1 Unit 5: East Asia CivilizationsMr. Webster’s Class

2 Vocabulary pagoda – multi-storied Buddhist temple that has eaves with curved corners steppe – sparse, dry treeless grassland celadon – porcelain made in Korea with an unusual blue-green glaze hangul – alphabet that uses symbols to represent sounds of spoken Korean archipelago – chain of islands tsunami – very large, damaging wave caused by an earthquake samurai – member of the warrior class in Japanese society bushido – code of conduct for samurai during Japan’s feudal period paddy – rice field

3 Tang and Song DynastiesBeginning in the 600s, two powerful dynasties – the Tang and the Song – restored unity in China. The Tang dynasty ruled from , and the most admired Tang emperor was Tang Taizong. The Song dynasty ruled from Under both the Tang and Song dynasties, foreign trade flourished.

4 Chinese Society China’s two main social classes were the gentry and peasantry. Scholars and officials belonged to the gentry, or wealthy, landowning class. Most Chinese were peasants who worked the land, living on what they produced. Confucianism was the dominant system of ethics and philosophy.

5 Status of Chinese WomenWomen had higher status in Tang and early Song times than they did later. Still, families valued boys more than girls. Once a girl married, she became a part of her husband’s family. Women’s subordinate position was reinforced in the late Song period when the custom of foot binding emerged.

6 Foot Binding Foot binding was the custom of applying tight binding to the feet of young girls to prevent further growth. It emerged during the late Song period, and quickly became a popular practice amongst all social classes. Although extremely painful, foot binding became a symbol of nobility and beauty in Chinese culture.

7 Chinese Architecture and PorcelainIn China, sculpture and architecture were influenced by Buddhism. Buddhism diffused to China from India via the Silk Road around the 1st century A.D. Chinese Buddhism was exhibited through multi-storied pagodas with curved corners, and impressive statues of Buddha. The Chinese also perfected the technique of making porcelain.

8 Genghis Khan and the MongolsThe Mongols were a nomadic people who lived in the steppes, or vast, treeless plains, of Central Asia. In the early 1200s, the Mongol tribes were united the leadership of Genghis Khan, or “Universal Leader.” Genghis Khan had a reputation for fierceness and often ordered large- scale massacres, yet he could also be generous to his loyal followers.

9 The Mongol Empire Under Genghis Khan and his successors, the Mongols conquered a vast empire that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe - the largest contiguous land empire in history. The Mongols were not oppressive rulers, and they often allowed those they conquered to live much as they had before – as long they regularly paid tribute.

10 Kublai Khan In 1279, Genghis Khan’s grandson, Kublai Khan, conquered the last Song emperor. From his capital at Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing), Kublai Khan ruled all of China as well as Korea and Tibet. Kublai adopted a Chinese name for his dynasty, the Yuan, and often welcomed many foreigners to his court, such as Marco Polo.

11 The Ming Dynasty After the death of Kublai Khan in 1294, however, the Yuan dynasty began to decline. In 1368, the Mongols were pushed out of China, and the Ming dynasty became the ruling dynasty of China. The Forbidden City and much of the existing Great Wall of China date from the Ming Era.

12 Zheng He Early Ming rulers proudly sent Chinese fleets into distant waters to showcase their glory. The most famous voyager was Zheng He. Between 1405 and 1433, Zheng He explored the coasts of Southeast Asia, India, and East Africa. After Zheng He’s death, the Ming emperor surprisingly banned the building of seagoing ships.

13 Korea Korea’s location on China’s eastern border has played a key role in its development. At various times in history, China extended political control over the Korean peninsula. Buddhism was introduced to Korea from China in 372 A.D. Korea has also served as a culture bridge linking China and Japan.

14 Silla and Koryo DynastiesIn 668, Korea was unified under the Silla dynasty. Under the Silla dynasty, Korea prospered and the arts flourished. In 918, the Koryo dynasty replaced the Silla dynasty. Confucianism and Buddhism were both influential and widespread throughout Korea during this time.

15 King Sejong and Hangul In 1392, the Choson dynasty emerged when the Koryo dynasty was overthrown. In 1443, Korea’s most celebrated ruler, King Sejong, decided to replace the complex Chinese system of writing, and had experts develop hangul, or the Korean alphabet. The usage of hangul led to an extremely high literacy rate in Korea.

16 Japan Japan’s history has been greatly influenced by both Korea and China. Japan is located on an archipelago, or chain of islands, about 100 miles off the Asian mainland. Its four main islands are Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku. The surrounding seas have both protected and isolated Japan.

17 The Yamato Dynasty Early Japanese society was divided into uji, or clans. Each uji had its own chief and special god or goddess who was seen as the clan’s original ancestor. By around A.D. 500, the Yamato clan came to dominate a corner of Honshu, the largest Japanese island. The Yamato set up Japan’s first and only dynasty, and chose the rising sun as their symbol.

18 Shinto Early Japanese clans honored kami, or superior powers that were natural or divine. The worship of these forces of nature became known as Shinto. To this day, Shinto traditions and beliefs thrive throughout Japan. Shinto shrines are usually dedicated to special sites or objects such as mountains, waterfalls, or ancient trees, etc.

19 The Japanese / Korean ConnectionThe Japanese language is distantly related to Korean but completely different from Chinese. From early on, Japan and Korea were in constant contact with each other. Missionaries from Korea introduced Buddhism to Japan in the 500s. With it came knowledge of Chinese writing and culture that sparked a sustained period of Japanese interest in Chinese civilization.

20 Japan Looks to China Beginning in the 600s, many Japanese began visiting China. Upon returning to Japan, these visitors spread Chinese thought, and customs, such as Confucianism, tea drinking, and pagoda architecture. In time, the Japanese kept some Chinese ways, but discarded or modified others, which is known as selective borrowing.

21 The Heian Period The blending of Chinese and Japanese cultures reached its height during the Heian Period ( ). This period derived its name from the then capital city of Heian (present-day Kyoto). During the Heian period, Murasaki Shikibu wrote the world’s first full- length novel, The Tale of Genji.

22 Japanese Feudalism Beginning in the 1100s (through the 1800s), Japan developed a system of feudalism. Under feudalism, the Japanese emperor possessed little power. Real power lay in the hands of the shogun, or supreme military commander. The shogun distributed lands to the daimyo, who agreed to support him with their armies if needed.

23 The Samurai The daimyo, in turn, granted land to lesser warriors called samurai, meaning “those who serve.” The samurai developed their own code of values, known as bushido. Bushido emphasized honor, bravery, and absolute loyalty to one’s lord. Peasants, artisans, and merchants comprised the lowest tiers up Japanese feudal society.

24 The Tokuguwa ShogunateFrom 1603 to 1868, Japan was ruled by the Tokuguwa shogunate. The Tokuguwas maintained outward forms of feudalism but imposed central government, known as centralized feudalism. The first shogun of the Tokuguwa shogunate established Edo (present- day Tokyo) as his capital. Edo soon grew into a booming city.

25 Zen During Japan’s feudal age, a Buddhist sect from China won widespread acceptance among samurai. Known in Japan as Zen, it emphasized self-reliance, meditation, and devotion to duty. Zen Buddhists believed that people could seek enlightenment through meditation and the precise performance of everyday tasks.

26 Southeast Asia The region of Southeast Asia was influenced by both China and India. Originally, the key product of Southeast Asia was spices. From India, both Hinduism and Buddhism were introduced to Southeast Asia In the 1200s, Muslim traders brought Islam into the region, and today, Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world.

27 The Khmer Empire and Angkor WatA number of kingdoms and empires flourished in Southeast Asia. Between 800 and 1350, the Khmer Empire controlled much of present- day Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos. In the 1100s, the great temple complex at Angkor Wat was constructed. Angkor Wat was originally a Hindu temple, but was later transformed into a Buddhist temple.