📍Topic 1.1 Developments in East Asia

📖 AMSCO p.3-pg.14

Main Idea

Key Timeline

Image Courtesy of Ananya

Things to Know

Song Dynasty in China

• The Tang Dynasty was replaced by the Song Dynasty in 960, and despite controlling a smaller area of land, they flourished and reigned for more than three centuries.
• One of China’s biggest strengths was its imperial bureaucracy, a style of government that had been present since the Qin Dynasty and only became stronger under the Song Dynasty.
• The emperor, Song Taizu, also expanded educational opportunities, such as the civil service exam, to men who came from lower classes and allowed them upward mobility in society.
• Tang Dynasty’s already flourishing projects, such as improved transportation and better agriculture, allowed for more prosperity in the Song Dynasty, which also saw many economic achievements.
• One of the biggest projects was the building of the Grand Canal, an inexpensive way to carry goods and trade, which eventually became the largest trading center in the world
• Chinese farmers also invented new ways to improve farming, such as detailed irrigation systems, new kinds of plows, and utilizing manure to improve the soil—the combination of which led to an abundance of food and enhanced farming and agriculture as a whole, and as a result, China’s population increased.
• China also experienced proto-industrialization, which meant artisans could sell their work, such as silk and porcelain, across the sea.
• Due to China’s navigation tools, they could travel across the ocean, growing into the most commercialized nation—its economy thriving as advances in technology allowed for more control.
• The Chinese were also the first to use woodblock printing and printed booklets on farming that were then distributed to regions that focused on agriculture.
• The development of printing also increased the availability of books, which led to the higher class becoming more well-rounded in literature.

Society Under the Song Dynasty

• As the population increased, there was a rise in urban areas in the Song Dynasty which led to many changes in the life of the people.
• China’s class system saw the development of a completely new class, the scholarly gentry, who eventually outnumbered the aristocracy.
• The lower class often worked for the upper class to pay off debts and earn wages and the Song government would provide aid and free healthcare for them.
• Despite being respected, the role of women during this period was to defer to their male counterparts.
• Foot-binding, which became extremely common among the higher class, signified a woman’s social class and further restricted their ability to participate publicly.
• Buddhism, which reached China via the Silk Roads, became popular due to Buddhist monks introducing ideas similar to Daoist principles; eventually, both ideas combined and led to the syncretic belief of Chan, or Zen, Buddhism.

Japan, Korea, and Vietnam

• Japan, Korea, and Vietnam struggled with maintaining their distinct traditions and identities as Chinese culture spread wider.
• Japan began promoting Buddhism and Confucianism along with Shinto and also learned woodblock printing from China, similarly emulating Chinese traditions in their arts and culture during the Heian Period.
• The Japanese differed in their governing style from China as the former faced power struggles amongst powerful families, while the latter had a unified central government under an emperor.
• Korea was much closer to China and shared a land boundary with the country, allowing the countries’ cultures to mix.
• Korea also adopted Buddhist and Confucian beliefs and even used the Chinese writing system until the 15th century.
• Similar to Japan and Korea, Vietnam also emulated Chinese culture, such as their writing system; however, they had a more hostile relationship with China and often rebelled against its influences.
• Vietnamese culture and society played a strong role in resisting Chinese influences.
• Some common Vietnamese practices included women having much more independence after marriage, nuclear families, and the lack of a centralized government.

Terms to Remember