Unit 1: The Global Tapestry from c. 1200 to c. 1450

Developments in East Asia/ Song China (Highlighted in red) Developments in Dar al-Islam (Highlighted in purple) Developments in South and Southeast Asia/ Hindu & Buddhist States (Highlighted in yellow)

Song Dynasty

The ruling dynasty in China from c. 960 to 1279, is known for its use of Confucianism and imperial bureaucracy to maintain and justify its rule.

Song meritocracy

Bureaucrats earned and kept their positions according to their abilities and performances on competitive tests on classic Confucian texts.

Confucianism

A system of philosophical and ethical teachings founded by Confucius, emphasizing the importance of moral values, social harmony, and filial piety.

Filial piety

A Confucian virtue that emphasizes respect and expected deference for your elders

Neo-Confucianism

A philosophical and ethical system that emerged in China during the Song Dynasty, combining elements of Confucianism and Buddhism.

Buddhism

A religion and philosophy that originated in ancient India and spread throughout Asia, emphasizing the pursuit of enlightenment and the alleviation of suffering.

The economy of Song China became increasingly commercialized and relied on

free peasant and artisanal labor.

Champa rice

A fast-ripening and drought-resistant strain of rice that was introduced to China during the Song Dynasty, leading to increased agricultural productivity.

Song China technological innovations:

• Champa rice (drought resistant & 2 harvests a season)

• Transportation innovations like the Grand Canal expanded trade

• Gunpowder (revolutionized weaponry)

• Textiles, tea, spices, & porcelain (highly desired exports)

• Paper/Flying Money (easier to carry & allowed Chinese merchants to travel thousands of miles along the Silk Road)

Sociatal Classes in Song China

1. Gentry class (wealthy and on top)

2. Peasants (majority of citizens, farmers who lived in small villages)

3. Merchants (lower status then peasants because their money comes from other peoples work)

Religion in China

Song Dynasty was friendly with Buddhism, but preferred Chinese Confucianism.

Song architects

Designed multistoried temples with ornate roofs called pagodas.

Dar al-Islam

Means 'House of Islam', or basically the parts of the world where Islam is a dominant force. Used when referring to all of Islamic culture, including Shia and Sunni.

Abbasid Caliphate Dynasty

An Islamic Empire that lasted from 750–1258. It was located in Southwest Asia and North Africa. The Abbasid leadership was Sunni Muslim and Arab. Its foreign policy focused on spreading the influence of Islam.

Abbasid Economy

• Merchants were near top of social scale (Muhammad)

• Discrimination early on for non-Muslims, but it generally faded

Abbasid Women

• Education, legal and political freedoms restricted

• Allowed to inherit property and retain ownership

Muslim (one who practices Islam)

• Monotheistic

• Equality

Hinduism

• Polytheistic

• Caste System (you can’t move up social classes, whatever your parent’s profession is, it’s going to be yours too)

Islam Innovations

• Advances in mathematics, invented trig (Nasir al-Din al-Tusi)

• Advances in literature (A’ishah al-Bu’uniyyah)

• Advances in medicine (invented hospitals)

Islam Transfers

• Muslims inherited and preserved classic works by ancient Greeks and Romans

• House of Wisdom in Abbasid Baghdad, center of Silk Road trade route

Sufism (Islam)

• Branch of Islam

• Focused on intellectualism and more introspection

• Sought individual connections with divine truth

• Best poetry and literature during this period

Angkor Wat

combination of the temple mountain and the later plan of concentric galleries, most of which were originally derived from religious beliefs of Hinduism.