shirley's APWH flashcards

Sui Dynasty

A dynasty from 581-618 that unified China.

Tang Dynasty

A dynasty from 618-907 that represented a political and cultural high point in Chinese history. Combined elements of the Qin/Han blueprint for empire with new measures to create a model of governance that spread to Tibet, Korea, and Japan.

Song Dynasty

A dynasty that ruled a united China from the northern capital of Kaifeng from 960-1126 and only the southern half of the empire from 1127–1276. (Southern Song (1127-1279))

Jin Dynasty

A dynasty from 1115-1234. Dynasty of the Jurchen people of Manchuria that ruled north China, when the Mongols defeated their armies.

Silla Kingdom

(smaller chiefdoms of Koguryo & Paekche) A Korean kingdom that adopted Buddhism and united the Tang dynasty in 660 to defeat the Koryo and Paekche kingdoms, unifying Korea for the first time in 668.

Koryo Dynasty

A Korean dynasty that expelled the Chinese armies in

Ly Dynasty

A Vietnamese dynasty (1009-1224) that resisted Chinese domination while adopting many aspects of Chinese culture, including Confucian governance and Mahayana Buddhism.

Yarlung Dynasty

A Tibetan dynasty (617-842) that unified Tibet under Songtsen Gampo, who introduced Buddhism and Chinese political models.

Soga Clan

A powerful aristocratic clan (587-645) that dominated the Yamato court, promoted Buddhism, and influenced the early Japanese state.

Heian Period

A cultural golden age (794-1185) where Japan developed a unique courtly culture, literature, and the kana writing system, with the Fujiwara clan exerting political power.

Grand Canal

A massive engineering project completed during the Sui Dynasty that connected northern and southern China, facilitating trade and economic integration.

Tang Cosmopolitanism

The Tang Dynasty's openness to foreign cultures, trade, and religions, making cities like Chang’an cultural melting pots.

Terrace Farming

A method of farming used in East Asia to cultivate crops on hilly terrain, especially in China, Korea, and Japan.

Woodblock Printing

A printing technique developed during the Tang Dynasty that allowed for mass production of texts and Buddhist scriptures.

Pagoda

A tiered tower associated with Buddhist architecture in China, Korea, and Japan.

Jurchen

A semi-nomadic people from Manchuria who established the Jin Dynasty and conquered northern China from the Song Dynasty.

Gunpowder

An explosive invention in China, first used for fireworks and later for military applications, revolutionizing warfare.

Tang Code

A legal code established during the Tang Dynasty that influenced laws in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

Foot Binding

A Chinese practice that emerged in the Song Dynasty, symbolizing beauty and status but also limiting women's mobility.

Silk Road

A vast network of trade routes connecting China to Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, spreading goods, ideas, and religions.

Civil Service Exam

A merit-based examination system in China that determined government positions based on Confucian knowledge.

Sinification

The spread and adoption of Chinese culture, government systems, and Confucianism in neighboring regions like Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.

Emperor Yang Jian

Founder of the Sui Dynasty who reunified China after centuries of fragmentation.

Equal Field System

A land distribution policy in Tang China that aimed to reduce the power of aristocrats by allocating land based on household size.

Shinto Religion

Japan’s indigenous spiritual belief system that revolves around kami (spirits) and ancestor worship.

Neo-Confucianism

A revival of Confucian thought during the Song Dynasty that incorporated Buddhist and Daoist elements.

Emperor Taizong

A key ruler of the Tang Dynasty who expanded China’s influence and strengthened the bureaucratic system.

Commercial Revolution in China

A period of economic growth during the Song Dynasty driven by urbanization, trade expansion, and innovations like paper money.

Buddhism

A religion that spread widely in China during the Tang Dynasty, influencing Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

General Song Taizu

The founder of the Song Dynasty who centralized power and reinforced the civil service examination system.

Songtsen Gampo

A Tibetan emperor of the Yarlung Dynasty who introduced Buddhism to Tibet and established relations with the Tang Dynasty.

Wu Zetian (Empress Wu)

The only female emperor of China (Tang Dynasty) who strengthened the state, supported Buddhism, and expanded the empire.

Zhu Xi

A prominent Neo-Confucian scholar during the Song Dynasty who emphasized moral self-cultivation.

Archipelago

A chain of islands, such as Japan.

Whirling Dance

A form of dance associated with religious and cultural traditions, possibly linked to Buddhism or Central Asian influences.

Scholar-Bureaucrats

Officials in imperial China who passed the civil service exams and governed based on Confucian ideals.

Chang’an

The capital of the Tang Dynasty, a major cultural and trade hub along the Silk Road.

Hangzhou

A major city during the Southern Song Dynasty, known for its economic prosperity and cultural achievements.

General An Lushan (An Lushan Rebellion)

A Tang military general who led a rebellion in 755, weakening the Tang Dynasty and leading to its eventual decline.

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of ideas, religions, and technologies across different civilizations, such as Buddhism from India to China, Korea, and Japan.

• To what extent did the Sui and Tang return stability and prosperity to China? To East Asia?

The Sui Dynasty reunified China, built the Grand Canal, and centralized power but collapsed due to peasant revolts. The Tang Dynasty established a strong bureaucracy (Civil Service Exam), expanded trade (Silk Road), and spread Chinese influence (Sinification) to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

• What ought to be the legacy of the Mongols?

The Mongols created the Pax Mongolica, securing the Silk Road, promoting trade and cultural diffusion, and implementing administrative innovations, but also caused destruction in cities like Baghdad.

• What are the causes and effects of cosmopolitanism in Tang Dynasty China?

Trade along the Silk Road, a diverse capital (Chang’an), and Buddhist influence (Empress Wu Zetian) made Tang China highly cosmopolitan, leading to cultural diffusion in fashion, religion, and technology.

• What is the relationship between the Jin Dynasty and the Song Dynasty? or Why did so many migrate to the Southern Song?

The Jin Dynasty (Jurchens) conquered northern China, forcing the Song Dynasty to retreat south, leading to the rise of the Southern Song, a period of economic and cultural prosperity in Hangzhou.

• What were the causes and effects of the Commercial Revolution in China? 

Innovations like paper money, expanded trade networks (Grand Canal, Silk Road), and urbanization led to economic growth, making the Song Dynasty one of the most prosperous in history.

• To what extent did Sinification occur in Tibet, Korea, Vietnam and Japan?

China’s influence spread through Buddhism (Tibet, Korea, Vietnam, Japan), governance (Confucian bureaucracy in Korea and Vietnam), and cultural practices, though Japan retained its Shinto traditions.

• Identify and explain various examples of cultural diffusion in East Asia during the Post Classical Era?

Cultural diffusion occurred through Buddhism’s spread from China to Korea and Japan, woodblock printing influencing East Asian literature, and Tang architecture (pagodas) appearing in Japan and Vietnam.