Asia

Question 1

What was China’s biggest strength, as the 13 century began?

Answer 1

China’s imperial bureaucracy

Question 2

What is “an imperial bureaucracy”?

Answer 2

It was the people who worked within the Chinese government to carry out the orders of the Emperor

Question 3

In order to work for the “imperial bureaucracy”, what did someone need to do?

Answer 3

They needed to pass the Civil Service Exam

Question 4

Typically, who were allowed to study for and take the Civil Service Exam in China?

Answer 4

Men from wealthy families. This is because those who did not come from wealth were unable to afford an education

Question 5

What changed about the Civil Service Exam, under the Song Dynasty’s emperor Song Taizu?

Answer 5

They allowed non-wealthy men to take the exam, assuming they were committed enough. This social mobility was rare in China’s history.

Question 6

What is the “Grand Canal”, and when was it built?

Answer 6

The Grand Canal was a man-made canal that connected two rivers, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. Construction began around 400 BCE but was completed during the Sui Dynasty ~600CE.

Question 7

What were the benefits of the Grand Canal?

Answer 7

It improved travel times, since it was easier to transport large amounts of goods on large boats, as opposed to land. This made it easier for people to travel within Chinese borders.

Question 8

How did China become the most commercialized nation in 1200?

Answer 8

China’s early industrialization, called proto-industrialization, enabling them to mass produce silk and porcelain. They would then use sea-based trading routes to sell their luxury goods throughout the Indian Ocean trading network and Silk road.

Question 9

What is the order of the Chinese Dynasties, beginning with the Sui Dynasty and ending with the Yuan.

Answer 9

Sui (SWAY)
Tang
Song
Yuan

Question 10

What are the characteristics of bureaucracies?

Remember that bureaucracies are found in all modern governments today!

Answer 10

Clear Hierarchy: Organized like a pyramid, each level has a specific set of responsibilities and authorities
Standardized procedures: Detailed rules and procedures for how work is done and decisions made
Emphasis on efficiency: Designed to accomplish their goals in a systematic and organized way
**Formalized communication: **Rely on written memos or reports to explain information or coordinate activties

Question 11

What is a meritocracy?

Answer 11

An organization (like a bureaucracy) where individuals are selected and promoted based on their ability and talent.

In a meritocracy, people are rewarded by achievements, rather than social class, wealth, or political connections

Question 12

Who were the “scholar-gentry”?

Answer 12

The scholar gentry were people who passed the Civil Service Exam, and were thus considered to be “well educated”.

In Song China, the scholar-gentry were among the most well respected social classes. Some of the scholar gentry would serve as advisors to the Emperor.

Question 13

When was gunpowder invented in China?

Answer 13

In the process of looking for a drink that could make you live forever, it was invented around ~800CE, during the Tang Dynasty.

Question 14

When was paper invented in China and when were the first printing presses created?

Answer 14

Around 100 CE. The Chinese would also be the first ones to invent printing presses, creating woodblock printing. Woodblock printing was created around the same time as gunpowder

Question 15

What was the Chinese Tributary System?

Answer 15

A system that started back during the Han Dynasty. Essentially, China would bully its neighbors, demanding that they pay tribute, as a show of respect to the “Son of Heaven”, aka the Emperor.

Kingdoms that did not pay tribute would not receive the benefits of Chinese technology, and could be militarily conquered by China.

Question 16

What role did artisans play in Chinese society, and what did you need to do in order to become one?

Answer 16

An artisan is someone who makes stuff. In order to be an artisan in Chinese society, you’d have to learn from a master artisan, working under them for years until you mastered the technique. Some examples of products made by artisans include:
* Jade
* Silk
* Porcelain
* Ceramics
* Textiles
* Metalworking
* Woodcarving

Question 17

What is a guild?

Answer 17

A place where artisans would work. This was like a workshop for the artisan to work with other artisans who were in the same field. Such as:

Silk Guild : For the artisans who specialize in making silk and creating textiles from it
Metalworking Guild: For the artisans who specialize in creating metal items

Question 18

How were women treated in Chinese society?

Answer 18

China was one of the most patriarchal societies to exist during this time period. Men dominated systems of power in China with rare exceptions.

Question 19

Which countries were on China’s “Periphery”? Be sure to know what periphery means too!

Answer 19

A periphery are the societies of people who were not officially part of China but were still impacted by it in one way or another.

Japan, Korea, and Vietnam are all countries we consider to be part of China’s periphery

Question 20

What should we know about Japanese society by 1200 CE?

Answer 20

They had a Shogunate as a style of government. Although the emperor was supposed to be the most powerful, it was the Shogun who had all the military power (thus why its called Shogunate). The Shogun would rule over the various Daimyos in a decentralized system, and the Daimyos would hire Samurai to protect them.

Question 21

What should we know about Samurai?

Answer 21

Hired by the landlords of Japan’s decentralized government, the Samurai practiced a code of chivalry known as “Bushido”.

Question 22

Where in China’s periphery, did China’s ideas have the most impact?

Answer 22

Korea. In Korea, they adopted Confucianism, Buddhism, and the Civil Service System. All of these ideas and belief systems were diffused from China. Unlike China, Korea did not allow for any social mobility.

Question 23

What should we know about Vietnamese society by 1200?

Answer 23

Vietnam despised having China rule over them. The Vietnamese did not have as hierarchal of a society as the Chinese, and women were given much greater freedom in Vietnam than in China. Vietnamese society was more centered on village life and smaller nuclear families. Although Buddhism and Confucianism would both spread to Vietnam, it was only Buddhism that had a lasting impact.

Question 24

What is a caravanserai and where were they located?

Answer 24

Think of them like modern day hotels, where travelers and merchants could stop to rest and refresh themselves and their animals. These “hotels” would be on major trade routes, like the Silk Road.

Question 25

What is a bill of exchange?

Answer 25

Sort of like a check. It enabled people to trust each other in business. It was a written order used that requires one person to pay another person a set of money. It helped people to trade because it meant that you didn’t have to carry a bunch of money with you when doing business.

Question 26

How do bills of exchange and caravanserai help to expand trade along the Silk Road?

Answer 26

Both of these things made it easier to trade along the Silk Road, accelerating the pace of money making, as people felt more confident to sell more products on the silk road. This increased confidence meant increase trading.