East Asia 1200-1450

1.1 East Asia 1200-1450

The geographical areas of focus during this period in East Asia were China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

Major religions during this period included Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism (combined with traditional religions), and Neo-Confucianism.
Neo-Confucianism emerged as a response to the spread of Buddhism in China.

Cultural traditions included the Civil Service Exam, which emphasized meritocracy, and foot-binding, which secluded women to domestic spheres.

The social class system was hierarchical but not as rigid, consisting of four tiers: scholar gentry, peasants, artisans, and merchants.
Patriarchy dominated most systems of power, with men dominating political and economic roles.

The governance system was characterized by an imperial bureaucracy with a hierarchy of officials.
The Keju exam system (Civil Service Exam) emphasized meritocratic principles.
Compare the strengths and weaknesses of the Keju exam system to hereditary aristocratic rule.

Major technological innovations included Champa Rice, which allowed for multiple harvests per year, and agricultural innovations such as irrigation systems, manure as fertilizers, and iron ploughs.
The Chinese invention of gunpowder led to the development of guns and other weapons, impacting military technology and tactics.
The development and use of paper, the magnetic compass, and gunpowder facilitated trade along the Silk Roads.

The Grand Canal promoted interregional trade by facilitating the transportation of goods between different parts of China.
The Silk Roads Trade was a major economic development, although it faced challenges such as banditry.
Proto-industrialization emerged, with artisans producing goods like porcelain and steel.

Sinicization refers to the strong cultural influence of China on neighboring regions, including adopting Chinese political structures, writing systems, philosophical ideas, and artistic styles.
Maintaining independence was a challenge for countries bordering China, as they sought to preserve their unique cultural identities and political autonomy while influenced by Chinese power.

Japan maintained its unique cultural elements like Shintoism, The Tale of Genji, and a unique feudal hierarchy.
Although influenced by Chinese models in aspects of government, art, and literature, Japan did not embrace the civil service system or accept Confucianism.

Korea was heavily influenced by China, adopting Confucianism, Buddhism, and the civil service system.
However, the aristocracy in Korea did not allow for social mobility or true unity of the Korean peninsula.

Vietnam tried very hard to maintain its independence from China.
Although Confucianism and Buddhism spread there, the impact of Confucianism was limited.

The painting by Liu Guandao, Whiling Away the Summer, depicts a Chinese Confucian scholar and two female attendants.
The cultural tradition alluded to in this painting strongly influenced the society and culture of the Ottoman Empire, India, Persia, and Korea.

Miyazaki's analysis highlights the rise of a new class in China under the Song dynasty, comparable to the middle class in early modern Europe.
The examination system in China was open to all qualified applicants regardless of social background, making it unusually democratic for its time.
However, the contention that the doors of the examination system were open to all applicants was an exaggeration, as economic support was required for long-term studies, which was not available to poor people.

The accumulation of wealth in Song dynasty China was attributed to domestic commercialization, not increased involvement in the Indian Ocean trade.
Other factors contributing to wealth accumulation included increased agricultural production, production of manufactured goods, and technological innovations.

The examination system strengthened the Chinese states by producing officials loyal to the state and by emphasizing the progressive nature of meritocracy.