stories of China- of which no one
  believed a word.

18
Inventions shared with the West

• Some we know- paper, gunpowder, paper currency
• Others included playing cards and black stones
  burned for fuel coal!

19
The Fall of the Mongols

• Beginning of the end- Kublai Khans renewed
  interest in expansion led to fruitless wars- loss
  of life- and taxes. Also, the lavish life style
  of the rulers added to the high taxes.
• When- in 1294 after K.Ks death-
• Family members argued over who would rule and
  were fueled by famine, flood, disease and
  economic trouble
• Mongol governments fell apart- Chinas was
  replaced by the Ming Dynasty

20
Japan

• Japan is composed of 4,000 islands , 4 largest
  are used- or heavily populated.
• Major Religion- Shinto which means way of the
  gods- polytheistic
• This was combined with Buddhism
• Japanese borrowed a great deal from China
• They blended these into their own culture

21
Things the Japanese borrowed from China

• Buddhism
• Writing
• Landscape paintings
• Cooking, gardening, tea, hairdressing
• Attempts to model their civil-service government
  failed
• Japan never lost its own traditions- eventually
  ended cultural missions to China

22
The Heian Period

• Relatively strong central government
• Lavish wealth and rituals are associated with
  this period
• Rules dictated the expectations of court life
  including clothing, behaviors, forms of address,
  and etiquette
• Soon the Heian were challenged by wealthy land
  owners

23
Japan Becomes Feudalistic

• Feudalism means that power was based on noble
  land ownership
• This weakened the central government of Japan
• The emperor stayed in place, but only as a
  figure-head, this continued for many years

24
Japanese Terms

• Samurai- one who serves- the band of body
  guards that protected the interests of their
  lord. They lived by a code of conduct advocating
  courage, reverence, fairness, generosity and
  dying a noble death rather than living a long
  life.
• Shogun-supreme general of the emperors army
  military dictator (lasted from the 1200s 1868!)

25
Southeast Asia s Khemer Empire- modern day
Cambodia

• Improved rice cultivation which allowed them to
  become prosperous. Just like China!
• Built the Angkor Wat
• Political palace
• Religious temple

26
Korea

• Heavily influenced (and controlled by China)
• Independence under the Koryu Dynasty
• Government modeled after Chinas but did not
  allow upward mobility.