AMSCO Unit 1.1 Developments in East Asia

Song Dynasty

960-1279, wealthiest and most innovative empire

Coal-powered machinery

Industrialization of China expanded through and impact in East Asia is critical to establishing a centralized government

Chinese imperial bureaucracy

vast organization in which appointed officials carry out the empire's policies
- ongoing since Qin dynasty, but expanded under Song and positions increased
- Emperor Taizu made efforts to expand education and opportunities for men of lower classes

Meritocracy

a system in which promotion is based on individual ability or achievement
- poor still underrepresented, but system allowed for more upward mobility

Tang Dynasty promoted

agricultural development, improved roads and canals, foreign trade, and spread technology
- one example is Grand Canal

Grand Canal

inexpensive and efficient internal waterway transportation system that extended over 30,000 miles
- enabled China under Song Dynasty to become most populous trading area
- supported vibrant internal trade while naval tech made China control South China Sea

Taxes in Song Dynasty

reduced requirement that people labor for government, instead paying people to work on public projects, which changed money in circulation

Tributes in Song Dynasty

Other states had to pay money or provide goods to honor the Chinese emperor
- cemented China's power over several foreign countries but created stability and stimulated trade for all parties involved.

kowtow

a former Chinese custom of touching the ground with the forehead as a sign of respect or submission

scholar gentry

The Chinese class of well-educated men from whom many bureaucrats were chosen

Champa rice

a quick-maturing, drought resistant rice that can allow two harvests, of sixty days each in one growing season, from Vietnam

Proto-industrialization

relied on home-based/community production using simple equipment

artisans

skilled craftsmen

China

world's first commercialized society
- economy changed from local consumption to market production with porcelain, textiles, and tea being chief exports. Steel important too

Buddhism

Come to China from birthplace in India via Silk Road
- presence before but widespread in Tang Dynasty
- 4 noble truths, eight fold path
- fusion with Chinese beliefs, became popular with many monasteries appearing in major cities

Zen Buddhism

emphasized direct experience and meditation compared to formal learning about scripture

filial piety

In Confucian thought, one of the virtues to be cultivated, a love and respect for one's parents and ancestors
- respect for males

Neo-Confucianism

focused on social and ethical philosophy, not religious belief, rational thoughts with some abstract ideas of Taoism and Buddhism
- new incarnation popular in countries near China including Japan, Korea, and Vietnam

China's influence on Japan

Separated by sea, so could distance interactions more, but Chinese culture appeared in many aspects:
- Japan's Prince Shotoku Taishi (574-622) promoted Buddhism and Confucianism supplements to Japan's traditional Shinto region
- learned woodblock printing from China
- during Heian Period (794-1185) Japan emulated Chinese traditions in politics, art, and literature
- small clans vied for power. Minamoto, a dominant clan installed a shogun (military ruler) to reign our country
- though Japan had emperor, he had little power. He appointed the shogun who ruled on his behalf
- 1600s shoguns create a strong central government that would unify country

Heian Period (794-1185)

Japan's classical era.

China's influence on Korea

Location gave it a direct relationship with China. Countries shared land boundary and China extended both to the north and south of Korea
Emulated manny of China's politics and culture
- centralized government in way of Chinese
- culturally, adopted Confucianism and Buddhist beliefs
- educated elite studied Confucian classics while Buddhist doctrine attracted the peasant masses
- adapted writing system, which proved awkward since language was structurally different
DIFFERENCE: aristocracy was more powerful in Korea, so Korean elite were able to prevent certain Chinese reforms, which made no merit based system to enter bureaucracy

China's influence on Vietnam

Traded with/learned from China but more adversarial relationship with China
- Vietnamese enjoyed greater independence in married life, resented inferior status under Chinese as well as Confucian practices like polygny, practice of having more than one wife at a time
- Vietnamese preferred nuclear families (wife, husband, children)
- Villages acted independently of national government, so no centralization
Adopted merit-based bureaucracy of educated men, but didn't function like Chinese
- scholar officials in Vietnam owed more allegiance to village peasants