Inner and East Timeline/Key Terms

Inner Asia 581 – Sui take over after Han collapse, don’t last long.

Capital: Chang’an – Northern , predominantly. The Sui build the Grand Canal (1,100 mi waterway), linking the Yellow/ (aided trade/travel in Chinese interior); also construct irrigation systems on the Yangtze. Overextension of the state’s resources (massive labor projects), overextension militarily (, Vietnam, Inner Asia) forced its decline.

618 – Tang take over after last Sui leader assassinated. Ends in 907. Capital: Chang’an. Founder: Li Shimin Retain many Sui practices. However, stayed more decentralized than the Sui. Autonomy given to local officials, even religious organizations. Will combine Chinese culture w/central Asian nomadic culture in politics, art, and even warfare (Chinese weapons – crossbow, armored infanty + Central Asian – Stirrups, cavalry).

Religiously, the Tang adopted Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayanas had bodhisattvas (Buddhist saints, so to speak), that helped people achieve nirvana. Mahayanas also permitted the adoption of local gods & translation of Buddhist texts into local languages (adaptable to many people).

Chang’an became a cultural, communication center. Central/East Asians converged on it for ideas/styles. Like the Tang empire,Chang’an was very cosmopolitan.

The Tang used a Han tributary political system – foreign leaders stayed sovereign, but acknowledged Tang supremacy. Trading rights/protection received for this loyalty.

The Tang will also facilitate trade along the , especially silk and porcelain, which many Arabs desired. They also employed the use of credit for purchases, much like today’s credit cards.

690 – Zhao = female emperor. Claimed to be a bodhisattva. Favored Buddhists/Daoists over Confucians for government jobs.

751 – Tang fight Arabs @ Talas River, lose. This will mark the end of the Tang ‘Golden Age.’

Tang elites soon began to discriminate against Buddhists (seen as foreigners or non-Confucians). Blamed Buddhism for women in politics as well, disrupting Confucian family/state structure.

755 – An Lushan rebellion. Yang Guifei (female concubine in the Tang court) blamed (unrealistically). Tang world starting to crumble. Military commanders calling the shots from now on.

Buddhism started to be seen as a foreign evil practiced by barbarians. Buddhist monks didn’t pay taxes, serve in the military, or marry, denying the state money, conscripts, and descendants for their families. This was all seen to be very anti-Confucian.

840 – Tang crush the Buddhist monasteries as more people moved towards them b/c of tax exemptions. Buddhists had land, manpower (serfs).

879 – Huang Chao rebellion. Poor farmers/tenants made up his forces, fighting against oppressive local lords. Many foreigners murdered in Canton and Beijing. This was the final blow to Tang power.

Rebellions w/An Lushan& Huang Chao, along with the military defeat at the Talas River, plus the persecution of foreigners (especially Buddhists) helped the Tang implode.

East Asia 916 – Liao Empire founded (northern China)

The Liao were pastoralists – good on horseback/esp. w/cavalry. Continued Confucian tradition; didn’t impose their lifestyle on conquered peoples. Very adaptable. Told subjects to see the emperor as a champion of Buddhism/nomadic chieftain. Buddhism was certainly more popular in Liao territory. Rulers depended on roles as bodhisattvas to legitimize their power.

960 – Song Empire founded (central/southern China)

Song mathematics – 1st use of fractions. Song astronomers – accurate calendar, identified the ‘pole star,’ leading to more correct compasses (fixed pivot point w/needle). Could be used when on the sea (1st used in 1090). Junk – large flat bottom ship, used for long distance trade and travel Movable type – each individual character cast on a separate piece of metal – better printing technique. Led to diffusion of new ideas/books/knowledge to lower/middle classes. Iron – used in warfare, but also in agriculture. Iron plows = stronger, durable.

The Song had a massive army of 1.25 million men armed w/iron and steel. Coal mines in northern China were necessary to make iron/steel, so Song aggression northward was inevitable. Song body armor/defensive structures were miles ahead of their rivals, esp. since they were mass-produced. Also, Song first used gunpowder – shot out clusters of flaming arrows, later massive shells filled with shrapnel.

Song religion – Buddhism, namely Zen (Chan) Buddhism (a branch of Mahayana Buddhism). Disciplined meditation! With the popularity of Buddhists sects it is evident that Buddhism wasn’t wiped out with the Tang persecutions.

Song politics – examinations for gov’t jobs. However, this finally meant something. It was a meritocracy – best test scores, best men got the job, not just men from the nobility or with privilege. However, wealthy boys had more time to prep/better resources to prep for tests than peasants. Good marriage prospects/high salaries/prestige to those who passed; much woe/ruin to those who failed the exams.

Song society – population growth due to agricultural, economic prosperity. 100+ million people. Large wooden, multi-story apartments closely built together added to crowding/disease in Song cities until Song diverted rivers to help flush out waste & adopted new building/firefighting techniques to combat urban crowdedness. Class structure – economic growth allowed non- government workers (artisans, merchants, etc.) to become wealthy. Land was no longer the only source of wealth, which upset the former social structure. Women – backlash of anti-Buddhist Tangs still felt amongst women – they were further subjugated. Women could read, but Confucians emphasized letting women read simplistic Confucian messages to women about their lowly state. Footbinding for women also became widespread (

Song economics – “flying money” to the Song. Depended on acceptance of guarantees on paper that could be redeemed for coinage at a different location. Song also pioneered paper money, but unfortunately printed too much, allowing massive inflation to occur. They spent far too much on the military and printed the money to pay for it, leading to inflation. Eventually paper money was abandoned. Tax farming – private individuals asked by gov’t to collect taxes in various localities. Led to high prices b/c tax farmers had to make a profit, so they hiked up prices & crushed the populace with a higher tax burden.

1115 – Jin Empire founded

1125 – Liao Empire ends.

1130 – Neo-Confucianism founded by Zhu Xi. New approaches to Confucian texts – basic ruling philosophy of China until the 20th (!) century. Human nature = essentially good, moral, rational. Human ideal = sage – a person who could preserve mental stability while dealing with troubling social problems. Universal sagehood = neo-Confucian; exclusive sagehood = Confucian.

1127-1279 – Southern Song period

Southern Song = heavy industry. Adapted Tang mathematics, science, technology.

Korea

668 – Koguryo kingdom ended after long conflict w/Sui and Tang. Silla = dominant rulers w/Tang practices & influence. Confucian government, examination process.

900 – Early 900’s. Tang collapse in China coincides w/Silla collapse in Korea. Koryo – in as rulers (modern “Korea” derived from Koryo). Koryo united the Korean for 3 centuries.

Under constant threat from the Jin, Liao. Friendly, however, w/Song. Supported Buddhism as well.

First used woodblock moveable type in Korea. The Song improved this in the 1000’s with metal moveable type.

Vietnam Vietnam’s political/economic life centered on 2 river valleys: Red & Mekong. Rice-based agriculture. Experts w/irrigation.

During Song/Tang times the people of ‘Annam” (Chinese name for Vietnam) adopted Confucian bureaucracy in government.

936 – Annam changes to Dai Viet, friendly w/Song China. In North. Southern rivals = Champa. Rivals w/each other during Tang China, friends during Song China.

Champa traded heavily with and India via sea.

Before adoption of Confucianism, women of Annam enjoyed a higher status, could participate politically/economically.

Japan

For most of Japan’s early history it will develop in isolation.

Religion – Shintoism. Native religion of Japan. Animistic. Spirits = kami. Kami inhabit objects in nature. Each clan or, uji, worshipped its own kami. Buddhism later spread to Japan, but did not overtake Shintoism. Confucianism later crept into Japanese society, becoming dominant by the 8th century along with Buddhism.

Until the Yamato clan (mid 7th century CE), Japan had little contact w/China, but was aware of its people via trade.

794 - Fujiarwa Rule (aka Heian Era) – mastered Chinese building techniques. Early capitals at Nara and Kyoto. Centralized government, lasted until 1185. The Fujiwara family controlled power & protected the emperor. Fujiarwas = Confucian.

During this time the Tale of Genji (Shikibu) was written in Japanese, the first book to do so. It gave a glimpse of noble life, and was even written by a woman at a time when the Fujiwara family discouraged female education.

Policing, tax collecting, local governing left for Fujiwara warriors.

1150 – Fujiwara nobility lost control of the government & warriors fought one another for power.

Two powerful families emerged: Taira, Minamoto. Minamoto win.

1185 – Minamoto in power. Clan leader = shogun (military governor who ruled in place of the emperor). Capital = Kamakura. Imperial court = still in Kyoto. Minamotos would dominate political life for the next 4 centuries.

Bakufu – tent, or military government. Feudal political order developed. Regional lords wielded power and authority in areas where they controlled land & economic affairs. Lords competed for power. Professional warriors, or samurai, supported these lords. Provided military service in exchange for food/clothing/housing.

Samurai – lived by ‘bushido,’ or ‘the way of the warrior.’ Failing the master meant seppuku (belly-slicing).

This entire era (from the Minamotos onward) is characterized by infighting, even within ruling families.

Differences in feudal systems:

1. Western feudalism – emphasis on written contracts. Western would develop parliaments to protect these contracts. 2. Japanese feudalism – emphasis on ideals of honor, not written contracts. Japan developed collective decision-making teams that connected the state. 3. Samurai were given land rights from lords, but didn’t own the land. European knights often received land ownership for service. Result: in Japan, class distinction between lord/samurai was clear. In Europe, lord/knight class distinction was unclear, as knights (warriors) could become lords.