Developments in East Asia Vocabulary

Flashcards for reviewing key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture notes on The Global Tapestry and Developments in East Asia, covering the period from c. 1200 to c. 1450.

Imperial Bureaucracy

A vast organization in which appointed officials carried out the empire's policies.

Meritocracy

A system in which officials obtained their positions by demonstrating their merit on exams.

Grand Canal

An inexpensive and efficient internal waterway transportation system in China, crucial for trade and transportation.

Champa Rice

A fast-ripening and drought-resistant strain of rice from Vietnam that greatly expanded agricultural production in China.

Proto-industrialization

Economic changes in which people in rural areas made more goods than they could sell, relying on home-based or community-based production.

Artisans

Skilled craftworkers who produced steel, porcelain, and silk in China.

Scholar Gentry

A new social class in China comprised of individuals educated in Confucian philosophy who became influential in society.

Filial Piety

The duty of family members to subordinate their desires to those of the male head of the family and to the ruler.

Foot Binding

The practice of tightly wrapping girls' feet to restrict growth, signifying social status in China.

Woodblock Printing

A system of printing using carved wooden blocks.

Chan (Zen) Buddhism

A syncretic faith that combined Buddhist doctrines with elements of Daoist traditions, emphasizing direct experience and meditation.

Neo-Confucianism

A syncretic system combining rational thought with the abstract ideas of Daoism and Buddhism, emphasizing ethics.

Sinification

The assimilation of Chinese traditions and practices.

Daimyo

Japanese landowning aristocrats who battled for control of land.

Shogun

Military ruler in Japan.

Heian Period

A Japanese period (794-1185) that emulated Chinese traditions in politics, art, and literature.

Nuclear Families

Vietnamese families consisting of just a wife, husband, and their children.

Polygyny

The practice of having more than one wife at the same time.

Song Dynasty

Chinese dynasty that replaced the Tang in 960 and was known for its prosperity and artistic achievements.

Kowtow

A ritual in which anyone greeting the Chinese emperor must bow his or her head until it reached the floor.