Conquest and Dynasties Summary

The Beginning of Conquest

  • 1210: Genghis Khan headed east and attacked the Jin Empire.
    • The Jin Empire had been established by Jurchens who ruled Manchuria.
    • The city of Zhongdu was the capital.
    • Genghis Khan earned a reputation as a warrior, instilling terror by killing those who resisted.
  • 1219: The Khan conquered the Kara-Khitan Empire and the Khwarzm Empire.
  • 1227: The Khanate (Kingdom) reached from the North China Sea to eastern Persia.
  • Mongolian soldiers were strong riders proficient with the short bow.
  • Efficient command structures:
    • Groups of 10 warriors operated as a unit.
    • One soldier was in command of the rest, called tumens.
    • Calvary units were divided into heavy and light.
      • Heavy cavalry had more armor and weapons.
    • A messenger force was created to help communication.
    • Their military strategies extended to surprise and craft.

Song Dynasty Achievements

  • Junks and rudders facilitated overseas trade, huge markets, and expansion.
  • Innovation, including flying money, occurred.

Art in the Song Dynasty

  • Characterized by themes of nature, order, turbulence, and simplicity.
  • Monochromes were common.
  • Li Bo was a poet.
  • Rapid urban growth occurred.

Song Dynasty - Neo-Confucianism

  • A form of syncretism that combines Daoism, Confucian thinking, and Buddhism.
  • Highly patriarchal and anti-foreign.
  • The Southern Song Dynasty was defeated by nomad Jurchens.

Buddhism

  • Came from India via the Indian Ocean trade and Silk Road.
    • Variants like Pure Land and Zen emerged.
    • Syncretism occurred with Confucianism.
  • Confucian revival threatened Buddhism.
  • Pure Land appealed to the lower class and acted like Buddha is a God.
  • Zen leaned more spiritual.
  • Empress Wu supported Buddhism.
  • Scholar gentry upset Buddhism since they did not pay taxes.
  • The Tang Dynasty turned back to Buddhism.
    • Ethnocentric, thinking they did not need Buddhism.
    • Restriction and persecution occurred under Emperor Wuzong.
  • Confucianism emerged as central ideology.

Song Dynasty

  • Smaller than Tang.
  • Paid tribute to other countries.
  • Zhao Kuangyin established the Song Dynasty.
  • The military was weakened as scholar gentry were in charge but lacked military knowledge.
  • Lax exam rules bloated the bureaucracy with less-qualified bureaucrats.
  • Experienced an agricultural boom using Champa rice and the equal field system.
  • Proto-industrialization occurred with silk, porcelain, steel, iron, and gunpowder production.
  • Urbanization led to popular cities like Chang'an and Hangzhou, with almost one million people.

Battle of Kulikovo

  • Under Moscow's leadership, the anti-Mongols defeated the Mongols.

Sui Dynasty

  • 581-618: Re-unified China and reinstated the bureaucracy.
  • The Grand Canal was their biggest achievement, connecting the north and south.
  • First, they won support by lowering taxes and showing a food surplus.
  • Emperor Wen gets killed for not keeping his promises.

Tang Dynasty

  • Li Yuan saved the Imperial Dynasty
  • Collected tribute from Korea, Japan, etc.—a win-win situation for both countries.
  • Sinification resulted from the tribute-based system.
    • Sinification: Chinese culture and technology expanded.
  • Kowtow: Bowing to the emperor.
  • "Middle Kingdom".
  • Continued revival of Confucianism and promotion of scholar-gentry.
  • Scholar-gentry staffed the bureaucracy.
    • Imperial level (working with the emperor) for those who performed best on the bureaucracy.
    • District, regional, and provincial offices.
  • Confucianism is patriarchal.
  • Civil Service test is based on Confucianism.
    • Ministry of Rites administered the exams.
    • Jinshi: Received top government jobs and elite social status.
  • Meritocracy existed, but family connection was still most important for gaining jobs.

Mongols

  • Craftsmen, miners, and others with skills (such as the ability to read/write) were recruited for the Mongol empire.
  • They adopted technology from places they conquered into the military (siege weapons).
  • The Pony Express kept contact with far reaches of the empire (mounted messengers).

Genghis Khan established peace

  • Pax Mongolica: Peace in the Mongolian Empire.
  • Karakorum: Capital.
  • Consulted scholars and engineers of Chinese and Islamic traditions.
  • Instituted a policy of religious tolerance.
  • Genghis Khan's soldiers took charge of protecting the Silk Road.

Genghis Khan's Successors

  • Genghis Khan died fighting the Tangut Empire in 1227.
  • Ogodei became a successor after Genghis.
  • The empire did not expand under Ogodei.
  • Ogodei worked on having a more efficient bureaucracy and invested in the greater development of the capital.
  • Batu created the Golden Horde.
  • Batu led a Mongolian army of 100,000 soldiers into Russia, forcing them to pay tributes.
  • Golden Horde: Batu's army.
  • A period of sympathy, religious tolerance, and promotion of trade left when they conquered Russia.
  • Established a new capital on the Volga River (Sarai).
  • Mongols ruled northern Russia (the rules of the State of Moscow began collecting additional tribute).