Unit 1 c. 1200 – 1450 The Global Tapestry

1. Unit 1 c. 1200 – 1450The Global Tapestry

2. Tax and Tribute • Reduced government work to public projects • Tributary System • Stability and stimulate trade • Japan, Korea, Vietnam • Kowtow

3. Most Chinese lived in rural areas-however several cities emerge. China became the most urbanized land in the world-Chang’an, Hangzhou Guangzhou were active centers of commerce and entertainment that contained more than 100,000 people. Created the new class of the scholar gentry, soon outnumbered the aristocracy. Aristocracy consisted of landownders who inherited their wealth. Scholar gentry were educated in Confucian philosophy and became the most influential social class in China. Farmers, artisans, craftsman, merchants then peasants. The Song provided aid to the poor and public hospitals were people could receive free care. Women assumed subordinate roles with wealthy women practicing foot-binding since small feet were a sign of beauty and social status Social Structures

4. *Empress Wu Zetian, 624-705 • The only female Empress in China’s history who ruled alone.  • Searched for outstanding individuals to attract to her court. • Construction of new irrigation systems. • Buddhism was the favored statereligion. • Financed the building of many Buddhist temples. • BUT… She appointed cruel and sadistic ministers to seek out her enemies. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dt46XUyfsQ

5. Foot-Binding in Tang China • Broken toes by 3 years of age. • Size 5 ½ shoe on the right

6. Foot-Binding in Tang China • For upper-class girls, it became a new custom.

7. The Results of Foot-Binding

8. The Results of Foot-Binding

9. Developed a system of printing called wood-block printing, aka carving out a block of wood the coating it in ink and pressing a page against it Most Chinese were illiterate, but the privileged classes could read more books leading to the world’s first Renaissance men Chinese Poets wrote about their lives and their secular background Intellectual and Cultural Developments

10. Taoism and Confucianism existed alongside each other, but not Confucians and Buddhists Three forms of Buddhism form- Theravada, Maayana, and Tibetan Buddhism. All Three include a belief in the Four Noble Truths, which stress the idea that personal suffering can be alleviated by eliminating cravings or desires and by following Buddhist precepts. All three also embrace the Eigt-Fold Path, which can lead to enlightenment or nirvana. Founded by Siddhartha Gautama Pampered young prince who wanted to understand suffering Left his family to become ascetic-abstention from all forms of indulgence After meditating for days under a bodhi tree, he became enlightened and called himself Buddah, or “The enlightened one” Buddhism

11. Religious Diversity in China • Popularity of Buddhism led the Tang Dynasty to close monasteries because they had trouble accepting a foreign religion, but Buddhism remained popular. • The Song Dynasty was more friendly toward Buddhism, but did not go out of its way to promote it.

12. Confucianism • Founded by Confucius - (or Kongzi, c. 551 to c. 479 BCE) • Chinese followed simple animistic belief in natural objects, forces, and veneration of anscestors. • Traveled across China and his disciples compiled his teachings into the Analects • Focused on behavior in everyday life, not on beliefs about any deity • Also focused on the Golden Rule • “Good government consists in the ruler being a ruler, minister being a minister, father being a father, and the son being a son.” • Everything falls under the concept of filial piety • Women had few rights, and were expected to remain subservient to men and boys

13. The Song Dynasty used ideas of Confucanism to maintain ideas of filial piety-the duty of family members to subordinate their needs and desires to those of the male head of the family, or its ruler. Filial piety allowed the emperors of the Song to maintain their rule in China. Another syncretic faith evolved between 770 and 840 called Neo-Confucianism. Not a religious believe but a philosophy- it focused on combining rational thought with the more abstract ideas of Taoism and Buddhism. Becomes very popular in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Neo-Confucianism

14. Taoism a.k.a. Daoism • Founder is usually said to be Laozi, also called the Old Master • The goal is to seek harmony with the Tao. • To follow the Tao meant to denounce all worldly ambitions and let the universe run it’s course • Fundamental text: Tao Te Ching

15. Prince ShotokuTaisi (574-622) in the Yamamoto region, attempted to implement Chinese practices in Japan, sent Japanese nobility to study Chinese Culture in China Taisipromoted Buddhism and Conucianisas a supplement to traditional Shinto. During the Heian Period (794-1185) Japan emulated Chinese traditions in politics, art, and literature. Japan

16. Japanese writes move in a new direction- In the 11thcenturyThe Tale of Genji, arguably the world’s first novel was written by MurasakiShikibu Military rule took over when the Minamoto clan most to power who installed shoguns (military rule) to rule Nobles recruited samurai, who for their help received food, clothing, and shelter from the landlord Not until around 1600 would shoguns create a strong central government that could unify the country. Return to Decentralized Government

17. The Daimyo, were the landowning aristocrats who battled for supreme power VERY SIMILAR to European feudalism Japanese samurai were held to a code known as bushido, stressed frugality, loyalty, martial arts, and honor unto death Japanese Feudalism

18. Due to location Korea had a more direct relationship with China than Japan Similitaries to China- Tribute System, Centralized Government, Confucian and Buddhist beliefs, Adopted the Chinese writing system (15th century Korea developed its own writing system) Representatives of the Korean Silla Kingdom preformed the ritual kowtow when meeting the Chinese Emperor Korea modeled it’s capital city, Kumsong, after Chang’an Difference-Aristocracy in Korea was more powerful than in China. As a result the Korean elite were able to prevent some reforms from being implemented. Example, There was a Korean civil Service exam, but it was not open to peasants. Therefore, there was no truly merit-based system for entering the bureaucracy. Korea

19. Vietnam • Traded and learned from China. • Had an adversarial relationship with China, at times the Vietenamese launched violent rebellions against Chinese influence. • Strong resistance to Chinese power. Vietnamese women enjoyed greated independence in their married lives than Chinese women did in the Confucian tradition. • Also never went for Signification, or assimilation of Chinese traditions • No political centralization-villages operated independently. • Stayed tortoise shells, Ivory, peacock feathers, and pearls with China • Where China lived in extended families, Vietnam preferred nuclear families, just husband, wife, and kids • Vietnamese scholar-officials showed more loyalty to the village peasants, rather than the emperor • At the fall of the Tang Dynasty, Vietnamese rebels waged guerrilla warfare, to drive out the Chinese