UNIT I: The Global Tapestry (c. 1200 to c. 1450) – Vocabulary Flashcards

Flashcards focusing on key terms and their meanings from Unit I: The Global Tapestry (c. 1200–c. 1450), covering politics, economy, society, culture, and global interactions in East Asia, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and related regions.

Song Dynasty (960–1279)

Chinese dynasty noted for wealth, stability, urban growth, and innovations (Neo-Confucianism, gunpowder, printing); expanded bureaucracy and manufacturing.

Imperial bureaucracy

A vast system of appointed officials who run the state; expanded under the Song, underpinning governance and policy.

Civil Service Exam / Meritocracy

Exams based on Confucian texts determining bureaucratic membership; allowed upward mobility and solidified merit-based governance.

Champa rice

Fast-ripening, drought-resistant rice from Champa that boosted agricultural output and population in China.

Grand Canal

Extensive canal network linking northern and southern China to facilitate cheap internal trade.

Gunpowder

Powder technology developed in Song China; enabled early firearms and influenced warfare and technology spread.

Proto-industrialization

Pre-industrial shift where rural workers produced more goods for exchange, setting the stage for later industrialization.

Steel production

Advances in iron/steel making (use of coal) that strengthened infrastructure, tools, and military capacity.

Woodblock printing

Early printing method allowing mass replication of texts, aiding spread of literature and Buddhist scriptures.

Neo-Confucianism

Syncretic philosophy blending Confucian ethics with Daoist/Buddhist ideas; influential across East Asia.

Foot binding

Practice restricting women’s feet as a status symbol; sign of social status; banned in 1912.

Tributary system

Arrangement where nearby states paid tribute or goods to the Chinese emperor to maintain favorable relationships.

Kowtow

Ritual bow of subservience by representatives of tributary states to the Chinese emperor.

Zheng He

Ming dynasty admiral who led large maritime voyages to display power and collect tribute.

Urbanization in Song China

Song era marked by highly urbanized society with major cities as commercial and cultural hubs.

Scholar gentry

Educated Confucian elite who dominated the bureaucracy and social life, surpassing hereditary aristocracy.

Filial piety

Confucian virtue emphasizing respect and duty to parents and ancestors within families and society.

Chan (Zen) Buddhism

Chinese form of Buddhism focusing on meditation and direct experience; syncretized with Daoism.

Buddhist forms: Theravada, Mahayana, Tibetan

Three major branches of Buddhism with distinct regional emphases: Theravada (SE Asia), Mahayana (East Asia), Tibetan (Tibet).

Sinification

Process by which Chinese culture and institutions spread to neighboring regions (Japan, Korea, Vietnam).

Heian period (Japan)

Japanese era (794–1185) with strong Chinese influence, courtly culture, and early literary development.

Daimyo

Powerful Japanese feudal lords who controlled large land holdings within a decentralized system.

Shogun

Military ruler who held real political power in Japan; emperor largely a figurehead during much of this period.

Bushido

Samurai code of conduct emphasizing loyalty, martial skill, and honor.

Tale of Genji

World’s first novel, written in the Heian period, highlighting court life and romance.

Korean writing system and limited civil service

Korea adopted Chinese writing; the civil service exam existed but was not open to peasants, and Korea later developed its own writing system in the 15th century.

Vietnam: nuclear families and polygyny

Vietnam borrowed Chinese cultural practices but favored nuclear family structures and resisted some Chinese norms; some sinification occurred.

Mongol Empire

Largest land empire in history (Central Asia to Europe); unified vast territories and facilitated Eurasian trade and exchange.

Silk Roads

Network of trade routes connecting Afro-Eurasia; enabled exchange of goods and ideas, expanding under Mongol influence.