Module 9 Empire in East Asia

Sui Dynasty: The key leader was Wendi, they built the grand canal which connected the North and South through trade but killed thousands in the process, and they rebuilt the great wall. The fall of the Sui was due to the overworked/overtaxed people and the revolts/assassination of the emperor

Tang Dynasty: The first emperor was Tang Taizong. The key battle was the battle of talas where they were defeated by Muslims and lost central china. Empress Wu was the first female emperor of China. The downfall was due to the overtaxed/poor buildings and military, lost central china, rebellions, and emperor assassinated

Song Dynasty: Their strength was economy and trade, weakness was military. The Civil Service Exam, qualified a smart government, gave oppurtunities for military, limited for who could afford education, and potentially limited women. Jurchen was a nearby rival group that defeated Song, set up their own empire in Northern China

Yuan Dynasty: They were founded by the Mongols. Their leader was Kublai Khan and their strength was military/trade.

Gunpowder, porcelian, mechanical clocks, paper money, and magnetic compasses were all invented during the Song Dynasty

Art was simplistic, mature images, and in black ink

The Civil Service test influenced the power of nobles since old families didnt naturally have power anymore

The new social class was Gentry which had scholar officals, larger upperclassmen. The status depended on education and civil service positions.

The foot binding impacted the status of women as they declined, especially in upper class.

The steppes were dry, glasslands plains where temperature varies

Due to the steppes the Mongol became nomadic pastoralists that herded livestock, following shifts in season

Barbaric Mongols: Conquering, horseback, relied on fear/intimidation, raided other groups, destroyed cities, and slaughtered people

Civilized Mongols: Organized trade, lived in class, interacted with other people through trade, tolerance, and adopted other cultures

Kublai Khan was influended by China by becoming emperors, began living in China, and expanded trade

The Mongols treated their Chinese subjects by being tolerant but living seperately. They had different laws. Government positions went to Mongols and foreigners

The Pax Mongolica was a period of peace and wealth. Trade and land expanded. Continued under Genghis Khan’s relatives

The Mongol Empire and the 4 Khanates dissolved due to their large size, causing less unity. They adopted different customs and has a weak leadership.

Korea was moutainous with little fertile soil. This caused population crowds near flatter western coast

The Korean peninsula became united politically when Silla defeated the other kingdoms and kicked out the Chinese

The dynasties went from Silla to Koryo to Chosen (Yi)

China impacted Korea by modeling the government/writing systems, confucianism, buddhism, and trading partners

Mongols impacted Korea by forcing governemnt intro retreat and demanded tribute terms

The Civil Service System failed during the Koryu dynasty due to the big divide in society, nobles kept best positions through heredity

The Mongols caused the decline of the Koryo Dynasty as they overthrew the scholar officals and military

Some cultural innovations of the Korean dynasties were celadon pottery, buddhist wood blocks, and metal

Japan is an archipelago or a group of islands. It has very little farmable land. Because Japan is located on the Ring of Fire, Japan experiences many earthquakes and tidal waves. One benefit of a natural disaster, was when a typhoon helped stop Kublai Khan and the Mongols from ibading Japan. This was called a divine wind of Kumikaze.

The religion of Shinto believed in nature spirits, ancestors, kami (spirits that live in unique natural features)

Feudalism developed in Japan due to Nobles/Lords started gathering land, offering to protect people, and Samurai becomes the military.

Yamato Clan: first emperors, set the structure of emperor as a figure head backed by an actual leader

Prince Shotoku: Converts to Buddhism, accepts a lot of Chines influence in Japan

China: Cultural borrowing, writing/arts/lifestyle/cooking/government/trade

Samurai: Defended local rulers and followed code (bushido)

Shogun: general of the emperor’s army and became the rulers of Japan (military dictators)

Southeast Asia was humid with tropical monsoons (rainy winds). The mainlands and islands which were between Indian and Pacific Oceans. This influenced Southeast Asia by India and China, contol of sea trade/straits which led to growth and success

Khmer (Cambodia): Rice cultivation 3-4x per year, Angkor was the capital, Angkor Wat was a Buddhist temple, dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu

Saliendra (Java in Indonesia): Borobudur was a Buddhist temple, 9 level pyramid. Taxes on trade through strait

Dai Viet (Vietnam): Influenced by China but kept own cultural idenity, women have more freedom, and Hanoi is an important city

Southeast Asia benefited from rice cultivation in Khmer and trade centers along straits with Indian and Pacific Oceans