1. China and The World
500c.e. – 1300c.e.

2. A Third Wave of Civilizations
1. Early Civs – Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, Nile Valley, China along the Huang He – 3500b.c.e. – 600b.c.e.
2. Classical Era – Greece, Rome, Persia, Maya -600b.c.e – 600c.e.
3. Third Wave Civs– 500c.e. – 1300c.e.

3. China as a Major Player in the Third Wave Civilizations
China-centered “world order” encompassed most of eastern Asia
China’s borders reached far into Central Asia
It’s wealthy and cosmopolitan culture attracted visitors from afar
All of China’s neighbors felt its gravitational pull
China’s economy and technological innovation had effects throughout Eurasia

4. China Reunified Han dynasty collapsed in 220c.e.
Chaos for 300 years after after Han Dynasty collapsed
Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties emerge from
Sui Dynasty – Reunifies China -extend canal system, large government projects -ruthlessness and failure to conquer Korea discredited the dynasty and exhausted state resources

5. Tang and Song Dynasties
The “Golden Age” of Chinese Arts and Literature -poetry, landscape painting, ceramics of high order
Birth of Neo-Confucianism -Confucian revival with added elements of Buddhism and Daoism
Politics -exam system revived (printing press invented) -many more universities opened -large landowners still powerful despite state efforts to redistribute land

6. Cheat Sheet Used on Chinese Civil Service Exam

7. Economy Under Song Great Prosperity
Population growth 50million – 100million under Song -capital city Hangzhou had over 1million people
Improvements in iron production, factories
Best shipbuilding in the world
3 famous inventions -compass, gunpowder, printing press

8. Chinese “Junk Ship” and Columbus Ships in comparison

9. A Growing Economy
Cheap transportation allowed peasants to grow specialized crops
Government demanded payment of taxes in cash, not in goods
Growing use of paper money and financial instruments

10. Women in the Song Dynasty
Not a very “golden” age for women
More restrictions on women
Foot binding became popular in the 11th century -beauty, women restricted to the house
Wealthy elite class = concubines
Women became educated to better raise their sons

11. Foot Binding

12. China and Northern Nomads
Misconceptions -China was “self contained” -China was “unchanging”
Nomads of the north -nomads were in kinship groups -occasional confederations and powerful states -pastoral societies needed grain from China -leaders wanted luxury goods from China -nomads threatened by Chinese - attack/Great Wall -China needed nomads – horses/access to silk roads

13. Northern Nomads

14. Tribute System China’s “middle kingdom – conceited
Chinese believed that they could “civilize” the nomads
Tribute system = extortion -nomads didn’t want to rule China, they just wanted their wealth -unequal trades -a way for making the relationship work

15. Korea and China
China had a tribute system established with Korea after colonization and invasions -China provided legitimacy for Korean rulers -Efforts to replicate Chinese court life and administration -Capital city Kumsong modeled on Chinese capital Chang’an
Acceptance of Chinese culture -Confucianism ended “equality” for women -Korea maintained much of its’ culture

16. Vietnam and China Parts of Vietnam were incorporated into China
Serious effort to assimilate the Vietnamese -provoked rebellion -remained a tributary
Vietnamese rulers adopted the Chinese approach to government -examination system helped undermine established aristocrats -elite remained deeply committed to Chinese culture
Much of distinctive Vietnamese culture remained in place -language, cockfighting, greater roles for women

17. Cockfighting

18. Japan and China Never invaded or conquered by China
Voluntary borrowing of culture -large envoys sent to China
Elements of Chinese culture took root in Japan -several schools of Chinese Buddhism -art, architecture, education, medicine, religious views -Chinese writing system
Japanese borrowings were selective -deliberate borrowings stopped after tenth century

19. Japan and China
Japan doesn’t become centralized like China -political power became decentralized -local authorities developed (samurai)
Japan kept it’s unique identity -Buddhism never replaced shintoism (spirit and ancestor worship)
Women escaped Confucian bondage/oppression -women wrote in the vernacular (everyday language)

20. China and Globalization
Chinese Advances Spread to Europe -salt production through solar evaporation -papermaking -printing (though resisted by the Islamic world) -gunpowder invented ca. 1000, but used differently after it reached Europe -Chinese textile, metallurgical, and naval technologies -Stimulated imitation and innovation (e.g., magnetic compass)

21. Chinese Inventions

22. China as Economic Beneficiary
Learned cotton and sugar cultivation and processing from India
Writing was stimulated by Buddhist texts
China in Indian Ocean Trade -foreign merchant settlements in southern Chinese ports by Tang era -sometimes brought violence, e.g., massive massacre of foreigners in Canton in the 870s -transformation of southern China to production for export instead of subsistence

23. Making Chinese Buddhism
Buddhism was India’s most important gift to China
At first – Buddhism had little Appeal in China -Buddhist monasticism seemed to dishonor Chinese family values -concern for individual salvation seemed selfish
Collapse of the Han dynasty ca. 200 c.e. brought chaos and discrediting of Confucianism

24. Buddhism Spreads Nomadic rulers in northern China favored Buddhism
Monasteries provided increasing array of social services
Buddhists appeared to have access to magical powers
Serious effort to present Buddhism in a form accessible to the Chinese -dharma was translated as dao -“morality” was translated as filial submission -it was Mahayana form of Buddhism that became popular

25. Buddhism Becomes Discredited
Direct action against Buddhism in China -Buddhism challenges Confucianism, (celibacy of monks) -thousands of monasteries, temples, and shrines confiscated or destroyed -Buddhists forbidden to use precious metals or gems for their images
Buddhism did not vanish from China; it remained an important element of popular religion