Unit 1 Study Notes: Asian States and Societies in a Connected Afro-Eurasia (c

Song Dynasty

A Chinese dynasty that ruled much of China after the Tang Dynasty, noted for building a centralized state through bureaucracy, ideology, and economic innovation.

Bureaucracy

A system of government in which appointed officials manage the state through offices, records, and rules, central to Song governance.

Civil Service Examination

A test system used by the Song to recruit officials based on merit, assessing knowledge of Confucian texts.

Scholar-Gentry

An educated landowning class that emerged in Song China, culturally dominant due to their education and wealth.

Neo-Confucianism

A revival of Confucian thought during the Song that integrated ethical, metaphysical, and cosmological ideas into its framework.

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening rice variety from Vietnam that contributed to increased agricultural productivity in Song China.

Commercialization

The expansion of markets and trade in Song China, characterized by urban growth and the use of paper money.

Gunpowder

An important military innovation developed during the Song dynasty, leading to advances in weaponry.

Mandala Political Model

A political system in Southeast Asia where power radiates from a center rather than having fixed borders, differing from centralized state models.

Bhakti Movement

A devotion-focused movement in Hinduism that emphasized personal faith and spiritual accessibility, questioning elite hierarchies.

Delhi Sultanate

A series of Muslim-ruled states in northern India from the 1200s, exemplifying state formation through conquest and administration.

Sharia

Islamic law derived from the Qur'an and the Sunnah, interpreted by religious scholars and crucial for maintaining cultural continuity in the Islamic world.

Sufism

A mystical tradition in Islam that emphasizes personal experience of the divine and the spread of Islam through community and trade.

Managed Pluralism

A system in Islamic societies that allowed non-Muslims to coexist within society with specific legal statuses and taxes.

Caste System

A social hierarchy in Hinduism defining subclasses based on inherited status, structured daily life and occupation.

Irrigation Systems

Infrastructure used by empires like the Khmer to support agriculture and population growth, often tied to religious ideology.

Cultural Diffusion

The spread of cultural beliefs and social activities from one group to another, significant in the context of trade in South and Southeast Asia.

Silk Roads

A network of trade routes connecting China with the Mediterranean, pivotal for cultural and material exchange.

Indian Ocean Trade Network

A maritime trading system linking East Africa, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, fostering cultural and economic exchanges.

Paper Money

A financial innovation used during the Song dynasty that indicated advanced commerce and economic sophistication.

Urbanization

The growth of cities in Song China as centers of administration and commerce, leading to increased economic activity.