Asia
Shang Dynasty
– 1750 -1045 B.C.E. First dynasty in China (the
Xia don’t count because historians don’t know
about them)
– The King had the ability to commune with his
ancestors, who could commune with the god, Di.
– Used bronze approximately 1000 years before
Western civilizations.
Zhou Dynasty
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1045-221 BCE
Created the concept of the Mandate of Heaven
This leads to the current theory of the Dynastic Cycle:
Step 1:New leaders come in. They make economic
reforms. They secure the borders. On the whole, they’re
good leaders. It is said that they have the “Mandate of
Heaven”
– Step 2: More corruption begins to seep into the political
system. Infrastructure breaks down. Rebellions and
foreigners become problems. The government is said to
have lost the Mandate of Heaven
– Step 3: The government is overthrown. New government
steps in, with the Mandate of Heaven
Confucianism
– A major tenet of Confucianism is
filial piety; the idea that a child is
supposed to respect his parents
no matter what
– Believed in the goodness of
human beings and emphasized
social engagement
– Formed the basis of the civil
service examinations and for the
Chinese legal system
– Formed the basis for Legalism
– Was used to justify gender roles
Daoism
– Created by Laozi
– Emphasized going along with nature, including
de-development, by retreating from society and
choosing not to act, because acting leads to
undesirable outcomes.
Legalism
– Created from Confucian thought.
– Believed that people had to be led by a strong leader
and compelled to make the correct decisions.
– Sacrificed individual freedom to guarantee security
of state
– Pioneered by the Qin dynasty
– Surprisingly similar to fascism.
China (500 BCE – 600 CE)
– Han China was the most prosperous. Considered a
“golden age”
– Made a lot of profit on the Silk Road, mostly through
selling silk but included water mills, paper, compasses,
pottery, and 365.5 day-long calendars.
– Legalism and Daoism developed. Traces of Buddhism,
but not very influential yet.
– Introduced a form of currency.
– Continuity: Most Chinese are “Han Chinese”, and Han
alphabet referred to as “Han characters”
– First real, strong, centralized government in China.
India (1000 BCE – 600 CE)
– Aryan religious stories written in Vedas, and Hinduism became the dominant
religion, Buddhism also began during this era
– Epic literature such as the Ramayana and Mahabarata
– Lack of political unity - geographic barriers + diversity; fragmented into small
kingdoms;
– Mauryan and Gupta Empires formed based on military conquest; Mauryan
Emperor Ashoka seen as greatest; converted to Buddhism and kept the
religion alive
– Social hierarchy based on caste membership. Occupations were strictly
dictated by caste
– Decline in the status of women during Gupta, ritual of sati for wealthy
women ( widow cremates herself in her husband's funeral pyre)
– Hinduism – Reincarnation
– Buddhism - The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path to Enlightenment
Silk Roads
– An advanced trade route connecting East Europe to Africa to
Asia.
– China traded silk to India, while India in return gave China
jade, gold, and silver. India then traded the silk to Rome,
acting as middle-men.
– The Silk Roads formed because small central-Asian tribes
attacked trading caravans, hoping to pillage them. As a result,
Han China expanded its military to central Asia for protection.
Alliances were later made with these tribes and
– Buddhism and other cultures managed to reach China
because many travelers had become interested in China and
went there.
The Huns
– War-like tribe of nomads, but did conquer territory and
made an empire.
– Defeated the Eastern Roman army, as well as took over
much of East Asia.
– Lived mainly off of eating animals/plants raw and drinking
animal blood.
– Engaged battle in columns and then quickly dispersed,
employing an odd guerilla warfare.
– Popularly and lastly known to be led by Attila, who was
defeated by Western Rome. His children quarreled over
land and the Germans rebelled, ending the empire.
Hun Empire
Han China
Dynasties in China
Sui Dynasty (589 CE - 618CE)
– brought about a political revival in China after the fall of the Han Dynasty
– although it had a short longevity, the Sui reunified China and expanded its
borders through military conquest
Tang Dynasty (618 CE - 907 CE)
– China became larger than ever before especially under Emperor
Xuanzong(712-755)
– forced its neighbors to oblige by a tributary system in which they had to
make regular payments to avoid punishment
– advanced infrastructure such as the Grand Canal (linked the Yellow and
Yangzi rivers) led to prosperity
– the 5000-mile Silk Road allowed the silk industry in China to flourish
– promoted education and exerted artistic and religious values upon their
neighbors
– the Tang Dynasty collapsed due to peasant rebellions and military disasters
Dynasties in China (cont’d)
Song (Sung) Dynasty (969 CE - 1279CE)
– experienced steady population and urbanization (example: Canton/Guangzhou)
– economic ties with Central Asia and the Middle East, gained wealth through trading
– technology: accurate compasses and clocks, gunpowder, paper money, and block
printing
– introduction of Buddhism, Chan, and Neo-Confucianism which assisted in the
unification of China
– civil service examinations were held to determine government officials
– women were inferior to men; example of Chinese subjugation of women is foot binding
– under constant warfare by the Liao Empire, the Jurchen, and eventually the Mongols
Early Ming Dynasty
– established by Hongwu who recentralized China
– expanded its borders and maintained the tributary system
– Admiral Zheng He helped expand Chinese trade
– Confucianism and Buddhism regained power
– art, literature, and religion were emphasized; introduction of porcelain
The Tang Dynasty
Japan
Heian Period (794-1185)
– golden age in Japanese history
– emperors were figureheads while the true power resided with the
chancellor (kwampaku)
– Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism influences
– destroyed in the Taira-Minamoto War
Feudal Japan
– power belonged to the shogun; shogunates shared power with
landowning warlords, daimyo
– warrior class = samurai, method of living = Bushido
– Japan remained divided until the early 1600s
India
– heavily influenced by Muslim invaders, and consequently
Islam
– Indian Ocean Trade Network joined Asia, the Middle
East, and Africa; major city of Malacca
– rise of the Khmer Empire, aggressors, and Srivijayan
Empire, who took advantage of maritime trade
The Mongolian Empire
• Established by Genghis Khan
• immense, barbaric military conquest throughout
Asia
• fell due to incompetent governing leadership
Overview: 1450-1750
– Advancements in technology led to Asia and the East's
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increased connectivity with the West (usually economic)
Increased Eurasian trade
Chinese voyages into the Indian Ocean led by Zheng He
Europeans sought Asian goods such as silk, pottery and tea,
but Asian societies usually resisted European commodities
Buddhism also continued to spread throughout Asia
Peasant labor increased due to an increase in demand for
raw materials and a fast growing population
Japan endures the Warring States until 1600 when the
Tokugawa Shogunate unifies Japan
China
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By 1450, the Ming dynasty was at its height with its extraordinary navy and
civil service examinations as well as a highly centralized government under
the emperor. The Ming rulers also emphasized trade.
They revitalized the Indian Ocean Trade Route to avoid the Mongols.
(Zheng He) but they restricted foreign access with the Canton system.
Socially, the Ming were influenced greatly by Confucian thought (although
Buddhism and Taoism still prevalent).
The Ming fell in 1644 due to internal corruption, large influx of silver causing
inflation, peasant revolts and costly wars. (Ming are last rulers descended
from Han)
The Qing (Manchus) rise to power in 1644 when a Ming general asks the
Manchus for help
Retain many Ming administrative policies (very centralized) but Legalism
replaces confucianism, greatly expands empire East, foreigners gain a bit
more access
The Ming Dynasty
Japan
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In the 1500s, conflict between daimyos (Japanese feudal warlords) and their
samurais led to a long civil war - Warring States period
In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu established the military government of the Tokugawa
Shogunate
The Tokugawa centralized Japan economically by creating a network of good
roads and maritime routes connecting new trade centers. Although it had more
political unity than before, most daimyos retained a great deal of autonomy.
Japanese culture flourished; artisanship in lacquer ware and porcelain
developed.
In response to the conversion of hundreds of thousands of Japanese to
Christianity by Jesuits, Shogunate cut off trade with Europe
Tokugawa shogunate believed in Confucian idea that agriculture is basis to
society, so had merchants occupty lowly social positions
Up to 1800s, economy grew faster than the population.
Merchants developed their own culture; kabuki theater, sikl-screened fabrics,
woodblock prints
Daimyo
and
Fiefdoms
in Japan
India
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The very beginning marks the fall of the Delhi Sultanate to descendents of
the Mongols, the Mughals under Babur defeated the last Sultan using
gunpowder
Akbar the Great and Aurangzeb, the next rulers solidified the empire and
conquered essentially the entire subcontinent creating one of the greatest
empires of all time
At their height they had the highest GDP in the world.
Very strong, centralized bureaucratic government under the emperor
The main religion was Islam and often other religions had to pay taxes to
retain freedom to practice - Jizya tax
Although focused more internally, foreigners were allowed more access
than in China
Mughal was an economic powerhouse at the center of the Indian Ocean
Basin Trade routes (produced textiles, spices, jewels)
Great art, mixture of Persian, Islamic and Hindu art (Taj Mahal)
Qing Empire
– Established by Manchus (Agrarian peoples from north of Korea) in
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1644 after overthrow of Ming.
Headed by Manchu, but majority of population was of Chinese
ethinicity.
Jesuit missionaries gained more access to China and were
successful in converting Chinese to Catholicism, adapting it to
Chinese traditions while introducing them to innovations from the
West
Emperor Kangxi saw golden Age of Qing; tributary system, revived
foreign trade, exchange of goods/technology from (silk, porcelain,
tea) and to China
Qing only permitted one market point for each foreign sector to
control trade; McCartney tried to open China up to British but failed
China remained significantly behind the West technologically
(environmental and economic decline because of empire's size)
India
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The East India Company controlled vast amount of territory. The purpose of the
British raj was “westernization, Anglicization, and modernization,” as well as the
bolstering of Indian “traditions.”
Thousands of jobs were created as a result of expanded crop production, but
Indian textile mills were unable to compete with the influx of cheap British
manufactured goods. India went from being the world’s greater exporter of
textiles to shipping only raw cotton fibers to Britain.
Sepoy Mutiny (1857)—Indian soldiers revolted against EIC for the violation of
religious customs in military practices. Peasants and elites joined in the revolt,
protesting the EIC occupation of India.
1858—Britain takes over India from any remnants of the Mughal or East India
Company’s rule. Established a bureaucracy, the Indian Civil Service, in which an
open examination was administered for acceptance. Although any British subject
could take the test, it worked to exclude Indians. Railroads were also built and
created great intermigration.
Pan-Indian nationalism grew as a major political force, and resulted in the
creation of the Indian National Congress.
China
– Macartney mission in 1793—Britain sent Lord Macartney to China to discuss
import restrictions. The Qing emperor refused to alter the Canton trade
system, open new ports, or allow a permanent British mission in Beijing.
– China’s population had risen to about 350 million. Despite efficient farming
and the introduction of New World crops, the demands of the rising
population led to deforestation, damaged infrastructure, mass poverty, and
internal rebellion.
– 1794—White Lotus Rebellion—arising from hatred of the Qing as foreign
conquerors and a belief in the restoration of the Ming Dynasty and the
coming of the Buddha. The rebellion was suppressed in 1804, but managed
to initiate a series of internal conflicts that would continue through the 1800s
– Illegal opium import had skyrocketed, and addiction reached all members of
Qing society. The British saw the ban on opium importation as a threat to the
nation’s economy and an intolerable limitation on trade.
– Started the Opium War (1839-1842). The Chinese forces were crushed by
British superior technology—outdated weapons and land-based troops were
no match for quick gunboats and long-distance artillery of the British.
China (cont.)
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Treaty of Nanking (1842) broke down the old Canton system and imposed new
conditions—five treaty ports were opened, British gained extraterritoriality, Hong
Kong became a British colony, and Britain gained most-favored-nation status.
Foreigners were able to maintain a very comfortable lifestyle in elite parts of
China.
Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864)—the costliest and most devastating war in world
history; between 20 and 30 million people died of fighting, starvation, and
disease. It was started by Hong Xiuqan, who spoke of creating a new “Heavenly
Kingdom of Great Peace.” The revolution appealed to millions of Chinese who
resented the Qing for their Manchu origins, high taxes, and poor rule.
Although the rebels succeeded in capturing Nanjing, British and French forces
helped the Qing in quelling the rebellion, after they fought the Arrow War to
secure Britain’s future position in China. The civil war left China in ruins.
Empress Dowager Cixi attempted to recentralize Qing power through oppressive
means and antiforeign riots, known as the Boxer Rebellion (1900). A coalition of
British, Japanese, French, and American forces quickly put down the revolts.
Sun Yat-Sen plots the overthrow of the Qing Empire. His followers form a
political party known as the Guomindang, the National People’s Party.
Japan
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1750-1800 Tokugawa Shogunate, the last of the three shogunates of Japan, is in power. Although
Japan became more politically unified, the daimyo still retained power and autonomy. Japan
achieved economic integration through the development of commercial traffic and maritime trade,
and a new wealthy merchant class rose to prominence.
1853—American commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived off the coast of Japan, demanding that
Japan open its ports for trade. The shogunate had a year to make a decision, and after considering
China’s defeat in the Opium Wars, consented, signing the Treaty of Kanagawa.
Provincial rebels angered at the incompetence of the Tokugawa shogunate to protect Japan finally
overthrew them in 1868. They implemented a top-down revolution known as the Meiji Restoration,
setting Japan on a course of centralization, industrialization, and imperialism. Heavy industry, new
educational systems, and a conscript army were established. Western technology and culture
became very popular. Large zaibatsu and government-owned enterprises boosted the economy of
Japan.
In the new imperialist frenzy, Japan raced to create its own “sphere of influence” that would
include Manchuria, Korea, and part of China.
Sino-Japanese war lasted less than 6 months, resulting in occupation of Korea and parts of China.
In 1905 Japan defeated Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, gaining control of mineral-rich
Manchuria and establishing itself as a colonial world power.
In 1915, Japan presents China Twenty-One Demands, which would have turned China into a
virtual protectorate. Anti-Japanese boycotts and riots broke out, and led to ongoing war that would
last for thirty years.
Southeast Asia and Oceania
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Australia was founded as a British penal colony in 1788. In 1851, when gold was
discovered, thousands of English and Chinese settlers moved to Australia.
British supported self-governance of Australia and New Zealand. The
increasingly independent nations did not extend equal rights for the indigenous
people, limiting legal protections and voting privileges.
Britain soon annexed Burma and Malaysia, while Indochina was occupied by the
French.
The Europeans imported labor and established profitable agricultural enterprises.
Hunter and gatherer societies were displaced because of cultivation of new land
Ethnic makeup of regions changed with large-scale migrations from China and
India.
In the beginning of the 20th century, nationalistic movements in places like India
and China led young people to question the motives of colonial imperialism.
Asia: Start of 20th Century
– In 1911 China overthrew its last imperial dynasty, the Qing, in
response to their inability to govern well and protect from China from
foreign influence, and elected Sun Yat-Sen, creating the Republic of
China.
– The recently industrialized Japan had just wowed the Western world
with its 1905 defeat of the Russian empire in the Russo-Japanese
War. The nation also began showing signs of its future aggression
with the 1910 occupation of the Korean Peninsula.
– Southern Asia, such as Vietnam and Cambodia, was still under
French control and known as French Indochina, while the Indian
subcontinent was still ruled by the British. The independence
movements in these regions were beginning but had not yet hit their
strides.
China in the 20th Century
– In 1927 civil war broke out between the Chinese Nationalists
and Communists, continuing for 10 years until the two sides
united in 1937 to combat the invading Japanese forces.
– After the defeat of the Japanese fighting between the Chinese
resumes and in 1950 Mao Zedong’s forces emerge victorious
on the mainland.
– As the chairman for the new Peoples Republic of China, Mao
begins to institute sweeping socialist reforms such as the
Great Leap Forward. These policies were some of the most
destructive in human history.
– After Mao’s death Deng Xiaoping opened China up to the
world and became economically more liberal (not politically
however).
Geopolitical Alliances in Civil War Era China
Japan in the 20th Century
– In 1932 imperial fascists in Japans government
assassinated Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi.
– 1937: The Japanese invade China (or rather continued to
invade, only more aggressively) and capture much of the
northeastern regions of the nation, and through their
brutality commit the Rape of Nanjing.
– The Japanese surrender to the U.S. after the atomic
bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan is the only
nation on Earth to suffer such an attack.
– After WW2 the Japanese economy is built back up and
used by the West to counter communist presence in Asia.
Southern Asia in the 20th Century
– In the 20’s and 30’s the independence movement in India began
gaining traction and leaders like Mahatma Gandhi drummed up
support for and organized many peaceful protests in the country.
– When India gained independence in 1947 it was divided into
Pakistan and India with little regard for the peoples of the regions.
This has lead to much tension between the two nations.
– In French Indochina independence was not quite as smooth as the
natives of this region were less willing to protest peacefully and
resorted to violence, which prompted violence from the French
authorities. In 1956 Ho Chi Minh defeated the French in Vietnam
and they quickly left all of French Indochina.
– Since then Vietnam has been invaded by nations like China and the
United States and fought wars with Cambodia and the U.S.
Asia Today
– Japan: Today the nation is a very large export oriented economy, it is
democratically ruled and has very close relations with the outside world. It
faces a few demographic issues; primarily its issue is population growth,
which has been on the decline lately.
– China: China has demonstrated rapid growth since its reintroduction to the
world economy in the 70’s and is set to surpass the United States in GDP
before 2030. Unfortunately, its demographic issues are more pronounced
than that of Japan as it has a plethora of males and a major deficit of
females in its population due to the one child policy.
– India: India is also a major economic power, which is remarkable given its
policy of neutrality and independence from the developed Western world
during the Cold War. India has social issues, such as widespread misogyny.
– Vietnam: Having normalized relations with the United States in 1996
Vietnam has come a long way from the war torn nation of the seventies and
sixties. However it has not had the economic success of other countries in
Asia.