Empires of East Asia Exam - Kistler

30 multiple choice (1pt. each), 2 short answer (5 pts. each)

What is the Mandate of Heaven

• an ancient Chinese philosophical and political concept that was used to legitimize the rule of the king or emperor of China

What is Confucianism

a system of thought and ethics from ancient China, founded by Confucius, that emphasizes moral conduct, social harmony, and familial responsibility

Who is Confucius

• Confucius was an ancient Chinese philosopher and teacher whose ideas formed the basis of Confucianism, a philosophy focused on ethics, morality, and social harmony. He is known for emphasizing concepts like respect for tradition, the importance of family, and the virtue of a moral life, which have profoundly shaped Chinese culture and East Asian society for centuries

What are the 5 key relationships from Confucius

Confucius believed that

social order, harmony, and good

government could be restored in China

if society were organized around five

basic relationships. These were the

relationships between:

(1) ruler and subject

(2) father and son

(3) husband and wife

(4) older brother and younger brother

(5) friend and friend.

What is filal piety

Confucius stressed that children should practice filial piety, or respect for their parents and ancestors. Filial piety, according to Confucius, meant devoting oneself to one’s parents during their lifetimes.

What is a Junzi

• a central concept in Confucian philosophy that refers to the ideal person, often translated as "gentleman" or "superior person," embodying moral and ethical perfection

• the ideal man

What is Doaism

• a Chinese philosophy and religion focused on living in harmony with the "Dao," or the "Way"

• The philosophy of Laozi came to be known as Daoism. Its search for knowledge and understanding of nature led Daoism’s followers to pursue scientific studies. Daoists made many important contributions to the sciences of alchemy, astronomy, and medicine.

Explain “The Way“

The Chinease thinker Laozis book, Dao De Jing (The Way of Virtue) expressed Laozi’s belief. He said that a universal force called the Dao (dow), meaning “the Way,” guides all things.

Who is Laozi

a legendary Chinese philosopher considered the founder of Taoism and the author of the Tao Te Ching aka Dao De Jing (The Way of Virtue)

What is the book Tao Te Ching (Dao De Jing)

a foundational text of Daoism, exploring profound philosophical concepts centered on the idea of the "dao," or "Way."

author: Laozi

Explain Yin and Yang

• Other people turned to the ideas of ancient thinkers, such as the concept of yin and yang—two powers that together represented the natural rhythms of life. Yin represents all that is cold, dark, soft, and mysterious. Yang is the opposite—warm, bright, hard, and clear. 

• The circle represents the harmony of yin and yang. Both forces represent the rhythm of the universe and complement each other. Both the I Ching and yin and yang helped Chinese people understand how they fit into the world.

What is Qi

a concept from Chinese philosophy and traditional medicine that refers to a vital, life-sustaining energy or force that permeates the universe and all living things

What is Feng Shui

an ancient Chinese practice of arranging objects and spaces to create harmony and balance with the environment

What is Legalism

• Developed during the 400s BC.

• A highly efficient and powerful

  government is the key to social order.

• Punishments are useful to maintain

  social order.

• Thinkers and their ideas should be

  strictly controlled by the government.

What is I Ching

• The I Ching (The Book of Changes) helped people to lead a happy life by

  offering good advice and simple common sense.

What is the Silk Road

a vast network of trade routes connecting East and West, first established by China's Han Dynasty in the 2nd century BCE. It was not a single road, but a complex system of both land and sea routes that facilitated the exchange of goods like silk, spices, and precious metals, as well as ideas, technologies, and religions such as Buddhism

Explain population for Tang and Song China

During the Tang and Song dynasties, China’s population nearly doubled, soaring to 100 million. By the Song era, China had at least ten cities with a population of 1 million each. China had become the most populous country in the world. It also had become the most advanced.

Explain The Movable type

The movable type was popular in 1040. It was individual characters arranged in frames, used over and over. Traditionally, an entire page of characters was carved into a block of wood from which prints were made. Printing technology spread to Korea and Japan and Koreans were the first to use metal movable type in the 13th century; movable type also developed later in Europe. Pi Sheng, a Chinese alchemist, helped to come up with this idea of moveable type. Later, a government official created rotating storage trays for the characters.

Explain Gunpowder

The development of gunpowder, in time led to the creation of explosive weapons such as bombs, grenades, and small rockets.

Explain Porcelain

Marco Polo was the first to describe the pottery found in China as porcelain. Porcelain was a luxury reserved for the middle and upper classes of Chinese society. Porcelain was a Bone-hard, white ceramic made of a special clay and a mineral found only in China and was invented in the late 700s. It became a valuable export so associated with Chinese culture that it is now called china; technology remained a Chinese secret for centuries.

Explain The Mechanical Clock

Clock in which machinery (driven by running

water) regulated the movements

Early Chinese clocks idea for mechanical clock carried by traders to medieval

Explain Paper Money

Paper money was issued by the Song government. It was made to replace cumbersome strings of metal cash used by merchants. Paper money contributed to development of large scale commercial economy in China.

Explain the Magnetic Compass

The magnetic compass is floating magnetized needle that always points north-south. This invention is important because it helped China become a sea power, and helped technology quickly spread west.

Explain Cultivation of Rice

Farmers especially improved the cultivation of rice. In about the year 1000, China imported a new variety of fast ripening rice from Vietnam. This allowed the farmers to harvest two rice crops each year

Explain Acupuncture

Acupuncture, developed during the Song Dynasty with the study of human anatomy, involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body to treat various issues. Recently, it has gained some acceptance in mainstream Western medicine. Many doctors are now practicing training for acupuncture methods and mainstream doctors are increasing their referrals to acupuncture specialists. In 2012, approximately 3.5 million people in the U.S. sought acupuncture for conditions like migraines and drug dependency.

Who are Mongols

The Mongols of the Asian steppe lived their lives on the move. They prided themselves on their skill on horseback, their discipline, their ruthlessness, and their courage in battle. They also wanted the wealth and glory that came with conquering mighty empires. This desire soon exploded into violent conflict that transformed Asia and Europe forever.

What is the Steppe

A vast belt of dry grassland, called the steppe, stretches across the landmass of Eurasia. The significance of the steppe to neighboring civilizations was twofold. First, it served as a land trade route connecting the East and the West. Second, it was home to nomadic peoples who frequently swept down on their neighbors to plunder, loot, and conquer.

Who are the steppe nomads

Steppe nomads traveled together in kinship groups called clans. The members of each clan claimed to be descended from a common ancestor. Different clans sometimes came together when they needed a large force to attack a common enemy or raid their settled neighbors.

Who is Genghis Khan

• Around 1200, a Mongol clan leader named Temujin sought to unify the Mongols under his leadership. He fought and defeated his rivals one by one. In 1206, Temujin accepted the title Genghis Khan, or “universal ruler” of the Mongol clans. Over the next 21 years, Genghis led the Mongols in conquering much of Asia.

• He is famous for his military genius, strategic conquests that spread across Asia, and the brutal but effective campaigns that led to the deaths of millions. He is also recognized for creating laws, a written script, and an international postal system, as well as fostering trade and religious tolerance within his empire

Explain Mongol warfare

combined highly mobile, disciplined cavalry with innovative siege tactics to conquer vast territories. Their strategies included rapid maneuverability, coordinated attacks with horse archers using powerful composite bows, and sophisticated feigned retreats to lure enemies into traps

Who are the Khanates

• political entities ruled by a khan, a title for a supreme leader of Mongol or Turkic descent

• 1260, the Mongols had divided their huge empire into four regions, or khanates. These were the Khanate of the Great Khan (Mongolia and China), the Khanate of Chagatai (Central Asia), the Ilkhanate (Persia), and the Khanate of the Golden Horde (Russia). A descendant of Genghis ruled each khanate.

What is Pax Mongolicia

From the mid-1200s to the mid-1300s, the Mongols imposed stability and law and order across much of Eurasia. This period is sometimes called the Pax Mongolica, or Mongol Peace. The Mongols guaranteed safe passage for trade caravans, travelers, and missionaries from one end of the empire to another.

Who is Kublai Khan

• Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, assumed the title Great Khan in 1260

• As China’s new emperor, Kublai Khan founded a new dynasty called the Yuan (yoo•AHN) Dynasty. It lasted less than a century, until 1368, when it was overthrown. However, the Yuan era was an important period in Chinese history for several reasons. First, Kublai Khan united China for the first time in more than 300 years. For this he is considered one of China’s great emperors.

Explain the Yuan Dynasty

a period from 1279 to 1368 when China was ruled by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty, founded by Kublai Khan. It was the first foreign-ruled dynasty to unite all of China and brought significant cultural and economic developments, including a unified trade network, advancements in art and porcelain, and the mixing of cultures between Mongol and Chinese societies. However, it also featured a rigid social hierarchy that placed ethnic Mongols above the Han Chinese, leading to tension

Who is Marco Polo

• The most famous European to visit China in these years was a young Venetian trader, Marco Polo. He traveled by caravan on the Silk Roads with his father and uncle, arriving at Kublai Khan’s court around 1275. Polo had learned several Asian languages in his travels, and Kublai Khan sent him to various Chinese cities on government missions. Polo served the Great Khan well for 17 years. In 1292, the Polos left China and made the long journey back to Venice.

• He i’m mostly known for his extensive travels along the Silk Road to Asia, his book The Travels of Marco Polo, and his descriptions of the Mongol Empire under Kublai Khan

What is the Kamikaze

A series of typhoons that devastated two Mongol invasion fleets in 1274 and 1281. The Japanese believed these powerful storms were sent by the gods to protect Japan from invasion, and they coined the term "kamikaze" or "divine wind" to describe them. The storms are credited with saving Japan from conquest by Kublai Khan's forces

Explain the decline of the mongol empire

caused by internal divisions after its fragmentation, succession crises, military failures against new resistance, and devastating epidemics like the Black Death which crippled its population and economy. The individual khanates, such as the Yuan Dynasty, Ilkhanate, and Golden Horde, also faced issues with local elites reasserting power, administrative overreach, and eventual assimilation into their local cultures. 

Explain Japan’s geography

it’s defined by its archipelago status, with over 3,000 islands stretching along the Pacific coast of Asia, the four main islands being Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. The country is mountainous (about 71% of the land), situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which makes it prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity, resulting in frequent hot springs. The climate varies significantly from north to south, with four distinct seasons, while the population is concentrated in small coastal plains and valleys.

What is Shintoism

Shinto - “way of the gods“

Shinto was based on respect for the forces of nature and on the worship of ancestors. Shinto worshipers believed in kami, divine spirits that dwelled in nature. Any unusual or especially beautiful tree, rock, waterfall, or mountain was considered the home of a kami.

Who are the Yamato Emperors

By the AD 400s, the Yamato clan had established itself as the leading clan. The Yamato claimed to be descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu. By the seventh century, the Yamato chiefs called themselves the emperors of Japan. The early emperors did not control the entire country, or even much of it, but the Japanese gradually accepted the idea of an emperor. Although many of the Yamato rulers lacked real power, the dynasty was never overthrown. When rival clans fought for power, the winning clan claimed control of the emperor and then ruled in the emperor’s name. Japan had both an emperor who served as a figurehead and a ruling power who reigned behind the throne. This dual structure became an enduring characteristic of Japanese government

Explain cultural borrowing from China

• Japanese court showed interest in Chinese culture, especially Buddhism

• Prince Shotoku sent mission to China to study their civilization

• Japanese adopted Chinese writing, art, and daily life practices

• Trade between China & Japan increased

• Japanese adapted Chinese ways while keeping their own traditions

• Japan ended formal mission to China in the late 9th century

Explain the Heian Period

was a golden age of Japanese culture, characterized by the flourishing of art, literature, and refined courtly life, while political power shifted from the emperor to powerful clans like the Fujiwara. During this time, Japan moved away from Chinese influence, developed its own written scripts (kana), and saw the rise of iconic literature like The Tale of Genji. The period ended with the rise of the samurai class after power struggles between clans like the Taira and Minamoto

• During the Heian period, Japan’s central government was relatively strong. However, this strength was soon to be challenged by great landowners and clan chiefs who acted more and more as independent local rulers.

Who is Kyoto

• Kyoto served as the capital of Japan and the emperor's residence for over a thousand years, from 794 until 1868.

• It is a principal center for Japanese culture, with countless surviving temples, shrines, and palaces that showcase its historical value.

• Due to its historical significance, Kyoto was specifically removed from the list of potential atomic bomb targets during World War II and was largely spared from conventional bombing, preserving its priceless structures.

• The city is the origin of many cultural and religious traditions in Japan, and it continues to nurture its heritage through practices like kaiseki dining and the geisha district of Gion. 

What is the Tale of Genji

• an account of the life of a prince in the imperial court. This long prose narrative is widely considered the world’s first novel

• a classic Japanese novel, believed to be the world's first, written around the year 1000 by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting at the imperial court. It chronicles the life and loves of a handsome, talented prince named Hikaru Genji, focusing on the sophisticated aristocratic culture of the Heian period and the transient nature of life

Who are the Samurai

• Samurai were loyal warriors who served lords

• They followed a strict code of behavior called Bushido

• A samurai was expected to show reckless courage, reverence for the gods, fairness, and generosity toward those weaker than himself. Dying an honorable death was judged more important than living a long life.

• means “one who serves“

What is Bushido

• an ancient Japanese code of ethics and morals followed by the samurai, translating to "the way of the warrior". It emphasizes virtues like loyalty, honor, courage, and self-discipline, alongside principles of martial skill, frugality, and compassion. While often presented as a rigid set of rules, the code's interpretations varied throughout history, evolving to include bureaucratic and scholarly duties alongside martial prowess.

• Samurai lived according to a demanding code of behavior called Bushido, or “the way of the warrior.”

• Bushido emphasized courage, reverence, fairness, and generosity

What is Shogun

• also means or “supreme general of the emperor’s army.”

• a hereditary military dictator in Japan from 1192 to 1868 who was the de facto ruler of the country, while the emperor served as a symbolic head of state. The position was created to maintain military control and rule over the land through a feudal system with regional lords called daimyos

• The shogun's power was based on military might and control over the samurai class. They were responsible for governing the country, making laws, settling disputes, and defending the realm

What is the Kamakura shogunate

• The Minamoto family won a power struggle and Yoritomo became shogun in 1192

• shogun - supreme general of the emperors army

• The emperor still reigns, but the shogun help real powerAlthough the Kamakura shogunate brought greater stability to Japan, it did not end conflict over the country’s limited farmland. Disputes often arose because lords wanted to increase their land holdings at the expense of farmers and traditional landlords. The shoguns assigned a judicial board to issue rulings in such cases.