Developements in East Asia from 1200-1450

Song Dynasty

Chinese Dynasty from 960 to 1279 known for strong bureaucracy and economic growth.

Imperial Bureaucracy

A government system of appointed officials who carried out the emperors policies.

Civil Service Exam System

Exams of Confucian texts used to select government officials by merit.

Confucianism

A chinese philosophy stressing moral leadership, social order, education, and proper relationships.

Neo-Confucianism

A revival Confucianism philosophy that incorporated Buddhist and Dalits ideas.

Filial Piety

The Confucian duty to respect, obey, and care for parents and ancestors.

Scholar-Gentry

Educated elite men whose status came from learning and government service.

Yuan Dynasty

Mongol-ruled Chinese dynasty from 1271 to 1368 that kept Chinese administration under foreign control.

Ming dynasty

Chinese dynasty founded in 1368 that restored native rule and centralized imperial power.

Chinese Character

Logographic writing symbols used in China and adopted in part East Asia

Heian Japan

A Japanese period marked by strong borrowing of Chinese court culture and literature.

Goryeo

A Korean dynasty that adopted Chinese-style government, writing, and Confucian learning.

Buddhism

An Asian religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama about ending suffering.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism emphasizing bodhisattvas discipline and individual progress toward enlightenment.

Tibetan Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism that blended Buddhist teachings with Tibetan religious practices.

Chan Buddhism

A Chinese Buddhist school emphasizing meditation and direct insight, later called Zen in Japan.

Pure Land Buddhism

A Buddhist tradition centered on faith in Amitabha Buddha for rebirth in paradise.

Foot Binding

The practice of tightly binding girls’ feet to keep them small among Chinese elites.

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening, drought-resistant rice from Vietnam that increased Chinese food production.

Grand Canal

A major Chinese waterway linking northern and southern regions for transport and trade.

Commercialization

The growth of market exchange and production for sale rather than local use.

Paper Money

Government-issued currency used in place of metal coins for commercial exchange.

Proto-Industrialization

Early large-scale production in homes or workshops for sale in wider markets.

Porcelain

A high-fired ceramic valued for its strength, smoothness, and export appeal.

Textiles

Cloth goods such as silk and cotton produced for domestic use and export.

Iron and Steel Production

Large-scale metal production in Song China that boosted manufacturing and economic growth.

Southern Song

The later Song period after 1127 when the dynasty ruled from southern China