History and Governments of East SE AsiaPart 1: Asian Empires

1-When and where did China’s civilization begin?

• More than 4,000 years ago.

• In the Huang He valley.

2-How does the Chinese writing system differ from an alphabet? The Chinese writing

system used characters to stand for entire words.

This system differs from an alphabet, which has letters that stand for sounds.

3-Until the early 1900s, who governed China?

• emperors

4-What is a “dynasty?”

• A line of rulers from a single family, who held power until it was overthrown.

• After it was overthrown, a new leader would start a new dynasty.

5-Who was Confucius and what did he teach?

• During the Zhou dynasty, China’s best-known thinker was Confucius

• He taught that people should be virtuous, or morally good, as well as loyal to their families.

• His way of thinking became known as Confucianism.

6-What three religions have been major influences in East Asia?

• Confucianism.

• Daoism

• Buddhism

Dynasty Time Span

Han 206 B.C.-A.D. 221

Important inventions and events

* Paper was first made

*Government officials used paper to keep records.

*Encouraged overland trade on the Silk Road

Dynasty Time SpanTang A.D. 618-907Song A.D. 960-1279

Important inventions and events *Built roads and waterways that made travel and trade within China easier.

*Mixed iron with coal carbon to produce steel.

*Developed a printing process using blocks of wood carved with characters.

*Gunpowder, which they used in explosives and fireworks.

Dynasty Time SpanMing A.D. 1368-1644

Important inventions and events *Improved the examination system used to hire government officials.

*Carried out a census, or a count of the number of people, so they could collect taxes more accurately.

*Expanded roads and canals so that rice and other goods could be sent throughout the country.

*Built the Forbidden City which was a large area of palaces and gardens that was off-limits to all except top officials.

*Staged dramas and wrote novels.

*Sent voyages of exploration to South Asia and East Africa

8-Provide details about what happened during Mongol rule of China.

•In 1211, Mongol warriors from Central Asia invaded and conquered most of China.

•Mongol rulers kept their own languages, laws and customs, yet they relied on Chinese officials to run the government.

•Mongol ruled unified China and eventually brought peace to the area.

•These stable conditions encouraged trade.

•One of the most famous European travelers to reach China was Marco Polo, who came from the city of Venice in Italy.

•When Polo finally returned to Europe, he wrote a book about his adventures. It taught many Europeans about China.

•In the late 1300s, the Chinese drove out the Mongol invaders and the Ming dynasty arose.

9-How did China influence:Korea•About 1200BC, Chinese settlers brought their culture to neighboring Korea.

•Later, Buddhism and Confucianism spread from China to Korea

Japan•At the same time, Chinese and Korean culture spread from Korea to Japan.

•As a result, China and Korea both influenced Japan’s civilization.

•In the AD 1400s, Japan, once ruled by clans, united under the Yamato dynasty.

•Yamato rulers adopted China’s philosophy, writing system, art, sciences and form of government.

10-Define “shogun”

• military leader.– “emperor’s

generals,” they made the laws.

11-Who were the “samurai”?

• Landowning warriors– Warrior nobles, they

enforced the laws made by the shoguns.

12-What was the samurai code of conduct?

• This code demanded that a samurai be loyal to his master as well as brave and honorable.

13-Provide 5 or more facts from the sub-chapter “Southeast Asia.”

•Early people grew rice, raised cattle and pigs and made metal goods.

•From the 100s BC to the AD 900s, the Chinese ruled much of what is now Vietnam.

•Hindu traders from India reached western parts of SE Asia by the AD 100s.

•SE Asians blended Hindu and Chinese ways with their own traditions.

•During the AD 100s, the Khmer people founded an empire in mainland SE Asia.

•They became wealthy from growing rice.

•They also built a large temple, the Angkor Wat, based on Indian and local designs.

•Muslim Arab traders and missionaries settled coastal areas of SE Asia during the AD 800s.

•Eventually many people in these places converted to Islam.

Confucius

• He taught that all individuals have duties and responsibilities. If a person acts correctly, the result will be peace and harmony.

• His words were used as a guide for living.

• People considered his words when making important decisions.

• Confucius’s ideas helped to guide Chinese life for hundreds of years.

Teachings of Confucius1- “Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes”

2- “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves”

3- “When anger rises, think of the consequences.”

4- “A superior person is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”

5- “An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.”

6-“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

7- “Success depends upon preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.”