Book 1, Chapter 4, Set 6 Flashcards
Describe the early campaigns of Genghis Khan. (page 164)
With his family’s status secured and the patronage of Toghrul, Temujin harrassed the Chinese empire north and west of the Great Wall. Sometimes he would join forces against other tribes at the behest of the northern Chinese Jin dynasty. One of his most crucial allies at this time was his “sworn brother” Jamuka of the Tangut tribe based in Xi Xia in northeast China. Through a series of brilliant campaigns and maneuvers (including the killing of his former allies Toghrul and Jamuka), Temujin made himself the lord of all the Mongol tribes. In 1206, at a mass rally, Temujin was named “Genghis Khan”, universal ruler. Genghis would the Mongols to a string of campaigns that ravaged large areas of Asia and brought millions under his rule. In 1227, Genghis fell from his horse and became feverish. He would die soon thereafter.
Describe the childhood and origins of Genghis Khan. (page 164)
Born in 1162 with the name Temujin, his father was murdered when he was five and his family disinherited by their clan. Much of his childhood was spent eking out a nomadic existence under his formidable mother, Hoelun. After proving himself as a warrior by retrieving some stolen horses, Temujin married a woman name Borte from a neighboring tribe. Supposedly he used his dowry of sable furs to win the favor of Toghrul (also known as Ong Khan or “prince king”), an old ally of his father’s and leader of the Turkish-speaking Kerait people. Borte was kidnapped, but Temujin rescued her with the help of Toghrul. Borte had a baby soon afterward, Jochi, who was acknowledged as Temujin’s son and heir despite the possibility that he was conceived during Borte’s captivity.
What was the Yuan imperial dynasty of China? (page 165)
The grandson of Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan was a famous emperor in his own right. He expanded the empire to its greatest extent to include southern China. He is celebrated as the unifier of China and the founder of the Yuan imperial dynasty, as well as the “Great Khan” of Marco Polo’s travels.
Describe the collapse of the Yuan imperial dynasty in China. (page 166)
According to Mongol law, the indigenous people of China, the Han Chinese, were the lowest class within Chinese society. In the 1340s, there was a disastrous flood of the Yellow River, and there was a conscription of thousands of Han for forced labor. This led to widespread rebellion, and the Yuan dynasty was overthrown in 1368 CE.
Describe the rise of the Ming dynasty and some of its early achievements and characteristics. (page 166)
The Ming dynasty began when the Yuan dynasty was overthrown by peasant rebellion in 1368 CE. The first emperor, Hongwu, began life as a peasant. Under his reign, he reorganized the army and attempted to reform the land and tax system. In 1380, Hongwu abolished the post of chief minister, revised the legal code, and ensured that imperial power could not be challenged in court. He would support this control through a surveillance system of spies, secret agents, and the “Brocade Guards”, who carried out purges of corrupt officials. Imperial power under the Ming would grow unchecked and their rule would become increasingly tyrannical.
Who was Emperor Yongle of China? (page 166)
Emperor Hongwu’s son and the second emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Describe Emperor Yongle’s rise to power and his most notable achievements. (page 166)
Yongele usurped the throne from his father, Hongwu, in 1403 CE. He transferred the capital to Beijing and began work on the Forbidden City there. Under his reign, China experienced urban growth in many cities as well as in Beijing. The spread of printing and the demands of a more literate public also fueled a publishing fervor.
Describe the Ming dynasty and its military strategy after Emperor Yongle’s death. (page 166 and 167)
After Yongle died, the Ming were threatened by the Mongol-speaking Oirat peoples, who began a massive invasion in 1449. Emperor Zhengtong launched a rash counterattack, but was ambushed at Tumu and taken hostage. Zhengtong was eventually released, but the Ming dynasty’s expansion ended. From this point on, their strategy would focus mostly on defense. A barrier was built to control the Mongol threat, and brick and stone were laid over the earthen mounds erected by the Han dynasty. This would become the Great Wall of China.
Describe the beginnings of Chinese trade with the West. (page 167)
Portuguese merchants first reached China in 1514, and they established a trading station in the 1550s at Macao on the southeast coast. In 1604, two Portuguese ships carrying 200,000 pieces of porcelain were captured by the Dutch. The porcelain was put up for auction in Europe, and the result was a craze for porcelain. For the next 300 years, China’s fortunes would be tied to trade with the West.
Describe the fall of the Ming dynasty. (page 167)
Although they had the most effective central bureaucracy in the world at the time, heavy-handed imperial control, court intrigues, and factional fighting among groups of officials weakened the dynasty. By the late 16th century, the Ming were in decline. Weak emperors were dominated by their advisors. In the north, the nomadic Jurchen posed a threat, as Nurachi organized the tribes in the Manchu nation. Economic problems provoked peasant rebellions, and in 1644, rebel forces under Li Zicheng took Beijing only to be ousted in turn by invading Manchus.
Who was Zheng He? Describe his famous acts. (page 167)
A Muslim eunuch serving under the Ming, Zheng He commanded seven ambitious maritime expeditions between 1405 and 1433 CE. By the time his voyages had finished, he had traveled to India at several locations, Hormuz on the Gulf of Oman, and Jidda in Saudi Arabia, as well as a total of 37 countries. His voyages resulted not only in more trade for China, but also in the defeat of many pirates that had plagued Chinese waters.
Describe Japan before the rise of the samurai. (page 168)
The first inhabitants of Japan arrived from mainland Asia around 30,000 BCE. By 8,000 BCE they were creating their distinctive “jomon” (rope-patterned) pottery, possibly the first pottery ever made in the world. These were early Japanese hunter-gatherers. Around 300 BCE, the arrival of rice from East Asia revolutionized Japanese society. Rice cultivation required a peasant workforce living in settled communities. Large landowners became regional rulers fighting over water and fertile land. in the 6th to 7th centuries CE, contact with Asia brought Buddhism and Chinese high culture, including writing in Chinese characters. Japan’s first line of sacred emperors is historically attested after the 3rd century CE. During the Heian Period (794 - 1185 CE), power devolved from the emperor to the Fujiwara clan, who dominated Japan until the samurai.
Describe Japan from the reign of the samurai clans in the 12th century CE to the rule of the shoguns. (page 168)
During the twelfth century, Japan was divided into various provinces ruled by samurai warrior clans. Two long-established families, the Minamoto and Taira, were the descendants of imperial princes sent to rule their respective provinces by the emperor in Kyoto. From their provincial bases, the Minamoto and Taira began fighting to control the imperial capital at Kyoto in the 12th century CE. The Taira began as the dominant clan at the imperial court at Kyoto, but during a conflict known as the Gempeii Wars from 1180 to 1185 CE, the Minamoto defeated them. At two crucial battles in 1184 and 1185 CE, the Taira were slaughtered in combat by the Minamoto, forced to commit mass suicide, or executed. Yoritomo, head of the Minamoto clan, was established as the first military dictator, or “shogun”. Yoritomo based his court at Kamakura, far to the east of the old capital at Kyoto. The old emperor was left in Kyoto as a powerless figurehead.
Who was Minamoto Yoritomo? (page 169)
(1147 - 1199 CE) A member of the Minamoto clan who was involved from early in life in the feud between the Minamoto and Taira clans. In 1160, his father was executed by the Taira and he was exiled from the capital, Kyoto. Twenty years later, he led an uprising against the Taira. Although he lost his first battle at Ishibahiyama in 1180, he eventually defeated both the Taira and his rivals in his own clan and became Japan’s first shogun in 1192. He would die in a riding accident.
Describe the two invasions of Japan by China and their results. (page 169)
In 1274 and again in 1281, the Mongols under Kublai Khan attempted to invade China from Korea. The Japanese united to defeat the invaders, although they were helped greatly by bad weather. The notion of the “kamikaze” (“sacred wind”) came from these invasions as the blessed wind that thwarted the innaders and saved Japan.
