Name:
The Han Restore Unity in China: 7.3 Guided Notes
The Rise of the Han
 ________________________, who for years dealt with high
taxes and forced labor, rebelled after the death of Shi
Huangdi. The Rival Kings who had lost power during Shi
Huangdi’s rule raised armies and fought over territory.
 Two leaders emerged in this time of chaos. The two fought one another and
_______________ __________________ emerged victorious. He declared himself
emperor and established the _________________ (202 BCE – 220 CE).
Han Rulers and Their Accomplishments
____________ __________________:
 Destroyed the power of the _________________ __________________.
 Established a ______________________________ government, in which a central
authority controls the running of a state. The empire was divided into provinces.
Provincial governors reported to the emperor.
 To gain popular support, Liu Bang lowered _______________ and softened harsh
punishments.
_________________________ ____________:
 Wife of Liu Bang (one of many). Her son was the actual emperor following the
death of Liu Bang in 195 BCE. After her son died, she kept naming her infant sons
as new emperors, and ruled for them.
 After her death in 180 BCE, members of Liu Bang’s immediate family regained
control.
________________________:
 Ruled from 141-87 BCE; was the _______________________ of Liu Bang.
 Expanded the emperor through war (was known as the martial emperor). Biggest
enemy was the ______________________, a nomadic groups that raided China’s
farmland. Took p.d. Manchuria, ______________________, and Vietnam.
Han’s Centralized Government
 The Emperor ruled with the permission of heaven, the _______________________
of _____________________________.
 Ruling such a large empire required an organized government.
o The Han government was _______________________________ (led by one
central authority – the emperor) and ___________________________ (a
bureaucracy is a system of departments formed to carry out the work of
government).
 Peasants and merchants paid taxes to the government (farmers paid in the form of
________________________). Peasants were also expected to provide one month
of labor per year for the government; they would build _______________, canals,
ditches, or add to the ____________________ ____________________. They
also served in the _______________________.
 Government jobs held by civilians (non-military jobs) are called ______________
______________________ jobs. During the Han Dynasty, civil service applicants
had to take a test on the teachings of ________________________, who taught
that gentlemen were to be _____________________, generous, truthful,
___________________, and hardworking. These were all of the characteristics that
a government employee should have.
Cultural Advancements in Han China
 Inventions during the Han Dynasty help government, agriculture, and trade:
 During the Han Dynasty, the population of China reached 60 million. Agriculture
became the most important occupation because there were so many people to feed.
 The Han government had monopolies on _________________, iron forging, coin
minting and alcohol _______________________. A _____________________
occurs when one group has control over the production and distribution of a
product.
 _________________ was a very important export for China. The silk making
process was a closely-guarded secret. The ______________ ________________
allowed Chinese silk to reach all the way to __________________.
The Fall of the Han: Economic Woes, Peasant Revolts, Loss of Power
 When fathers died, their land was divided equally between their sons. With each
generation, land plots got _________________. Less land = less _____________.
Less crops = less ________________. Less profit = harder to pay _____________.
Can’t pay taxes? Borrow money from a wealthy landowner! Can’t pay back debts?
Lose your __________________ to the wealthy landowner. They don’t have to pay
taxes! More land in the hands of the wealthy, less taxes being paid. Government
loses money!
 32 BCE – 9 CE: Plots against the emperor for power. _________________ revolts.
 9 CE – 11 CE: ____________________ _____________________, a Confucian
scholar who was ruling in place of the infant emperor, named himself emperor to
restore order. He set up public ___________________________ and planned to
give seized land back to the poor.
 11 CE – 23 CE: A great flood in 11 CE caused many to lose their land and go
hungry. Peasant revolts continued; this time the wealthy joined them. Wang Mang
was ________________________________.
 23 CE – 220 CE: The Han family regains control and reestablished commerce with
the West. However, social, political and economic weaknesses remained. By 220
CE, the Chinese empire had been divided into 3 ___________ ________________.
Name:
China’s Golden Age
The Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties: 12.1 Guided Notes
Background:
 220 CE: The ___________ Dynasty loses the Mandate
of Heaven.
 220-589 CE: 30 different dynasties rise and fall (avg. of 1 dynasty every 12 years)
 589 CE: _____________ ___________________ unites China once again.
 He declares himself emperor and establishes the ____________ Dynasty
Sui Dynasty Accomplishments (589 – 618 CE) <sway>
 Completion of the _________________ ____________________, a manmade waterway connecting the __________________ ___________ and
_______________________ Rivers. Allowed for trade between northern and
southern China. Tens of thousands of __________________________ were
forced to dig the canal.
 Rebuilding of the _________________ ___________________
 Peasants revolted in 618 CE, leading to the fall of the Dynasty.
Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE)
 Established by _________________ ______________________
 Empire expanded; Taizong’s armies reconquered land lost after the fall of the
_________________ Dynasty, in Northern and Western territories.
 During reign of ______________ _____________________, Korea was
conquered. Wu Zhao was the only woman to assume the title of
________________________.
 The central government was ______________________________.
 The network of roads and canals was _____________________________.
 Taxes were ________________________ and land was given to the
_____________.
 Trade and agriculture were ___________________________________.
 The Civil Service System was _____________________________ (not used
since the Han). Those who passed the exam became known as
___________________-_____________________________. Talent and
education mattered more than noble birth.
 The Fall of the Tang (907 CE)
o Reimposed harsh ____________________.
o ___________________________.
o Couldn’t control the peasants in the ____________________________.
o Couldn’t stop foreign ______________________________.
The Song Dynasty (960 – 1279 CE) <sung>
 Established by _______________ ____________________, a general.
 Couldn’t reclaim Western and Northern territories lost by the Tang during their
decline. Northern China was taken by the _____________________ from
Manchuria who established a separate dynasty, the _____________ Dynasty.
From 1126 – 1279, the Song only controlled ______________________
China.
 Their capital was established at ___________________________ on the
___________________________ River.
 Southern China became economically prosperous, wealthy from trade with
________________________ China, _______________ and Europe.
Cultural Achievements in Tang and Song China
Science and Technology
 __________________________ _________________:
o Printer arranged blocks of individual characters in a frame to make a page
for printing, rather than carving an entire page from a blank wood block
(____________________ ________________________ printing).
 Gunpowder: Used for ________________________ and __________________.
 _____________________________: Very hard ceramic clay.
 Mechanical Clock
 ____________________: Used instead of metal coins held on strings.
 Magnetic Compass: Indicated direction of North for navigational purposes.
Agriculture
 Fast ripening ____________________ was imported from Vietnam. Allowed
farmers to harvest two rice crops a year.
Trade
 Tang rulers guarded the _____________ ____________; they lost control of the
routes during their decline, so sea trade was focused upon. This encouraged
advancements in navigational technology to develop.
 Chinese culture spread as a result of sea trade (____________________); and,
new ideas and goods came to China (Tea, ____________________, and Islam).
Art
 Poets: ___________ ___________ wrote about life’s pleasures; ________
________ wrote about Confucian principles.
 Painting: Reflects ________________________ principles; a focus on natural
_________________________________ in simple colors – black was preferred.
Social Classes
 Upper Class (________________________)
o Comprised of Scholar-Officials; gained power through ________________
 Urban Middle Class
o __________________________, shopkeepers, _____________________
o Urban = __________________________
 Urban Lower Class
o __________________________, soldiers, ________________________
 Rural ___________________________
o Rural = ___________________________
Women in China’s Golden Age
 The status of women ___________________________ during the Tang and
Song Dynasties.
 A strong emphasis was placed on showing your family’s wealth and status
o _______________________________ was a sign that the woman’s family
was well-to-do
o The practice of foot binding began in the Golden Age and lasted until the
20th century.
o Young girls’ feet were tightly bound with cloth, eventually breaking the arch
and curling the toes under.
Name:
Chapter 12.4 Notes
Life in the Heian Period: pages 305 – 307
794 AD: The ______________________________ moved the capital of the Empire
the city of _____________________________, present day Kyoto.
 Many upper class families moved here too. A highly ____________________ or
civilized society was established here.
 This era, from 794-1185, with a focus on refinement and ___________________
is known as the ________________________ Period.
 Members of the Emperor’s Court focused on rituals and ___________________.
o Their ____________________ had to be a certain length, their
_____________ had to be a certain color, addressing another person had
to be done a certain way. Court members weren’t allowed to be too
____________, wear clothes that were _________________________,
etc…
o Women wore their hair very long, down to their ____________; they
blackened their __________________ to make their skin look lighter.
o Court members were expected to _________________ and write poetry.
o ____________________________ were looked down upon by the upper
class.
o We know about Japanese court life from the _________________, essays,
and _____________________ that were written by court women.
o Lady _____________________ wrote “The Tale of _________________”
in the 11th Century. It is considered to be the world’s first _____________
and is about a prince and his life at court.
Feudalism in Japan
 While the Emperor in _________________ was the “figurehead” or
________________________ leader in Japan, the real power was held by
___________________.
 During the Heian Period, the wealthy _______________________ family held the
real power in government, but they were more focused on _________________
________________ than on governing.
 Outside of Heian, landowners set up private __________________ with soldiers on
_____________________________.
 The countryside became very ___________________________. Small farmers or
landowners gave their land to the _____________________ for protection.
 This led to the beginning of a _____________________ system in Japan; a system
in which people pledged _________________ or ___________________ service to
another in exchange for _______________ or _____________________________.
Name:
The Samurai and the Kamakura Shogunate:
Chapter 12.4 Notes
The Samurai
- Rival ________________________ would fight one
another; each would surround themselves with a
group of loyal soldiers called __________________.
- The Samurai, which means “one who ______________________”, lived
according to the ___________________________, a code of conduct. He was
expected to:
o Show ________________________.
o Show ________________________ to the gods.
o Show ________________________.
o Show ________________________ to the weak.
o Die __________________________.
The Kamakura Shogunate
- Late 12th Century: the two most powerful ____________________ fought for
power. The _________________________ clan emerged as the most powerful.
- The emperor gave the Minamoto leader, ________________________, the title
of ____________________, leader of the Emperor’s army.
- Shoguns had the power to choose _______________ and _________________,
tax, build armies and _________________.
- The emperor lived in _____________________ with his Court, while the real
power rested with the ____________________ in ________________________.
Japanese Feudal System:
Emperor
- Ceremonial leader
- Lived in:
Shogun
- Military Leader
- Lived in:
Daimyo
- Role:
Samurai
- Role:
Name:
The Mongol Empire: Chapter 12.2 and 12.3
The Mongols of the Asia Steppe
 The _________________ steppe is a flat, dry,
windswept plain. Temperatures range from _______ to
_________ degrees. Most steppe-dwellers, including
the ___________, Turks, and ___________________
were nomadic ___________________________,
meaning they herded domesticated animals. They
were dependent on their animals for survival and very
skilled on __________________________. The
Mongols lived in _________________. Clan members
protected one another, because life on the steppe was dangerous. Rival clans
fought one another for rights to ____________ and _______________________.
The Rise of the Mongols
 Around 1200, a Mongol ______________, or clan leader, named Temujin,
sought to unify the Mongol clans under his leadership. He took the title
_________________ _______________, or universal leader.
 By 1221, Genghis Khan conquered Central Asia and Northern China (the
_____________ Empire).
 Why was Genghis Khan such a successful conqueror?
o He was a brilliant organizer.
 He organized the Mongol military based on the
________________________ model. See 297.
o He was a gifted strategist.
 He used strategies to “trick” his ___________________________.
o He adopted new weapons and technologies.
 He took Chinese engineers to make ______________________ and
______________________________ charges for him.
o He used cruelty as a weapon.
 He terrified his enemies into ______________________________.
The Mongol Empire
 When Genghis Khan died in 1227 of illness, his successors continued to expand
his empire. His son, ____________________, ruled until 1241.
 By 1260, the empire was divided into 4 __________________________, each
ruled by a descendent of Genghis Khan. (see page 298)
 The Mongols initially destroyed the areas they conquered, but eventually adopted
the cultural characteristics of those areas (ex: they adopted the ______________
and ______________________ of those they conquered).
 The period from the mid-1200’s to the mid-1300’s in Eurasia is called Pax
Mongolia, or ___________________ _____________________. The vast area
was united under one rule. The Mongols guaranteed safe passage of
__________________, travelers, and _________________________. As a
result, goods, ________________, and inventions, easily spread from place to
place.
Kublai Khan Rules China
 In 1279, Genghis Khan’s grandson, __________________ ________________
conquered Southern Song China. Kublai Khan established a new Chinese
dynasty, the _________________ dynasty. This period is important in Chinese
history because:
o Kublai Khan united China (north and south) for the first time in __________
years.
o China was opened further to foreign trade, due to the Mongol Peace
(travelers like _________________ _______________ arrive from as far
as Medieval Europe).
o The Mongol leaders tolerated Chinese __________________ and made
few governmental changes.
The Fall of the Mongols
 At the end of Kublai Khan’s reign, his military was defeated several times. They
were kept from conquering __________________ twice! The Chinese, who
were taxed to pay for government expenses, were growing angry over the
military failures and the luxurious lifestyles of the Yuan __________________
members.
 1294:
Kublai Khan dies. Problems continue for his successors in the
Khanate of the Great Khan.
 1300’s:
_________________________ break out in China.
 1368:
The leader of the Chinese rebellion establishes a new dynasty, the
_____________________ dynasty.
 By 1480, the other Khanates fall from Mongol rule.
o 1330’s:
the Ilkhanate (Persia)
o 1370:
Chagatai Khanate (Central Asia)
o 1480:
Khanate of the Golden Horde (Russia)
Name:
Feudal Japan: 12. 4 Guided Notes
The Growth of Japanese Civilization
 Japan’s _________________________ greatly
shaped its history and cultural development.
 Japan’s closest neighbor, _______________, is 120
miles of water away. China is 500 miles away. The
distance will allow the Japanese to borrow ideas from
the Chinese, but also be protected from
________________________________.
 Japan is an _______________________________ of 4,000 islands. The islands
extend in an arc 1,200 miles long, the distance from Montreal,
_______________________ to Tallahassee, ___________________.
 The four main islands of Japan are __________________, ________________,
________________________ and __________________________.
 The Advantages of Japan’s Geography:
o Southern Japan has a ______________ climate and lots of ___________.
o Japan’s most important natural resource is the ______________.
 The Disadvantages of Japan’s Geography:
o Due to ________________________ and the fragmented geography, only
15% of Japan’s land is suitable for __________________________.
 The first written record of Japan’s existence comes from Chinese writings in 300
CE. At this time, Japan was occupied by hundreds of rival
__________________.
o Each clan had its own ________________ _____________. Japan’s
earliest religion, ____________________, combined the customs and
beliefs of the different clans.
o Shinto’s main focus is on the worship of _____________________ and
__________________. Shinto followers believe in _____________, or
spirits in nature.
 By the 5th century CE, the ____________________ clan was the most powerful
in Japan; they claimed to be descended from the sun goddess. By the 7th
century CE, the head of the Yamato clan claimed to be the ________________.
Throughout Japan’s history, the emperor ruled as a ______________________
(with little to no real power, in name only), and a power behind the throne held
the real power.
The Japanese Borrow Chinese Ideas
 6th century CE: _____________________ travelers arrive in Japan, bringing
_______________________ traditions with them. What did they bring?
o Buddhism
 By the mid 8th century CE, the __________________ (Emperor’s)
__________________ accepted Buddhism.
 By the 9th century CE, Buddhism had spread throughout Japanese
society. The Japanese like the Buddhist ____________________
and _____________. They blended Buddhists ceremonies with
__________________ beliefs.
 Prince ___________________, the empress’s nephew, converted to
Buddhism in the 7th century CE. In 607, he sent three missions to
________________ China to learn their ways.
o System of _______________________
o ________________________ painting
o Cooking, _____________________, tea drinking, and hairdressing.
o __________________________ Style
 Prince Shotoku planned a strong central government, like the one in
China.
 The Chinese ________________ _______________ ____________
never took hold in Japan, where one’s family and social status was
more important that their _________________________.
Name:
Movie Notes: Samurai Warrior
Directions: As you watch the film, write down facts that you already knew about the Japanese
Samurai in the left hand column. Write down facts you learn from the film for the first time in the right
hand column. The more facts you write, the more points you will receive.
Facts I Already Knew about Samurai:
Facts I Just Learned about Samurai:
Name:
The History of Asia, 300 BCE – 1300 CE
 Chapter 7
o Han China
 Chapter 12
o China’s Golden Age
o The Mongol Invasions
o Feudal Japan
Use pages 170-171, 284-285, 303 and your
book’s atlas to locate and label the following:
Then Map
 Cities: Edo, Heian, Chang’an, Hangzhou
 Bodies of Water: Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Indus River, Ganges River,
Brahmaputra River, Huang He River, Chang Jiang River, Yellow Sea, East China
Sea, South China Sea, Sea of Japan
 Landforms: Gobi Desert, Taklimakan Desert, Plateau of Tibet, Himalayans
Mountains, 4 Islands of Japan (Kyushu, Shikoku, Hokkaido, Honshu)
Now Map
China
Japan
Mongolia
North Korea
South Korea
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Thailand
Myanmar
Bangladesh
India
Nepal
Pakistan
Afghanistan
Taiwan
Bhutan
Name:
Religion and Philosophy Review: Asia Unit
Confucianism:
 Confucius
o Born in 551 BCE, during the Period of Warring States.
o Was a __________________; studied and taught history, music
and moral character development.
o He believed that order could be restored if society was based
around 5 different relationships and each of the relationship
types were in order.
 __________________ and ____________________,
Father and ______________, Husband and _______________, Older
brother and younger brother, _______________ and ______________.
o Confucius believed that a “code of ________________” regulated these
relationships. Ex: If rulers practice kindness and demonstrate virtue, their
subjects will obey the law!
 Confucius and Government
o Confucius said that _____________________ could turn a poor man into a
gentleman. This will eventually shape Chinese government with the
establishment of a training program for ______________ ______________
(government jobs held by civilians).
o Confucianism is not a ______________________, but an ethical system; a
system that explains how to behave and act, especially for those in
government positions.
Buddhism:
 Based on the teachings of ___________________________. Followers seek a
state of ______________, a release from pain caused by ____________________
and greed.
 Changes in Buddhism (250 BCE – 250 CE):
o Some began worshipping Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) as a _________.
o Some people believed others could become Buddhas too. These “Buddhas”,
called _______________________, would sacrifice Nirvana to aid humanity.
o Buddhism became more popular. Instead of a religion focused on
__________________________, it focused on reaching the masses.
o Two sects of Buddhists emerged. The _____________________ Sect
accepted the new “popular form” of the religion. The ____________________
Sect only accepted the original teachings of Buddha as truth.
o Because Buddha was now worshipped, artisans created sculptures of him and
__________________ were built (stone structures that housed the statues)
for people to meditate at. Temples were also built, complete with
____________________ and ____________________.