unit 1 (1200-1400) Flashcards
Governance of East Asia (1200-1400)
Empires and states in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity in the 13th century. This included the Song Dynasty of China, which utilized traditional methods of Confucianism and an imperial bureaucracy to maintain and justify its rule.
They continued to use the scholar gentry and civil service exam, making it a meritocracy
Cultural Developments and Interactions in East Asia (1200-1400)
Chinese cultural traditions continued, and they influenced neighboring regions due to the increase in trade between them and the tributary system
Examples:
Filial piety in East Asia Influence of Neo-Confucianism and Buddhism in East Asia
Confucian traditions of both respect for and expected deference from women
Chinese literary and scholarly traditions and their spread to Heian Japan and Korea.
Buddhism in East Asia (1200-1400)
Buddhism and its core beliefs continued to shape societies in Asia and included a variety of branches, schools, and practices.
It became popular due to its similarities with Daoism
Rulers in the Tang dynasty had trouble accepting it because it was a foreign religion
There are three branches of Buddhism:
- Theravada Buddhism focused on personal spiritual growth with silent meditation and self discipline, and was most common in southeast asia
- Mahayana Buddhism focused on spiritual growth for everyone and public service, most common in China and Korea
- Tibetan Buddhism focused on chanting and was most common in tibet
Economic Systems in East Asia (1200-1400)
The economy of Song China became increasingly commercialized while continuing to depend on free peasant and artisanal labor.
The economy of Song China flourished as a result of increased productive capacity, expanding trade networks, and innovations in agriculture and manufacturing.
They began to use coal more, leading to greater production of cast iron goods
They learned how to make steel
Porcelain was in greater demand
Inventions like compasses increased maritime trade
Agricultural Innovations in East Asia (1200-1400)
- Champa rice (fast-ripening, drought resistant rice from the Champa Kingdom in present day Vietnam) expanded agricultural production in China. The rice allowed rice to grow in places that rice had not been able to grow before
- Chinese farmers put manure on fields to enrich the soil, built elaborate irrigation systems, and cultivated previously unusable land with new heavy plows pulled by water buffalo or oxen
these new innovations created an abundance of food, leading to a growing population
under the three century long rule of the Song Dynasty the population went from 25% of the world’s population to 40%
Proto-industrialization
An economic change in which people in rural areas (artisans mostly) produced more than they could sell
Relied on home-based, or community based production and the use of simple equipment
Cultural Developments and Interaction in Dar al-Islam (1200-1400)
Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and the core beliefs and practices of these religions continued to shape societies in Africa and Asia. This was because many Islamic empires were tolerant of many religions, allowed access to holy sites, and were in the middle of trade between Europe, Africa, and Asia
Governance in Dar al-Islam (1200-1400)
As the Abbasid Caliphate fragmented, new Islamic political entities emerged, most of which were dominated by Turkic peoples. These states demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity, as many used Abbasid practices.
Seljuk Empire: began to conquer parts of the Middle East in the 11th century, their leader called himself the sultan, lowering the role of the Abbasid caliph
Mamluk Sultanate: Mamluks were slaves who served as soldiers and bureaucrats, they established the Sultanate in Egypt and traded sugar and cotton
Delhi Sultanate: Islamic forces in Northern India created this empire, created tensions between Hindus and Muslims as Hindus saw Muslims as foreigners, the sultanate did not have a centralized rule, so local kingdoms played a large role in governance
Umayyads: ruled Spain, stopped from moving further into Europe in the Battle of Tours, they were religiously tolerant, their rule of Spain allowed for more goods from Asia and the Middle East to reach Europe
Expansion of Muslim Rule (1200-1400)
Muslim rule continued to expand to many parts of Afro-Eurasia due to military expansion, and Islam subsequently expanded through the activities of merchants, missionaries, and Sufis. Sufis often incorporated elements of other religions into Islam, gaining more conversions.
Technology and Innovation in Dar al-Islam (1200-1400)
Muslim states and empires encouraged significant intellectual innovations and transfers.
Muslim scholars translated Greek works, preserving them during the Dark Ages in Europe
Nasir al-Din al-Tusi created the most accurate astrological charts of the time, and laid the groundwork for trigonometry
Hospitals and medical care improved
The House of Wisdom in Baghdad became a center of learning, and spread these advancement
While having their own advancements, Islamic empires also facilitated the spread of intellectual advancement from India and China into Europe
Cultural Developments in South/Southeast Asia (1200-1400)
Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism, and their core beliefs and practices, continued to shape societies in South and Southeast Asia.
Interaction between these religions created syncretized architecture such as the Qutub Minar, the development of Urdu (which blended Arabic and Hindu), and the Bhakti Movement, which was very similar to Sufism
Governance in South/Southeast Asia (1200-1400)
State formation and development demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity, including the new Hindu and Buddhist states that emerged in South and Southeast Asia.
The North and South were very different:
- The north developed less centralized kingdoms, and were prone to attacks from Islamic kingdoms, creating more Islamic influence in the North
- The South was more stable and centralized under the Chola Dynasty and Vijayanagara empire
Governence in the Americas (1200-1400)
Empires in the Americas expanded:
Mississippian Culture: matrilineal society, meaning social standing was decided by the woman’s side
The Mayans: used city states ruled by different kings, these states often fought each other to gain captives for human sacrifices; there was no centralized government, but one city state was often more powerful and dominated a region
The Aztecs/Mexicas: founded Tenochtitlan, they conquered other regions and had a tribute system similar to China’s but groups also paid in goods, city states were grouped into provinces and had Aztec officials stationed to enforce rule and collect tribute, was a theology with the king also being a representative of the gods
The Inca: the empire was split into four provinces that had their own bureaucracy, instead of a tributary system they had the mit’a system of mandatory public service
Innovation in the Americas (1200-1400)
- The people of Chaco and Mesa Verde developed ways of collecting, storing, and transporting water efficiently
- The Maya used the zero number system, developed a complex writing system, made rubber, and had very accurate astronomical observations
- The Aztecs had floating gardens on the lake called chinampas and dug ditches to irrigate fields
- The Inca: developed a mathematical system called quipu of knotting strings, an agricultural system of terraces called waru waru to prevent erosion and collect water, and a massive road system of 25,000 roads called the carpa nan
Governance in Africa (1200-1400)
In land Africa: villages and kin-ship ties became districts with chiefs from towns making decisions, then they became more closely tied in the Hausa kingdoms; these still had no centralized government and were often overpowered by other empires
West: benefited from sub-saharan trade, the kingdoms of Ghana and Mali became wealthy from trading gold and salt with Muslim merchants; Mali was Muslim and used religion as a connection to North Africa and the Middle East
East Africa: Zimbabwe and Ethiopia (Axum) both participated in Indian Ocean trade and grew wealthy from this trade; both are known for their architecture, Zimbabwe for its stone defensive walls and Ethiopia for its carved rock in religious architecture (Ethiopia was Christian)
