ANCIENT CHINA & JAPAN

Vocab

Loess: Yellow silt blown from deserts into the Yellow River

Dynasty: a succession of rulers from the same line of descent

Mandate of Heaven: divine approval to rule

Dynastic Cycle: a pattern of rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties

Confucianism: Ethical system based on principals of right and wrong. Based on writings of Confucius.

Daoism: philosophy started by Chinese thinker Laozi, who taught that people should be guided by a universal force called the Dao (way)

Assimilation: The adoption of a conqueror’s culture by a conquered people

Legalism: A Chinese political philosophy based on the idea that a highly efficient and powerful government is the key to social order

Moveable Type: blocks of metal or word, each bearing a single character, that can be arranged to make up a page for printing

Footbinding: ritualistic binding of women’s feet so that the foot contorts into what is considered to be a more beautiful shape.

Moveable Type: blocks of metal or word, each bearing a single character, that can be arranged to make up a page for printing

Pastoralists: a member of a nomadic group that herds domesticated animals

Khanates: divided pieces of the Mongol empire after Genghis Khan’s death

Footbinding: ritualistic binding of women’s feet so that the foot contorts into what is considered to be a more beautiful shape.

Pax Mongolica: a roughly 100 year period where the Mongols imposed stability and law across much of Eurasia. Also called Mongol Peace.

Shinto: the native religion of Japan, based on respect for the forces of nature and on the worship of ancestors

Samurai: Loyal warrior bodyguards who protected feudal lords in Japan

Bushido: Samurai code of behavior. “Way of the warrior”

  Shogun:

Supreme general of the emperor’s army in Japan

Daimyo: feudal lords who owned and controlled land

Feudalism Period of Japanese history where the

country was dominated by powerful regional families (daimyo) and ruled militarily by the shogun.

Emperor The Emperor sits up front The Emperor has no real power (hands

behind back) Spiritual leader (a figurehead)

Shogun The shogun stands next to the

Emperor Supreme general of the Emperor’s

army in Japan Often times more powerful than the

Emperor

Daimyo Feudal lords who owned and

controlled land The more land you had, the more

power you had Daimyo with the most stars gets to

choose their land (also known as an estate)

Daimyo will sit on top of their estate (desks)

Samurai Loyal warrior bodyguards who

protected feudal lords in Japan Daimyo offered loyalty to samurai

for their protection The more stars a samurai had, the

more rank they had Samurai could choose which daimyo

they would be loyal to Samurai will kneel next to their

daimyo

Japanese Feudalism