1200-1450 LEQ Retake NTG

What religions/belief systems were practiced in China during the Song Dynasty?

Buddhism:

• Traveled through the silk roads

• Attracted Chinese interest because of high standards of morality, intellectual sophistication, and promise of salvation

• Establishment of monastic communities → stored harvest in times of famine

New Confucianism:

• Confucians drew inspiration from Buddhism and formed a new tradition

• Concentration of practical issues of politics and morality because of early Confucian scholars

  • Took stable social order as main concern

  • Family-oriented

  • Proper roles both in their family and larger society

• Illustrates the deep influence of Buddhism on Chinese society

What traditional religions were practiced in Africa before Islam?

Focus on honoring deities, spirits, or ancestor souls to win favor or goodwill

• Africans believed in higher deities like the "Creator of God." → They branched off to their own denominations, but believed in a higher male being

  • Sustain the world indirectly through spirits

  • All powerful and all knowing.

• Lesser deities: participated actively in the working of the world

  • Often associated with the sun, wind, trees, and other natural forces

  • Confer or withhold benefits and bring favor or injury to humans

• Souls of ancestors: power to intervene in the lives of their descendants

  • Advantage to those who behaved and honored properly, and misfortune for those who did not

Diviners: class of religious specialists that had power to mediate between human and supernatural. Was consulted to learn cause of misfortune.

What religions and philosophies spread to Korea?

Confucian and political system inspired by Chinese teachings because of Chinese invasions. Korea and China entered a tributary relationship that opened doors for Korean merchants to trade and students to study in China.

Chinese government and administration shaped public life.

How does Korea respond?

Korea blends native culture (ex: Korea had no bureaucracy, but extensive dealings with China ensured Confucian and Chinese traditions) → Observed working of Chinese court and bureaucracy and organized Korean court similarly

The new Capital in Kumsong took influence of Chinese Tang capital Chang’an.

Korean elites took interest in confucianism.

Buddhism attracted widespread popularity → Chan Buddhism promised individual salvation and won over peasants and commoners

Korea was still dominated by aristocrats and royals → never established a merit based bureaucracy like China

What religions and philosophies spread to Vietnam?

Vietnam adopted Buddhism and Confucian education because of Chinese invasions. Vietnam especially underwent invasion because of their connections to the Red River. Buddhism came from not only China but also India.

How does Vietnam respond?

Vietnam absorbed political and cultural influence from China and reflected the development of a larger East Asian Society centered on China.

• Vietnam readily adopted agricultural and irrigation methods.

• Studied Confucian texts and had examinations based on Chinese-style educations → Prepared for careers by pursuing Confucian education

• Established administrative systems and bureaucracy modeled after China

• Buddhism won a large population

What religions and philosophies spread to Japan?

Nara period

• took influenced on the tang dynasty of China and introduced reforms to Japanese politics

  • Court modeled after the Tang

  • Equal-field system (system of land distribution)

  • Official support for confucianism and Buddhism

  • Chinese-style bureaucracy

  • New capital city at Nara that was replica of Tang capital Chang’an

Literature imitated Chinese models and were written in the Chinese language

• Educated on classic works of CHina

• Official business and records in Chinese

• Japanese writing adapted Chinese characters

How did Japan respond?

Japan embraces Chinese traditions and reforms politics and literature that imitates the Chinese

Japanese society did not lose its distinctive characteristics and continued to observe traditions

• Shinto: indigenous religion that revolved around veneration of ancestors and host of nature spirits and deities

What religions and philosophies spread to West Africa?

Islam spread to West Africa through the trans-saharan network.

• Kings of Ghana converted to Islam to bring recognition and support form Muslim states in north Africa

• Attracted those engage in trade with Muslim merchants from north Africa and Muslim nomads who traveled on the Trans-saharan trade network

Christianity arrived in North Africa

• Local merchants traded with Mediterranean Christians

• Missionaries traveled to states such as Ethiopia

Kings of Axum converted to Christianity in hopes to improve relations with powerful neighbors north of Christian Egypt.

How did West Africa respond?

West Africa blends Islam into their native culture.

• Continued to observe traditional religious customs along with Islam

• Protective measures against evil spirits or witches

• Participate in rituals designed to please nature deities or ancestors

• Ruling elites continued to honor inherited religious traditions long after adopting Islam for the various advantages

→ Islam supplemented, rather than replaced traditional religions of Sub-Saharan Africa

The conversions of kings led to a reputation among Muslim-centered states, but they never forced Islam onto the society.

• Mali Islam honored Islam and provided protection and support for Muslim merchants. Encouraged spread of Islam.

• Mansa-Musa

  • Pilgrimage to Mecca

  • Built mosques and Islamic schools, such as Timbuktu

  • Sent students to study with Islamic scholars

  • Promoted Islam

Kings of Axum were one of the first royal converts to Christianity

• Rulers claimed descent from Israelite kings

• Missionaries established monasteries, translated bible, and popularized Christianity

Ethiopian dynasties promoted Christianity as a foundation of cultural united for the land

• Carving of eleven massive churches made of solid rock

• Reflected African influence through belief in evil spirits and amulets or charms that offered protection

What religions and philosophies spread to East Africa?

Adopting Islam created cultural foundation and relation of Muslims merchants. Islam arrived through Muslims traders through the Indian Ocean Trade Network

• By adopting Islam, laid a foundation for close cooperation with Muslim merchants

• Fresh source of legitimacy for their rule and gain recognition in Islamic states in Southwest Asia

• Political alliances with Muslim rulers in other states

How did East Africa respond?

Ruling elites and merchants converted to Islamic faith → Over time, faith eventually attracted mass interest and became one of the principle cultural and religious traditions

Muslim scholars from Arabia and Persia lived at Kilwa and consulted regularly with the local ruler

Mosques were commonly found in Swahili city-states

What religions and philosophies spread to Southeast Asia?

Ruling elites sponsored introduction of Hinduism and Buddhism

• Funan: ceremonies and rituals that worshiped Hindu deities

• Court of Singosari: cultural blend of Hindu, Buddhist, and Indigenous values

• Angkor: kings designed cities that reflected Hindu world order. Later added Buddhist temples after turning Buddhist, bud didn’t remove earlier Hindu structures

Islam: Muslim merchants from southern Arabia or Persia and Indians from Gujarat converted ruling elites, traders, and ones who had dealings with Muslims regularly

How does Southeast Asia respond?

Ruling elites adopted Islam but continued to honor Hindu, Buddhist, or Southeast Asian traditions.

• Allowed Sufis to preach faith → appealed because of reputation for sincerity and holiness

• Retained customs while adapting the Islam to local needs or interests

Funan: continued to honor local deities such as water spirits

Melaka: Welcomed theologians, sufis, and Islamic authorities, and sponsored missionary campaigns for the spread of Islam.

Adopted Indian political, cultural, and religious traditions

• claimed divine sanction for rule similar to Hindu rulers in India

• Positions for administrators and bureaucrats like in Indian courts

• Official business in Sanskrit