Empires in East Asia

600 - 1350

Review Early Dynasties• Shang Dynasty1766-1122• Zhou Dynasty1122-221

– Last 400yrs - warring states• Qin Dynasty 221 -206 BCE

– Shi huangdi (1st emperor)– Legalist philosophy– First coinage, writing system,– Censorship– Lasts 15 years– China- in 2,000 years - 23

dynasties - 9 important ones

Han Dynasty• Han Dynasty • (classical era)

– Confucian based society– Merit system-bureaucrats– Paper & porcelain invented

• For 400 years after fall of Han - time of great troubles…– Buddhism becomes popular

in this period

Tang Dynasty (618-918)

• Sui unite China - rule for 30 years– Grand Canal– Great Wall

• Tang– Increased

boundaries– Heavy dependence

on Militarism

Tang Taizong the grand emperor

• Rise of Tang• First emperor &

minister (Wei Zheng)- model of good rule

• Imperial power and moral restraint in theory - in practice hard to maintain

Tang– Trade & commerce grow– Printing– Arts- focus on

landscape/nature– Gun powder– Woodblock printing

• Capital city Chang’an (eternal peace) 24 mile walled city

• Artistic / commercial & invention continues in Song era

Empress Wu• Ruled for 50 years - 705

– Biggest challenge deal with scholar/gentry and old aristocrats

– Economy remained strong!

• Econ- equal land system

• Civil exam system– Social mobility?

• Confucianism as official philosophy = cultural literacy uniting China

Tang Taizong (The Profound Emperor) and Consort Yang

Decline of Tang - Losing the Mandate of Heaven

• Reasons for decline– 751 - loss to Arabs at Talas– Equal land system breaks down– Poor attention to canal & irrigation systems– Nomadic attacks

• Moral: China’s view– Centralization = unity = peace (stability) – Decentralization = civil war

Song Dynasty 960-1279• Rise - 907 960 saw the fragmentation of

China into five northern dynasties and ten southern kingdoms until Song unify

• CHARACTERISTICS

– Scholar-gentry class dominates

• abuses in civil service exam develop

– Paper money– Arts & commerce– 11C Needle compass

(3rd century - South pointer)•

Inventions!

• Porcelain• Gunpowder• Moveable type• Compass• Mechanical Clock• Feet binding?

Asian Steppe• Western Steppe

– Hittites & Aryans origins

• Eastern Steppe– Huns, Turks, &

Mongols origins

Asian Steppe• Trade routes across Eurasia

– Silk Road• Dry grasslands• Lack of rainfall• Windy• Mongolia’s temperatures

– 57’ F in winter– 96’ F in summer

Nomads of the Asian Steppe• Pastoralists

– Herded domesticated animals– Constantly moving in search of good pastures to feed their herds– Depended on animals

• Food– Meat & mare’s milk

• Clothes– Skins & wool

• Houses– Portable felt tents called yurts

– Traveled in clans or kinship groups• All common ancestors• Clans came together when they needed a larger force for battle

The Rise of the Mongols• Mongols

– Nomadic people of the Asian Steppe

– Skilled horsemen– Discipline,

ruthlessness, & courage in battle

– Raid cities along trade routes

Meet Genghis Khan

Mongols• Genghis Khan

– Once called Temujin– Defeated rivals to unify

Mongols– Took name Genghis Khan

• “universal ruler” of the Mongols

– Brilliant organizer & strategists in military

• First conquest failed in China, so he went west instead & conquered all the way to Europe

– Used new weapons & technologies

– Used terror tactics

– 1221 – Central Asia was controlled by the Mongols

The Mongol Empire• 1227

– Genghis Khan died from illness– His successors continued to expand the

empire• Controlled China to Poland• Largest unified land empire in history• Many areas invaded by Mongols never recovered

– Populations wiped out– Destroyed ancient irrigation systems

» Like in Mesopotamia

Mongol Peace• Mid-1200’s through mid-1300’s

– Over time, Mongol rulers adopted cultures• Islam was found in Russia & Persia• Mongols imposed stability & law across Eurasia• Guaranteed safe passage of trade caravans,

travelers, & missionaries across the empire– Trade increased heavily

» Ideas & inventions spread

Meet the Mongols

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szxPar0BcMo

The Great Khan• Ogada

– Called “Great Khan”– Son of Genghis Khan– Expanded empire in China, Korea, & Russia– Went west into Bulgaria & Romania

• Very close to Vienna & Venice

– 1241 – the Great Khan died & the westward campaign ended

• No telling how far west the Mongols would have gone!

Khanates• 1260 – empire divided into 4 khanates

– Each ruled by a descendant of Genghis Khan• Khanate of the Great Khan

– Mongolia & China

• Khanate of Chagatai– Central Asia

• Ilkhanate– Persia

• Khanate of the Golden Horde– Russia

Empire of the Great Khan• Kublai Khan

– Genghis Khan’s grandson

– Called himself the Great Khan in 1260

– Goal was to extend his own khanate east into Mongolia, Korea, Tibet, & China

– Considered a great emperor in Chinese history, too!

“I have heard that one can conquer the empire on

horseback, but one cannot govern it on horseback”

A Chinese adviser’s words of wisdom to Kublai Khan

Mongol Rule in China• 1279 – Kublai Khan was the first conquer all of

China– Set up a new dynasty

• Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)– United all of China– Opened China to greater trade

• With Muslims from India, Central Asia, & Persia– Tolerated Chinese culture– Made few changes to the system of government

• Mongols lived with different laws & looked different from the Chinese

• Chinese couldn’t serve in highest government posts– Only Mongols & foreigners

Mongol Rule in China• Kublai Khan lived in China instead of

Mongolia– He didn’t hate civilization like his ancestors

• Tried to conquer Japan twice, but failed– Battle was at a standstill when a typhoon hit– Destroying ships & killing many Mongols

• “kamikaze” – Divine Wind

Marco Polo• Marco Polo

– Venetian trader– Served the Great Khan (Kublai Khan) for 17 years

• Government missions in various Chinese cities– 1292 – went back to Venice which was at war with

Genoa (rival city)• He was captured & imprisoned• He told his stories of his adventures with the Mongols &

Chinese• He died in prison in 1324• Another prisoner collected his stories & was a success in

Europe– Europeans didn’t believe the stories

» Thought they were tall tales

The End of Mongol Rule• Kublai Khan died at age 80 in 1294• Yuan Dynasty lasted for 74 more years,

but had many problems– Rebellions broke out because:

• Chinese resented Mongol rulers• Famine• Flood• Disease• Economic problems• Corrupt government

The End of Mongol Rule• 1368 – Chinese overthrew Mongols in China &

founded the Ming Dynasty– Most Mongols went back to the Mongolian Steppe– Some stayed & were valued for their skills in cavalry

• Ilkhanate in Persia fell apart in the 1330’s• Chagatai Khans in Central Asia fell in the 1370’s• Golden Horde in Russia lasted until 1480

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SECTION 4 ON YOUR OWN