WHAP Unit 3 Chapter 8 Reading Guide
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/164
Date:
Hour:
Read Chapter 8 and Identify the following:
Tang dynasty: Chinese dynasty during
a golden age saw a vast introduction
of cultural elements from the
“western barbarians” including
religions, fashions, and art
Song dynasty: Chinese dynasty (9601279) marked by an increasingly
urbanized and cosmopolitan society
Neo-Confucianism: philosophy that
attempted to merge certain basic
elements of Confucian and Buddhist
thought; Zhu Xi
Grand Canal: North/south water trade
route built during Sui dynasty
Foot binding: practice in China that
showed patriarchy and social status by
placing women under father/husband
control, involves the breaking and
binding of the feet in order to keep
them small
Middle Kingdom: China is the center
of the world, others are inferior and
subordinate
Barbarians: people outside of Chinese
civilization, central Asian northern
nomads
Tribute system: a set of practices that
required non-Chinese authorities to
acknowledge the superiority of China
by paying tribute and performing the
kowtow.
Xiongnu: an early nomadic
confederacy that was a serious threat
to China
Jurchen: nomadic peoples who
established a state that included much
of the steppes as well as parts of
Northern China
Silla Kingdom: Korea, under tribute
system/control of China
Seventeen Article Constitution:
Japanese document that proclaims
emperor and encourages Buddhism
and Confucianism
Samurai: Japanese warrior who lived
by the code of bushido
Bushido: the “way of the warrior”, the
code of conduct of the Japanese
samurai that was based on loyalty and
honor
Kami: sacred spirits who can be either
human ancestors or natural
phenomena
The Tale of Genji: written by Murasaki
Shikibu, provides firsthand look at the
intrigues and romances of life at the
Japnaese court c. 1000
Pure Land School: branch of Buddhism
that emphasizes salvation by faith
without study or intensive meditation,
involves faithful repetition of the
name of Amitabha Buddha, regarding
that as sufficient to ensure rebirth in a
heavenly realm
Key Concept 3.1
Expansion and Intensification of Communication
and Exchange Networks
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I. Improved transportation technologies and commercial practices led to an increased volume of trade, and
expanded the geographical range of existing and newly active trade networks.
A. Existing trade routes flourished and
promoted the growth of powerful new
trading cities.
C. The growth of interregional trade in
luxury goods was encouraged by
significant innovations in previously
existing transportation and
commercial technologies, including
more sophisticated caravan
organizations; use of the compass,
astrolabe, and larger ship designs in
sea travel; and new forms of credit
and monetization.
Silk Roads, Grand Canal, Sea Roads, Yellow River
Chang’an, Kaifeng, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou
Silk, spices, feathers, pearls, tortoise shells, melons, etc.
Over Silk Roads
Letters of Credit (flying cash), promissory notes, checks, paper money due to
shortage of copper coins
D. Commercial growth was also
facilitated by state practices, trading
organizations, and state-sponsored
commercial infrastructures.
E. The expansion of empires facilitated
Trans-Eurasian trade and
communication as new peoples were
drawn into their conquerors’
economies and trade networks.
Communication networks and transportation: roads, horses, human runners,
inns, postal stations, stables
Granaries
Grand Canal
Han fell----Sui, Tang, Song
Tributary System: Korea, Vietnam
Military expansion of dynasties like Tang
Jin land taken from Song from Jurchen
II. The movement of peoples caused environmental and linguistic effects.
A. The expansion and intensification
of long-distance trade routes often
depended on environmental
knowledge and technological
adaptations to it.
C. Some migrations and commercial
contacts led to the diffusion of
languages throughout a new region or
the emergence of new languages.
Communication network
Equal-field system
Grand Canal
Paper printing, naval technology: waterproofing, compass
Chinese in Japan: literature, court records
Chinese writings in Korea and Vietnam
III. Cross cultural exchanges were fostered by the intensification of existing, or the creation of new,
networks of trade and communication.
B. In key places along important trade
routes, merchants set up diasporic
communities where they introduced
their own cultural traditions into the
indigenous culture.
C. The writings of certain interregional
travelers illustrate both the extent and
the limitations of intercultural
knowledge and understanding.
Merchants from all over eastern hemisphere on Silk Roads, creating
cosmopolitan areas/cities
Buddhist monks/monasteries (Dunhuang)
Zoroastrians, Christians, Manichaeans, Muslims
D. Increased cross-cultural interactions
resulted in the diffusion of literary,
artistic, and cultural traditions.
Li Bo=poet
Tale of Genji-Japan
Buddhism blended with Chinese beliefs/ideas=Chan
Buddhism, Confucianism to Japan, Korea, Vietnam
Neo-Confucianism
Kowtow
Porcelain, metallurgy, gunpowder, printing, naval technology, compass, paper,
silk
E. Increased cross-cultural interactions
also resulted in the diffusion of
scientific and technological traditions.
People making pilgrimages to India for Buddhism (Xuanzang)
Missionaries/monks
Marco Polo
Shotoku Taishi
IV. There was continued diffusion of crops and pathogens throughout the Eastern Hemisphere along the
trade routes.
A. New foods and agricultural
techniques were adopted in populated
areas.
Fast-ripening rice from Champa/Vietnam
From China to Vietnam---irrigation systems
Equal-field system
B. The spread of epidemic diseases,
including the Black Death, followed
the well established paths of trade and
military conquest.
Over the Silk Roads
Key Concept 3.2
Continuity and Innovation of State Forms and
Their Interactions
I. Empires collapsed and were reconstituted; in some regions new state forms emerged.
A. Following the collapse of empires,
most reconstituted governments,
including the Byzantine Empire and
the Chinese dynasties---Sui, Tang, and
Song---combined traditional sources
of power and legitimacy with
innovations better suited to the
current circumstances.
B. In some places, new forms of
governance emerged; including those
developed in various Islamic states,
the Mongol Khanates, city-states, and
decentralized government (feudalism)
in Europe and Japan.
C. Some states synthesized local and
borrowed traditions.
II. Interregional contacts and
conflicts between states and
empires encouraged significant
technological and cultural
transfers
Key Concept 3.3
Sui: military campaigns, legalism, high taxes, 589 CE, Sui Yangdi
Tang: communication and transportation networks, equal-field system,
bureaucracy of merit, tributary system
Song: merit pay=more taxes, no military, fell to Mongols 1279
Feudalism in Japan=Shogun, samurai, bushido during the Kamakura and
Muromachi periods (1185-1573)
Japan/Chinese traditions
Japan adopted court, equal-field system, Confucianism, Buddhism
Tributary system
Traditions spread to Korea, Vietnam and Japan
Between Tang China and the Abbasids:
Korea/Silla Kingdom and Vietnam forced into tributary system with China.
Increased Economic Productive Capacity and Its
Consequences
I. Innovations stimulated agricultural and industrial production in many regions.
A. Agricultural production increased
significantly due to technological
innovations.
Granaries
Mountainside terracing
Champa rice
Iron tools, plows
Harnessed oxen---yokes
Manure
Irrigation systems
B. In response to increasing demand in
Afro-Eurasia for foreign luxury goods,
crops were transported from their
indigenous homelands to equivalent
climates in other regions.
C. Chinese, Persian, and Indian artists
and merchants expanded their
production of textiles and porcelains
for export; industrial production of
iron and steel expanded in China.
Champa rice/fast-ripening rice
Oranges and sugarcane grown in Southern China
Porcelain=used first in China, artistic, decorated, strong
Silks=clothing, paper, musical instruments, currency
Iron and steel used for weaponry, tools, and construction
II. The fate of cities varied greatly, with periods of significant decline, and with periods of increased
urbanization buoyed by rising productivity and expanding trade networks.
A. Multiple factors contributed to the
declines of urban areas in this period.
Sacking of cities by Uighers/barbarians
Threats on the borders from barbarians
B. Multiple factors contributed to
urban revival.
Agricultural productivity
Canal/infrastructure
More food leads to higher population
Safety in travel/trade
Merchants traveling in from other areas
Influence of China on outside areas
C. While cities in general continued to
play the roles they had played in the
past as governmental, religious, and
commercial centers, many older cities
declined at the same time that
numerous cities emerged to take on
these established roles.
Chang’an
Nara, Heian, Kamakura, Hangzhou, Guangzhou,
III. Despite significant continuities in social structures and in methods of production, there were also some
important changes in labor management and in the effect of religious conversion on gender relations and
family life.
A. As in the previous period, there
were many forms of labor
organization.
B. As in the previous period, social
structures were shaped largely by
class and caste hierarchies. Patriarchy
persisted; however, in some areas,
women exercised more power and
influence.
C. New forms of coerced labor
appeared. Free peasants resisted
attempts to raise dues and taxes by
staging revolts. The demand for
slaves for both military and domestic
purposes increased, particularly in
central Eurasia, parts of Africa, and the
eastern Mediterranean.
D. The diffusion of Buddhism,
Christianity, Islam, and
Neoconfucianism often led to
significant changes in gender relations
and family structure.
Compulsory labor for the government
Footbinding: upper class women
Vietnamese women had a greater role in society than Chinese, they were
greatly involved in commerce/business
Enhanced family solidarity through more ritualistic/ceremonious behavior
Graveside rituals
Compulsory labor for the government
In 610, rebellion brought down Sui dynasty—Sui Yangdi was assassinated
Neo-Confucianism: reasserted family rituals and propriety, filial piety,
ceremony
Monasteries went against idea of the family and ancestor veneration, but
“one son in the monastery brings salvation for generations”