CHINA JAPAN 中國 日本國 zhong guo nihon koku “central “solar origin state” state” Most populous 10th most nation populous nation 2nd largest 3rd largest economy (after economy (after USA) USA & China) THE EAST ASIAN REGION TODAY THE EAST ASIAN REGION, C. 500 BCE-500 CE 1 CHINA AND JAPAN: COMPARATIVE CHRONOLOGY Approximate Date(s) CHINA JAPAN Isolated within Eurasian Settled by immigrants from PREHISTORY-2000 BCE continent by steppes to north, southeast Asia (c. 30,000 desert to west, jungle and YBP) and northeast Asia (c. mountains to south, ocean to 14,000 YBP) via land bridges east Location favorable for fishing Climate and topography and seafaring favorable for agriculture Most land unsuitable for Frequent flooding of Yellow agriculture; arable land and Yangzi Rivers intensively cultivated Chinese subcontinent = Japanese archipelago = 9,596,960 km² (roughly the size 377,835 km² (roughly the size of Europe of California) c. 2000 BCE Rise of civilization in China, Jōmon period (c. 13,000-400) culminating in Shang dynasty produces world’s earliest (1600-1050): known pottery bronze and iron metallurgy Earliest evidence for religious monumental architecture activity: mortuary ritual, organized religious life shamanism, snake cults social stratification w/ kingship little or no social stratification logographic writing (tribal chieftainship) c. 1000 BCE Zhou (1050-770): deposes last Shang king earliest known complete texts rulers assume Tianzi (Son of Heaven) title worship of Tian (Heaven), ancestors, and local deities c. 500-100 BCE “Spring and Autumn” (770-481) Yayoi period (c. 400 BCE-250 and “Warring States” (403-221) CE): periods: Immigrants from Korea and/or Zhou control collapses China displace Jōmon peoples [Lifetime of Shakyamuni Feudal lords in constant conflict Transition from hunter- Buddha in India, c. 550-450] Rise of early traditions gatherer, ceramics-producing (Confucianism, Mohism, etc.) culture to rice-cultivating, Qin (221-206) iron-producing culture Former Zhou territory unified Rapid social stratification Confucian texts burned (213) Former Han (202 BCE-9 CE): Confucianism established as Han ideology (138 BCE) 2 Approximate Date(s) CHINA JAPAN c. 100 BCE-200 CE Later Han (25-220): “Japan” poorly differentiated, Messianic and millenarian if at all, from “Korea” movements gain popularity First Chinese mention of First mention of Buddhism in Japan (payment of tribute to Chinese text (65) Han court by tribal king in Rise of sectarian Taoism (142) Kyūshū, 57) Taoist-inspired uprisings (180s) First recorded Chinese delegations to Japan (200), who report that shaman-queen Himiko (d. 248) rules Yamato, largest of “100 kingdoms” c. 200-600 CE “Period of Disunity” (220-589): Confucian Analects barbarian rule in north, Chinese introduced from Paekche rule in south, state patronage of (southwestern Korean state) Buddhism and Taoism, (285) enrichment of some elites and Japanese defeat Silla impoverishment of most (southeastern Korean state) commoners and establish state of Mimana Sui (589-618) reunifies China (369) Block printing invented Paekche sends Confucian scholars, Taoist diviners and healers, and Buddhist icons and texts (513-554) c. 600-900 CE Tang dynasty (618-906): Regular missions to Tang Confucianism restored as basis court begin (630) of civil service examinations New capital inaugurates Nara Laozi given royal title by court period (710-794) (666) Compilation of Kojiki (712) An Lushan uprising (755-763) and Nihongi (720) by court Apex and antapex of Chinese Relocation of capital begins Buddhism: Chan (Zen) founded Heian period (794-1185) (860s), monasticism persecuted Kūkai returns from study in (845) China (806), founds Mt. Kōya monastery (816) c. 900-1200 CE “Five Dynasties” period of Tale of Genji written (1000s) disunity (907-960) Kamakura shogunate founded Song (960-1279) reunifies (1192); provincial warriors country displace court as real rulers Buddhist canon printed (972) Eisai introduces tea from Wang Zhe a.k.a Wang China to Japan (1191) Chongyang (1112-1170) founds Death of Hōnen (1212) Quanzhen Taoism Zhu Xi (1130-1200) renews Confucianism c. 1200-1500 CE Yuan (Mongol) rule (1260- Shogunate loses support; civil 1368) war ensues (mid-1200s) Ming (1368-1644) reestablishes Dōgen studies in China (1223) indigenous rule Nichiren banished (1271) Sanjiao ideology of Muromachi shogunate interreligious harmony becomes founded (1338) popular Yuiitsu Shintō movement (1400s-1500s) 3 老子/道德經 1。1-2 道可道 非常道 名可名 非常名 無名 天地之始 有名 萬物之母 GLOSSARY 老 lao old, ancient 子 zi master, infant 道 dao way, path; to direct, to order 德 de power, strength, virtue, charisma 經 jing classic text, scripture 可 ke can, could; can be, could be 非 fei not, is not; wrong 常 chang constant, eternal, changeless, continuous 名 ming name 無 wu without; to not have 天 tian heaven, sky; Heaven (personified as deity or cosmic force) 地 di earth, soil 之 zhi possessive particle; to go; him/her/it/them 始 shi beginning, origin 有 you (there) is; to have 萬 wan myriad, ten thousand, “gazillion” (abstractly colossal number) 物 wu things, creatures, matter 母 mu mother 4.