East Asian History and Political Concepts Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering foundational political terms, religious systems, and East Asian diplomatic and imperial history based on the lecture transcript.

Nation

A group of people who recognize themselves as a people, connected by some combination of descent, history, religion, language, cultural traditions, and way of life (a people with a shared identity).

State

A form of organization for governance that has a defined territory, a permanent population, sovereignty/ultimate authority, and a government capable of making treaties with other states.

Nationalism

The idea that a people who identify themselves as a nation should establish a state for themselves.

Westphalian State Characteristics

The key attributes of a Westphalian state: a defined territory, a permanent population, sovereignty (ultimate authority over territory and population), a government, and the ability to make treaties with other states.

Westphalian System vs. Tribute System

The Westphalian system is based on sovereign equality, whereas the tribute system is based on hierarchy.

Confucianism

A system of thought centered on self-improvement, education, self-mastery, proper social roles, benevolence, and harmony in social relationships.

Buddhism

A tradition developed from the Buddha's search for an answer to the problem of suffering, in which followers seek to understand suffering and achieve liberation from it.

Daoism

A tradition whose central concept is the Dao, or "The Way," defined as the unseen, eternal source and guiding principle of the universe.

Syncretic

Blending or assimilating different aspects of different religions or traditions, as seen in Shinto.

Animist Religion

A religion whose chief characteristic is the belief that non-human entities have a distinct spiritual essence, soul, or personal agency.

Tokugawa Bakufu Breakdown

The decline of Japan's Tokugawa governing system caused by economic and social problems, government inability to respond effectively to major crises, and increasing political opposition.

Destruction of the Samurai

An event in the late Tokugawa and early Meiji eras emblematic of modernization, showing the replacement of a traditional, hereditary, feudal social order with a centralized modern state.

Meiji Centralization Documents

The Charter Oath (1868), Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors (1882), Meiji Constitution (1889), and Imperial Rescript on Education (1890), which made the Emperor the center of Japan's modern state and encouraged loyalty to him.

Unequal Treaties

Agreements imposed by Western powers on Asian countries that granted foreigners special privileges and limited native national sovereignty.

Treaty of Kanghwa (1876)

An unequal treaty imposed on Korea by Japan in 1876 to expand Japanese political and economic influence and prevent China and Russia from dominating the peninsula.

1905 Russian Revolution

Widespread strikes, protests, and political unrest triggered inside Russia after losing the war against Japan in 1905, forcing the Tsar to make political concessions.

Qing Dynasty

The Manchu dynasty that conquered China and ruled from 1644–1911, changing names as they developed political identity and sought legitimacy as rulers.

Triple Intervention (1895)

An intervention where Russia, France, and Germany forced Japan to give the Liaodong Peninsula back to China after the First Sino-Japanese War, leading Japan to view Russia as a major enemy and undertake a military buildup.

First Sino-Japanese War (1894–95) and Russo-Japanese War (1904–05)

Two major conflicts that transformed the regional order in East Asia by weakening China and Russia and establishing Japan as the dominant modern imperial power.

Joseon vs. Korean Empire

Joseon was the traditional Korean dynasty ruling until 1897; the Korean Empire was its successor, created when King Gojong declared Korea an empire to emphasize its independence and sovereignty.