World History:The Earth and its Peoples

Chapter 10

Central and Eastern Asia,

400 - 1200 C.E.

Objectives

• Understand the role of Buddhism and its relationship to the Tang state and the reasons for and results of the backlash against Buddhism in the late Tang and Song periods.

• Be able to discuss the history and the significance of the relationships between China and its neighbors, including Central Asia, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

• Be able to carry out a simple comparative analysis of the different roles of Buddhism in China, Tibet, Korea, and Japan.

• Understand the nature and significance of technological innovation in the Song Empire.

Revisiting China

• disintegration of Han Dynasty in 220 C.E.• political fragmentation• warfare and epidemics

– social dislocation• advances in metallurgy, pharmacology, and

mathematics• reunification in 6th century• spread of ideas

– trade, travel, education

Sui and Tang Empires, 581-907

Sui Empire - 581-618– reuniting of China– reestablishment of Confucianism– Buddhism political influence

• Mahayana / Bodhisattvas• encouraged leader to maintain

harmonious society• monasteries / prince alliances

• Grand Canal– links Yellow and Yangtze Rivers– communication and trade

• Mahayana / trade network

• overextension = Tang– mix goods and culture of Asia– cosmopolitan

Tang Empire

Tang Empire- 618-907– Li Shimin

• avoided overcentralization• C:\Documents and Settings\tfredrickson\

Desktop

– Chang’an• 1 million population• hub of communication• tributary system

– supremacy tributes

– seafaring skills• compass and large ocean ships• spread of bubonic plague

• warfare– Chinese weapons

• crossbow / armor– Turkish horsemanship

Tang Integration

Central Asian / Islamic– pants in lieu of robes; polo– cotton replaces hemp– grape wine, sugar, spices

• Import Substitution– cotton, tea, sugar– loss of silk monopoly

• porcelain– world’s leading supplier

Loss of Buddhist Influence– blame for political upheavals– tied to C. Asian barbarians– exempt from taxes– undermining of family

Fractured Power in Asia and China

Tang Failure– dependence on local military

and tax collections– underfunding of army / rebellion

• political disintegration

Central Asia– Uigur and Tibet

• Tang Empire rivals

• Uigur– N. Mongolia– Turks in control of trade routes

• merchants and scribes• linked Islamic lands to China

• Tibet– linked China to India– Buddhist commonality

Assessment

1. What role did Buddhism play in the early Sui

and Tang Empires?

2. Why did Buddhism fall out of favor in the late

Tang Empire?

3. What was the relationship between Tang

China and The Uigurs and Tibetans?

East Asian Emergence

Replacement of Tang Dynasty• Liao - N. China (Beijing)• Tangguts - W. China• Song - C. China

Liao - 916-1125 AD– pastoral tradition; horsemanship– rulers as bodhisattvas

• legitimacy for rule– military competitor to Song

• siege machines• 1005 tribute truce

– Jin (Jurchen)• destroyed Liao in 1125• drive Song south of Yellow

Song Empire

Technology / Industry– use of Tang technology

• quasi-industrial revolution– 1st to use fractions– Crab Nebula (1054)– small, seafaring compass– mechanical celestial clock

• time, date, moon-star movements

– junks• stern-mounted rudder

• Military– high-quality steel

• weapons, bridges, armor– gunpowder

• grapeshot cannons

Economy and Society

Civil Outranks Military– neo-Confucianism

• moral and social responsibility• reaction to Buddhism and

Daoism– Chan / Zen Buddhism

» salvation thru mental discipline (meditation)

» India / Tibet• man is naturally good• ideal human is the sage

• civil service– recruited most talented men

• movable type– techniques for land cultivation– prevent disease (mosquitos)– agricultural tool adaptation

Economy and Society

Population Growth– over 100 million

• waste, water, firefighting

Credit– “flying money”

• guarantee of exchange– issuance of paper money

• inflation - taxes and sell-offs– urban merchant fortunes

Women– cultural subordination

• anti-Buddhism, neo-Confucianism• manage but not own property• footbinding

– elite status symbol

Korea, Japan, and Vietnam

Rice Farming (China)– Confucian ideals

• hierarchy, obedience, discipline• anti-Buddhism

Compatibility – Confucian / Buddhism

• no examination system• hierarchy and harmony• Chinese writing system

– farming / landowning elites• no urban challengers

Korea– Koryo– unification in 900s

• strong relations with Song– movable type printing blocks

Korea, Japan, and Vietnam

Central Japan Unification– Korean warriors in 4th-5th cen.– Chinese Influence

• Confucian legal code & govt• interest in Buddhism• architectural style

– Deviations• no walled cities• no Mandate of Heaven• emperor (tenno) as figurehead

– ruling families (Fujiwara)• Confucian learning over warrior• local govt control to warrior

– aesthetic way of life• new elite based on military

values (samurai)– Kamakura Shogunate

Tale of the Heike

Korea, Japan, and Vietnam

Vietnam– rice-based like Southern China

• Champa rice– Confucian / Buddhism influence

• tribute state of Song

• Women– more power than China– Trung sisters (Vietnam)

• resistance to Han invaders– limited education

• The Tale of Genji (Japan)– Murasaki Shikibu– “general knowledge”