Key Terms
Define and explain the terms "shogun" and "shogunate"
Shogun: Supreme general of the emperor's army
Military leader who held the real power during the Kamakura Shogunate in Japan
Shogunate: "kingdom" or "empire" ruled by a shogun
What was the dynasty Kublai Khan founded in China and what made it a historical dynasty?
Yuan- first time China was ruled by a foreigner
Women's rights in China were suppressed during both the Tang and Song dynasties. Describe specific evidence of women being treated as objects and unimportant.
Upper-class women were subjected to feet binding which permanently crippled them --> shows the women were only important as trophies or symbols of beauty for their husbands
Describe 2 cultural ideas that spread to Korea from China
Buddhism, centralized government and civil-service bureaucracy, Confucianism, Chinese writing
The Southeast Asian kingdoms and Empires were all heavily influenced by what two countries?
India and China
What was the gentry?
class of powerful, well-to-do people who enjoy high social status in China based on education and civil-service
After Genghis Khan's death, what happened to his vast empire?
Divided into 4 khanates ruled by his descendants.
How did people gain the high-status title of being in the gentry class in China?
By receiving high scores on civil-service exams
How did Korea influence Japan's culture?
Koreans traveled to Japan and spread Chinese cultural ideas that had been spread to them during the period of Chinese colonization in Korea.
How did the Mongols treat the people they conquered?
They were tolerant of the cultures of the people they conquered and would often adopt the cultures themselves. Many Mongols converted to Islam if they were living in predominantly Muslim communities, etc
Where was the Silla Dynasty established and what was their legacy?
Korea- known for uniting Korea, driving out the Chinese and defeating rival kingdoms to unify Korea for the first time
The Pax Mongolica was the period of stability and peace throughout the Mongolian Empire. Describe evidence of the peace established during this time.
Ensured safe passage on trade routes so trade between Europe and Asia flourished, allowing Chinese products such as gunpowder to reach Europe for the first time. Safe conditions allowed for first postal system to arise!
Describe one reform of Tang Taizong that strengthened and centralized China.
built and expanded network of canals and roads
re-instituted civil-service exams
promoted foreign trade
How and why did the feudal system develop in Japan?
Disputes over limited farmland in Japan led to constant fighting. Wealthy landowners became feudal lords with private armies (samurai) to defend and protect their land
What was Angkor Wat and how is it an example of cultural blending?
Large city-and-temple complex in the Khmer Empire in Cambodia dedicated to Hindu god Vishnu
Evidence of cultural sharing from India
Who were the samurai and explain how their initial loyalties shifted over time.
Professional warriors who followed strict code of honor (bushido) and served Japanese feudal lords. Over time, they made up a distinct warrior class in Japan and became the official Japanese military at which point their loyalty changes to protecting the emperor and the government.
Regarding the Mongols' rule in China, how did they keep the Chinese from gaining too much power and overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty initially?
Kept Chinese out of high government positions- only allowed Mongols and foreigners to hold these positions
Song China controlled much less territory than Tang China. Describe one reason that explains the change in territory.
Manchurians moved south and conquered northern part of China founding Jin Dynasty.
Tang Taizong had expanded the empire to the north and to the west to lands that had not been controlled by China since the Han Dynasty. Song emperors were not able to hold these lands he had re-conquered and pulled out of the lands to the west by choice.
In both Korea and Japan, they tried to institute a civil-service bureaucracy modeled after China. In both of these countries, what was the result of these efforts?
It was not successful in either region. Korea still developed a land aristocracy where status depended on wealth and landownership. Japan developed feudalism with local lords fighting over the land
Who was Wu Zhao?
Empress in China during Chinese occupation of Korea. Only woman in China to openly hold the title of emperor
What is Shinto religion and explain how cultural blending impacted the worship of the Shinto god(s).
native polytheistic religion of Japan that was centered around ancestor worship and spirits of nature. Shinto blended with Buddhism after it reached Japan and citizens would worship the Buddha's teachings and Shinto gods in both Shinto temples and Buddhist monasteries.
What factors led to the collapse of the Mongolian Empire?
The decline and fall of the Yuan Dynasty because the Khanate of the Great Khan was the strongest of the 4 khanates.
Yuan's heavy spending led to overtaxed and resentful Chinese citizens. Citizens were also unhappy that they were forced out of high government positions, famine, flood, disease all contributed to rebellion by Chinese citizens who overthrew Yuan. Other khanates fell shortly after.
Describe two technologies developed during Tang and Song China and how they improved or changed the lives of citizens.
Movable type, paper money, gunpowder, magnetic compass, printing, porcelain, mechanical clock, fast-ripening rice
How did the Japanese victory over the Mongols lead to the end of Kamakura Shogunate?
Ran out of money and could not afford to pay the samurai which resulted in their shifting loyalties back to local feudal lords.
What factors allowed the Japanese to defeat the Mongolians? Describe at least two.
Geography: Being surrounded by water, Japan was very defendable so a foreign power needed a strong navy to attack Japan
Samurai: Japan's warrior class was very strong and because they followed the Bushido they were extremely dedicated to defending Japan. Very well organized and disciplined army.
Shogunate: Because Japan was operated under a shogun, the center of their power and their strength was in their military headquarters