D

China and Neighbors: Key Points for AP World History

Key Points

  • Confucianism influenced government and society, shaping political institutions and social norms.

  • Innovation, trade, and government investment drove explosive economic growth in China.

  • China’s culture influenced neighboring regions (Japan, Vietnam, Korea).

CHINA'S DYNASTIES (Timeline)

  • Sui Dynasty: 581-618\ \mathrm{CE} — Reunified China; harsh rulers; revolts.

  • Tang Dynasty: 618-906\ \mathrm{CE} — Westward, cosmopolitan, cultural flowering; ends in civil war.

  • Song Dynasty: 960-1279\ \mathrm{CE} — Neo-Confucian; economic development; ends with Mongol conquest.

  • Yuan Dynasty: 1279-1368\ \mathrm{CE} — Mongol-founded empire in China.

  • Ming Dynasty: 1368-1644\ \mathrm{CE} — Authoritarian, wary of foreign influence.

CONFUCIANISM INFLUENCED GOVERNMENT & SOCIETY

  • Song Dynasty expands civil service exams to select officials; growth of a bureaucratic state.

  • Scholar-gentry become new elites; merchants gain wealth but remain politically constrained due to Confucian suspicion of commerce.

CONFUCIANISM & FAMILY

  • Filial piety central to law and custom (e.g., mourning practices).

  • Subordination of women, including practices like foot-binding among elites.

INNOVATION, TRADE, & GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT

  • Agricultural improvements:

    • Champa rice imported from Vietnam.

    • Chain pump and other irrigation/tech for productivity.

    • Blast furnaces bolster steel production.

IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURE

  • Champa rice boosted yields; irrigation improvements (e.g., chain pump).

GOVERNMENT PROMOTING FARMERS & TRADE

  • Empress Wu Zетian (690-705\ \mathrm{CE}): farming handbook and consolidation of state projects.

  • Wang Anshi (1021-1086\ \mathrm{CE}): reformist policies (loans for farmers; state-funded schools).

  • Flying Cash: early paper currency during the Tang Dynasty.

IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION (INFRASTRUCTURE)

  • Grand Canal (during the Sui, 581-618\ \mathrm{CE}): ~1,200 miles of canals, linking major rivers and cities.

LONG-DISTANCE TRADE (AND FOREIGN COMPETITION)

  • Ming Porcelain; Vietnamese porcelain; Korean celadon—examples of China-led trade and its regional exchange.

NOT ALL CHINESE TECHNOLOGY DIRECTLY CONNECTS TO ECONOMY

  • Technologies spread via trade routes:

    • Paper (orig. Chinese), spread to the Islamic world.

    • Woodblock printing.

    • Gunpowder (9th c. development; cannons by 12th c.).

    • Compass (maritime use expands in the 12th c.).

CHINA'S CULTURE INFLUENCED ITS NEIGHBOR

  • Writing systems and government models borrowed from China.

  • Confucian social hierarchy shaped neighboring elites and genders.

  • Buddhism moved from China to Korea/Japan; Vietnam received Buddhism directly from India.

EXAMPLES OF CHINESE INFLUENCE ON JAPAN, VIETNAM, AND KOREA

  • Writing systems: adoption of Chinese characters (kanji in Japan).

  • Government organization and Confucian ideals influenced governance and social structure.

  • Buddhist transmission along the region; Vietnam engaged Buddhism directly from India, while influenced by China in other areas.

MANDATE OF HEAVEN: DIFFERENT RESPONSES

  • China: Only the Chinese emperor holds the Mandate.

  • Vietnam: The Vietnamese king can hold a Mandate of Heaven; justified resistance if China intrudes.

  • Korea: Accept Chinese Mandate for the Chinese emperor; Korea acts as a tributary with relative political autonomy; mutual benefits.

  • Japan: Only the Japanese emperor holds the Mandate; other nations are considered inferior.

KOREA, AFTER 1392 A.D.

  • Becomes highly Confucian; scholar-gentry dominate.

  • Hangul created by King Sejong to simplify literacy ( 1392\ \mathrm{AD} ).

  • China refused cannons to Korea; Korea developed its own artillery and hwacha (many arrows by gunpowder rockets).

VIETNAM

  • Southeast Asia; relatively prosperous.

  • Gained independence from China around 960\ \mathrm{AD}; occasional Chinese invasions occurred later.

  • Women enjoyed comparatively more rights than in China.

JAPAN

  • Emperor attempts to copy China’s Confucian government; Shinto as native religion.

  • Power shifts to warrior aristocrats; development of feudal system with a shogun in practice.

  • Daimyo and samurai create highly localized, militarized governance.

JAPAN'S FEUDAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

  • Structure (in theory): Emperor, Shogun, Daimyo, samurai bands; real power often with military leaders rather than the emperor.

JAPAN & WOMEN

  • Women subordinate but contribute to culture; Lady Murasaki’s The Tale of Genji is a landmark literary work.

ZEN BUDDHISM

  • A popular form of Buddhism in Japan, emphasizing simplicity, mindfulness, and harmony with nature.

  • Influenced art, literature, and the psychology of samurai training and discipline.

ZEN- INFLUENCED JAPANESE ART

  • Zen aesthetics shaped traditional Japanese art forms and practices, reinforcing nature-oriented and minimalistic styles.