1.1 Developments in East Asia

Dynastic Cycle

• Why group rises/loses power; China:

• Founded by powerful, progressive leader with Mandate of Heaven

• Period of prosperity/power: rrestore peace and glory, builds and improves commoner’s lives (peasants; helped with agri)

• Period decline: change ladership; higher taxes (war), agri decline (peasants war)

• Rebellion: peasants rebel; lose Mandate Heaven

How did governance dev in the Song Dynasty?

• Ruled for 3+ centuries (pastoralists from Manchuria turned N into Jin Emprie)

  • Art flourised

• Bureaucracy: Imperial; for centuries, since Qin Dynasty; early strength

  • Civil Service Exam: meritocracy, Song Taizu - expand for mobility with education in lower clasess on Confucius

  • Led to decline: too many jobs and payroll

Infrastructure, Innovation, and Agriculture in Postclassical China?

• Economy inherited from Tang

• Grand Canal: inexpensive, internal; helped to most populus trade in world

• Guns: Song made 1st guns; spread to Eurasia with Silk Road

• Agri. Prod: Champa Rice (fast ripe+ drought resist) from Viet led; 2x yield.

  • Innovation manure, elaborate irrigation, heavy plows helped pop to 40% world!

Manufacturing and Trade in Postclassical China?

• Greatest manu. cap world: coal allowed cast iron, C from coast iron led steel (bridges, gates, anchors) as well as pagodas and Buddhas

  • Used proto-industrialization: rural surplus with local artisian prod. and simple equipment with gov control

• Prod. maritime porcelain/silk; used compass, bigger ships - junks, and nav charts

• Exported local goods (procelain, silk, tea); Grand Canal internal trade, naval tech = control S CH Sea, gov. stop bandits

Taxes and Tributes in Postclassical China?

• Grew economy by paying contractors infrastructure (ciculated money)

• Tributes: Cemented polt/econ power; led stable trade others (Japan, Korea, Vietnam)

  • Had to kowtow and threatened by ships

Social Structure of China

• Most urban world; largest cities Chang’an, Hangzhou, Guangzhou commerce + entertain

• Scholar gentry (Confuc, infl bureacrats), farmers, artisans, merchants (didn’t MAKE anything), peasants, poor

  • Aid poor, pub. hospitals free care

• Women: marginalized with Confucianism; foot binding for suitors (aristocratic young) to restrict

  • Upper allowed own and seen public, could remarry, arranged marriage with dowry

Intellectual and Cultural Developments of Postclassical China

• Causes wealth+ed+foreign infl; paper and printing: 7th century woodblock for Bud scriptures, efficient farm booklet

• Reading/Poetry: more books = access lit (peasants illit), Confucian volume = more scholar-bureaucrats

Introduction Buddhism, 4 types in Postclassical China:

• Introduced Bud by likening Doaism

• Bud from SR pop in Tang Dyn (monk Xuanzong); all for 4 Noble Truths (eliminate desire and suffering with Eightfold), Eightfold: lead to nirvana (enlightenment)

  • Theravada: personal medit, self-discipline - SE Asia

  • Mahayana: spirit grow/service - CH, Korea

  • Tibetian: Chanting

• Syncretic (Bud + Dao) Chan/Zen Bud: exp + medit with monasteries; popular, Tang not accept (foreign), jealous Confuc + Daoists got monasteries closed

Buddhism with Confucianism in Postclassical China

• Song friendly to but prefer trad.; Bud infl. Confucians (read scriptures)

  • Song embraced filial piety (respect elders and emporer - keep rule)

• Neo-Confucianism: syncretic (Bud+ Dao), ethical. Pop in tribute nations.

Japan and China in Postclassical China

• Chose what to adopt (sea); prince promoted Bud and Shinto

  • Woodblock printing

  • Heian rule: CH polt/art/lit; though unique like 1st novel (The Tale of Genji); after fall, emporer Minamoto with no power and rivalry

• Feudal: daiymos (land) battled but most farmers; like Eur little mobility (heredity), serfs and samurais born (Eur serf, knights, nobles)

  • However, daimyos power shogun+emporer; Eur central power

• Loyalties: knights - God/country/women; bushido code: frugal, loyal, martial art, honor

Korea and China in Postclassical China

• Closer = more infl; tribute led to central gov, and culture (peasant Bud, elite Confuc)

• Adopted writing system - awkward, very different

Vietnam and China in Postclassical China

• Sometimes fought; women had more married independence and nuclear families

  • No foot binding/polygyny; sinification though resistance

• Villages independent and no central gov; merit bureaucracy, loyal to peasants and revolts possible

• Milt conflict: Tang weak 8th century; guerilla war to push out