Developments in East Asia (c. 1200–c. 1450)

Vocabulary flashcards covering the economic, social, and political developments in East Asia between 1200 and 1450, specifically focusing on the Song Dynasty, Chinese influence on neighbors, and religious syncretism.

Song Dynasty

The Chinese dynasty (960–1279) that replaced the Tang and was characterized by great wealth, political stability, and fine artistic and intellectual achievements.

Imperial Bureaucracy

A vast organization of appointed officials who carried out the empire's policies; it represented a political continuity in China since the Qin dynasty.

Meritocracy

A bureaucratic system where officials obtain their positions by demonstrating merit ona civil service exam; expanded under the Song dynasty to allow for more upward mobility.

Civil Service Exam

Competitive examinations based on knowledge of Confucian texts used to recruit officials for the Chinese bureaucracy.

Grand Canal

An inexpensive and efficient internal waterway transportation system in China that extended over 30,000 miles.

Champa Rice

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

Proto-industrialization

A set of economic changes in which people in rural areas made more goods than they could sell, relying on home-based or community-based production with simple equipment.

Artisans

Skilled craftworkers who produced items such as steel, porcelain, and silk.

Tributary System

An arrangement in which other states, such as Japan, Korea, and kingdoms in Southeast Asia, had to pay money or provide goods to honor the Chinese emperor.

Kowtow

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

Scholar Gentry

A social class in China comprised of individuals educated in Confucian philosophy who became the most influential class, outnumbering the traditional aristocracy.

Foot Binding

The practice of wrapping girls' feet so tightly that the bones did not grow naturally; it signified social status and restricted women's ability to participate in the public sphere.

Woodblock Printing

A system of printing developed in the 7th century where people could make multiple copies of art or written texts without copying them by hand.

Theravada Buddhism

A form of Buddhism that focused on personal spiritual growth through silent meditation and self-discipline; strongest in Southeast Asia.

Mahayana Buddhism

A form of Buddhism that focused on spiritual growth for all beings and on service; strongest in China and Korea.

Tibetan Buddhism

A form of Buddhism that focused on chanting; strongest in Tibet.

Chan (Zen) Buddhism

A syncretic faith created by combining Buddhist doctrines with elements of Daoist traditions, emphasizing direct experience and meditation.

Filial Piety

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

Neo-Confucianism

A syncretic system evolved between 770 and 840 that combined rational thought with abstract ideas of Daoism and Buddhism, emphasizing ethics over mysteries of nature.

Sinification

The process of assimilation of Chinese traditions and practices by neighboring countries like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

Heian Period

A period in Japanese history (794–1185) during which Japan emulated Chinese traditions in politics, art, and literature.

Daimyo

Landowning aristocrats in Japanese feudal society who battled for control of land.

Bushido

The Japanese code of conduct for samurai that stressed frugality, loyalty, the martial arts, and honor unto death.

Shogun

A military ruler in Japan who reigned in the name of the emperor but held the actual power.

Nuclear Families

A family structure preferred in Vietnam consisting of just a wife, husband, and their children, in contrast to the Chinese extended family model.

Polygyny

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