east asia review

Part 1: Vocabulary & Key Terms  Adversary

An opponent, enemy, or rival.
 Arable

Land suitable for growing crops; fertile enough for farming.
 Bureaucracy

A system of government administration in which officials carry out policies and manage governmental functions.
 Caravan

A group of merchants, traders, and animals traveling together, especially across deserts or long trade routes.
 Conduit

A channel or means through which something is transmitted, such as goods, ideas, or information.
 Eunuch

A castrated man, often employed in royal courts as an administrator, servant, or advisor.
 Indigenous

Native to a particular region or place.
 Kowtow

To kneel and bow deeply as a sign of respect or submission, especially before the Chinese emperor.
 Pastoralist

A person whose livelihood is based primarily on raising and herding livestock on open grasslands.
 Patriarchal

Relating to a society in which men hold most political, economic, and social power.
 Philosophy

A system of ideas or beliefs about knowledge, ethics, existence, morality, and society.
 Reticence

The tendency to be reserved, quiet, or reluctant to speak openly.
 Steppe

A large, dry grassland with few trees, found in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
 Strategy

Planning and directing actions to achieve a goal, especially in military or political affairs.
 Syncretism

The blending of elements from different religions, cultures, or belief systems into a new tradition.
 Tribute

A payment, gift, or acknowledgment given by one ruler, state, or people to another as a sign of loyalty, respect, or submission.
 Filial Piety

Respect and devotion to one's parents and ancestors; a key foundational virtue in Confucianism.
 Five Relationships

Confucian idea that society is structured through five key relationships (ruler-subject, father-son, husband-wife, older brother-younger brother, friend-friend).
 Mandate of Heaven

The Chinese belief that a ruler's authority came from heaven and could be lost if the ruler governed poorly or unjustly.
 Sinification

The process by which non-Chinese societies come under the influence of Chinese culture, language, and political systems.
 Shinto

The indigenous religion of Japan focusing on kami (spirits), rituals, and nature worship.
 Koryo Dynasty

A Korean dynasty (918–1392) known for its cultural achievements and the origin of the name "Korea".
 Champa

A kingdom in present-day Vietnam known for its maritime trade and agricultural innovation.
 Grand Canal

A massive waterway system constructed during the Sui Dynasty connecting the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, facilitating trade and unification.
 Civil Service Exam

A standardized examination based on Confucian texts used to select government officials in imperial China.
 Meritocracy

A system where people gain positions based on ability and merit, not birth or wealth.
 Scholar-Gentry

An educated elite in China who passed the civil service exams and held government positions.
 Tributary System

A network of trade and foreign relations where other states paid tribute to China in exchange for trade rights and protection.
 Foot Binding

A Chinese practice of tightly binding young girls' feet to achieve a small size, symbolizing beauty, status, and restricting female mobility.
 Proto-Industrialization

The early shift toward industrial production, often in rural areas, before full industrialization.
 Champa Rice

A fast-growing, drought-resistant rice from Vietnam that boosted agricultural productivity and population in China.
 Woodblock Printing

A method of printing text and images using carved wooden blocks, accelerating literacy and book production.
 Caravanserai

Roadside inns along trade routes like the Silk Road where travelers and merchants could rest and resupply.
 Bubonic Plague

A deadly disease that spread via trade routes in the 14th century, killing a large portion of the Eurasian population.
 Pax Mongolica

A period of peace and stability across Eurasia under Mongol rule, which promoted trade and cultural exchange.
 Khan

A title for a Mongol ruler or leader.
 Genghis Khan

Founder of the Mongol Empire who unified the Mongol tribes and conquered vast territories across Eurasia.
 Kublai Khan

Grandson of Genghis Khan who completed the conquest of China and established the Yuan Dynasty.
 Golden Horde

A Mongol khanate established in Russia and Eastern Europe.
 Ilkhanate

A Mongol khanate established in Persia and the Middle East.
Part 2: Lesson 2.1 — Chinese Culture, Society & Belief Systems  Chinese Writing System

Developed around 1200 BCE; logographic system where each character represents a word or morpheme rather than individual sounds.
 Pinyin vs. Wade-Giles

Systems of transliterating Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet; Pinyin was adopted by the Chinese government in 1958/1979 to replace Wade-Giles.
 Role of the Family in China

The foundational unit of Chinese society; governed by patriarchal principles where elderly men controlled property and major decisions.
 Women's Status in Imperial China

Subordinate to fathers, husbands, and sons; married around ages 13–16; primary path to elevated status was bearing sons.
 Social Hierarchy in Ancient China

Large peasant underclass was respected for providing food, whereas merchants were disrespected for profiting off others' work.
 Ancestor Worship

Core aspect of traditional polytheistic Chinese religion; belief that deceased ancestors influence the living, requiring sacrifices/offerings to keep them happy.
 Legalism

Philosophy founded by Han Feizi asserting human nature is inherently evil/selfish; advocated strict laws, harsh punishments, and total devotion to the state.
 Daoism Main Beliefs

Founded by Laozi (author of Dao De Jing); advocates living in harmony with the Dao (the natural order), yields to natural flows, and prefers minimal government.
 Confucian Core Focus

Founded by Kong Fuzi; emphasized filial piety, propriety/ritual (Li), moral virtue (Ren), and social stability through duty.
 Spread of Buddhism to China

Entered China via Silk Road trade routes from India around the 1st–2nd century CE; gained popularity during periods of disunity following the fall of the Han Dynasty.
 Theravada vs. Mahayana Buddhism

Theravada focus on original teachings (spread to SE Asia); Mahayana offered broader scriptures and universal salvation (spread to China, Korea, Japan).
 Chan (Zen) Buddhism

Syncretic form of Buddhism in China blending Buddhist concepts with Daoist/Confucian principles, emphasizing meditation and direct enlightenment.
 Sinification in Japan

Adopted Chinese writing (Kanji), imperial art, and Buddhism, while retaining indigenous Shinto traditions.
 Sinification in Korea

Deeply influenced by Chinese culture; adopted Hanja/Hangul writing, Confucian administrative models, and Mahayana Buddhism.
 Sinification in Vietnam

Adopted Chinese administrative style and writing, but fiercely resisted Chinese political control, female subordination, and patriarchal family structures.
Part 3: Lesson 2.2 — Song Dynasty China & Governance  Geography of China

~90% of fertile land lies between the Huang He (Yellow River) and Yangtze Rivers; bounded by natural barriers like the Gobi Desert, Himalayas, and steppe grasslands.
 Sui Dynasty Accomplishments

Reunified China in 581 CE after centuries of division; built granaries and constructed the 1,100-mile Grand Canal connecting northern and southern river systems.
 Tang Dynasty Legacy

Re-established civil service exams, cultivated trade along the Silk Road, and embraced Buddhist and Daoist influences prior to its collapse in 907 CE.
 Song Dynasty Founding

Established in 960 CE by Zhao Kuangyin; restored order through a civilian-dominated meritocratic bureaucracy.
 Scholar-Gentry Class

A prestigious social class of educated elites who passed rigorous civil service exams based on Confucian classics, replacing landed aristocrats.
 Tributary System Mechanics

Foreign states (e.g., Korea, Vietnam) paid formal tribute and performed the kowtow to receive trading rights and military non-aggression guarantees from China.
 Southern Song Dynasty

Formed in 1125 after the nomadic Jurchen (Jin Dynasty) conquered northern China; capital was re-established at Hangzhou until defeated by Mongols in 1279.
 Song Agricultural Boom

Introduction of drought-resistant Champa rice from Vietnam allowed double-cropping, resulting in massive population growth and urban development.
 Song Commercialization & Tech

Early proto-industrial growth driven by coal-powered iron/steel production, paper currency (flying cash), woodblock printing, and magnetic compass navigation.
 Neo-Confucian Impact on Women

Re-emphasized strict female subordination and modesty; popularization of foot binding as a symbol of elite status, beauty, and control.
Part 4: Lesson 2.3 — The Mongol Empire & Eurasian Transformations  Mongol Steppe Environment

Nomadic pastoralists living on the dry, harsh Asian steppes; organized into fierce nomadic clans reliant on horses and animal herding.
 Unification under Genghis Khan

Temujin unified the warring Mongol clans by 1206, taking the title Genghis Khan and initiating conquest across Asia and Eastern Europe.
 Mongol Military Innovations

Combined master horse-riding with composite bows, stirrups, gunpowder/catapult siege tactics, elaborate spy networks, and psychological terror tactics.
 Four Khanates of the Mongol Empire

1. Empire of the Great Khan (Yuan Dynasty - China/Mongolia)
2. Khanate of Chagatai (Central Asia)
3. Ilkhanate (Persia/Middle East)
4. Golden Horde (Russia).
    Ilkhanate Rule in Persia

Founded by Hulegu; sacked Baghdad in 1258 ending the Abbasid Caliphate; over time Mongols in Persia converted to Islam and assimilated into local society.
 Golden Horde Rule in Russia

Ruled Russia indirectly from Sarai; forced Russian princes to collect heavy tribute, keeping Russia politically isolated from Western Europe.
 Yuan Dynasty Governance

Founded by Kublai Khan in 1271; abolished civil service exams and placed Mongols and foreign advisers (like Marco Polo) in power above native Han Chinese.
 Kamikaze (Divine Winds)

Massive typhoons in 1274 and 1281 that destroyed Kublai Khan's invading Mongol fleets off the coast of Japan.
 Pax Mongolica Effects

Period of trans-Eurasian peace that re-opened Silk Road trade, incentivized long-distance travel, and accelerated cross-cultural exchange of technology and ideas.
 Mongols and the Black Death

Mongol economic integration of Eurasia inadvertently facilitated the rapid spread of the Bubonic Plague along trade routes in the mid-1300s.
Part 5: Comprehensive Dynasty Breakdown (Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming)  Han Dynasty — Philosophy

Adopted Confucianism as state ideology while retaining central administrative structures.
 Han Dynasty — Government

Centralized imperial bureaucracy; introduced early civil service exams.
 Han Dynasty — Economics/Trade

Opened the Silk Road trade routes; established state monopolies on salt and iron.
 Han Dynasty — Technology

Invented paper, early magnetic compasses, cast iron tools, and wheelbarrows.
 Tang Dynasty — Philosophy

High patronage of Buddhism (Empress Wu) alongside Daoism and Confucianism.
 Tang Dynasty — Government

Expanded civil service examinations and established a vast Tributary System.
 Tang Dynasty — Economics/Trade

Golden Age of Silk Road overland trade and expanded Indian Ocean maritime routes.
 Tang Dynasty — Technology

Invented woodblock printing, early gunpowder, and advanced porcelain production.
 Song Dynasty — Philosophy

Rise of Neo-Confucianism; resurgence of patriarchal societal expectations.
 Song Dynasty — Government

Meritocratic civil service bureaucracy led by the Scholar-Gentry class.
 Song Dynasty — Economics/Trade

Introduction of Champa Rice, paper currency (Flying Cash), and early proto-industrialization.
 Song Dynasty — Technology

Invented movable type printing, perfected the maritime magnetic compass, and developed gunpowder weapons.
 Yuan Dynasty — Philosophy

Tolerated multiple religions; heavily patronized Tibetan Buddhism while suppressing traditional Confucian scholars.
 Yuan Dynasty — Government

Mongol ethnic hierarchy ruling China; civil service exams suspended.
 Yuan Dynasty — Economics/Trade

Thrived under Pax Mongolica; revitalized Silk Road trade; integrated paper currency.
 Yuan Dynasty — Technology

Facilitated cross-continental technology transfer (Persian astronomy, siege engines, medical knowledge).
 Ming Dynasty — Philosophy

Restored traditional Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism to eliminate Mongol cultural influences.
 Ming Dynasty — Government

Re-established the civil service exam system; highly centralized imperial power centered in the Forbidden City.
 Ming Dynasty — Economics/Trade

Sponsored Zheng He’s ocean voyages; transitioned tax system to silver currency; global exporter of silk and porcelain.
 Ming Dynasty — Technology

Advanced oceanic shipbuilding (treasure fleets) and reinforced the masonry construction of the Great Wall