WS study guide chap 10/11

What roles did Buddhism, Daoism, and Neo-Confucianism play in Chinese intellectual life in the period between the Sui dynasty and the Ming? In the public sphere, what advantages did Confucianism have over Buddhism and Daoism, and why?

Buddhism and Daoism appealed to those who seeked emotional and spiritual satisfaction which Confucianism lacked. The two began to appear in politics but were immediately removed and soon let down due to the fact that they opposed confucianism. Neo-confucianism was then created to appeal to those who supported Buddhism and Daoism but also tie in features from confucianism. Confucianism was advantageous over the other two because it was greatly influenced in politics and strengthened society because it made people more active in it unlike the other two where it would be common for people to abandon society.

It can be argued that the symbol of medieval China is the scholar-gentry while in Japan it is the samurai warrior. How do you account for the difference between the two societies?

China had the scholar gentry because of their confucian tradition while Japan had the Samurai Warrior because they didn't utilize the confucian tradition like the Chinese did.

How did religious structure in Japan transform and affect women's lives? Why did Buddhism provide restrictions to women in society, compared to Shinto?

In Buddhism, women were subordinate and not allowed to visit holy places because they could not attain enlightenment because their sin was grievous. In Shinto, women were not allowed in holy places because men were concerned about physical purity.

Compare and contrast the status of women in Tang and Song China with the status of women in two other East Asian societies of your choice. What are the similarities and what are the differences, and why?

In Tang and Song societies female children were less wanted because they couldn't carry out work in fields, had tradition of foot binding that represented submissiveness and self-discipline, and only few women were engaged in politics versus in Japanese and Vietnam socities wives were able to own property/divorce and had more heroic women. The main similarity was that men were still dominant.

How significant was international trade to Chinese society? What was traded? From where and to where? Who benefited—China? Its neighbors? Within China?

International and maritime trade were both very important for the Chinese. The Chinese exported silk, tea, and porcelain to countries south of the China sea, they received exotic woods, precious stones, and cotton from India. Southern seaports exported tropical fruits and walnuts. Canton was the biggest southern-chinese port with an estimated 100,000 merchants that lived there.

"Japan borrowed from China, but only selectively." Discuss with examples.

Japan was inspired by china and implemented some of it into their society but not all. Some examples are when they attempted to make the government more efficient by making reforms to create a new system roughly based on the chinese model and while this they came across buddhism and adopted it as well, but also combined it with there native religions.

What role did geography play in Japan's early development? How did it influence its social, religious, and political institutions?

Japan's geography played a big role in Japan's early development. Because of Japan's isolation, it was unable to communicate with most of the outside world except its islands and china and maintain an individual and unique culture. Because of the warmer temperature and protection from high winds and waves most of japan people started living closer to the center and eastern coasts and also because of tsunamis and earthquakes which also helped shape the religion and myths.(shintoism) Since it only communicated with china it's political system was influenced by china. ( a merit based government.) China also influenced japan with the arrival of buddhism.

Discuss the relationship between Japanese Shinto and Buddhism, regarding the apparent compatibility for many Japanese during the era from 1000 to 1500.

Japanese Shinto and Buddhism were very popular among the common people and the japanese saw no problem with worshipping both at the same time. Soon they connected some of the shinto gods with the Buddha.

Why did the Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese civilizations all adopt, to various ends, the Chinese System? Did this correlate to the presence of Buddhism? Why/not?

Korea, Japan and Vietnam all adopted to the Chinese system because they saw the convenience of of the Confucian model and were all agrarian societies. This did relate to the presence of Buddhism because the emperors used coercion with religion to gain more people to agree with them by saying stuff like 'it is god's will'.

What were the main achievements in Chinese literature and art in the period between the Tang dynasty and the Ming, and what technological innovations and intellectual developments contributed to these achievements?

Literature was enhanced due to creation of paper (Han) and Woodblock printing (Tang)- Its main achievement were the creation of novels which popularised it among the educated elite. Art (Mainly painting) was inspired by religions like Buddhism and Daoism. Paintings were painted with more thought especially keeping depth in mind.

What were the major developments in early Japanese literature, art, and architecture? What is meant by the statement "Tea and zen have the same flavor"?

Literature:The Japanese created a hybrid system of writing using the chinese characters and sounds, but modified the words into phonetic symbols. Also had poetry that expressed a theme in simple form. 'Haiku' focused on imagery and nature. Architecture: The chinese influenced Japanese temples/palaces and rulers/ aristocrats started to build in Chinese style. Nature themes dominated. It Art: Hand scroll became popular which was a full gallery of warriors and holy men in realistic detail. Also had statues built of generals, nobles and saints. Zen buddhism influenced Japanese aesthetics, had a emphasis on immediate enlightenment without resource to intellectual analysis. The statement "Tea and Zen have the same flavor" means that tea and zen are both simplistic and do not look for a right answer.

Trace the development of government in Korea from the era of the three kingdoms through the establishment of the post-Yuan Yi Dynasty. How did local and Chinese ideas and institutions influence this development?

The Han dynasty ruled over the northern part of the Korean peninsula which divided the territory into provinces : Koguryo, Paekche and Silla. This created a rivalry between the kingdoms. Eventually Silla became the strongest and accepted tributary status under Tang dynasty which unified the country for the first time. Then Korean aristocratic families prevented civil service examination and distribution of lands to the poor, which was fatal to civilization. Koryo dynasty used chinese institutions to strengthen its power and territory, which allowed for dynasty to last longer, protect it self from chinese invasions and for industry and commerce to develop.

Why were the Mongols able to amass an empire, and what were the main characteristics of their rule in China? What was the impact of the "Pax Mongolica" on Eurasian societies in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

The Mongols were able to overcome the Chinese Empire because they planned a mass invasion with all of their tribes at the same time. This worked well in defeating the states and provinces of China individually, which eventually resulted in an overall collapse. The main characteristics of their rule was advancing technology and continuing the agricultural society. The Pax Mongolica, also known as the mongol peace. A time when global trade expanded due to the political stability provided by mongol rulers. The empire sent invasions in every direction and ultimately connected the East with the West with the Pax Mongolica, or Mongol Peace, which allowed trade, technologies, commodities, and ideologies to be disseminated and exchanged across Eurasia. The Mongol raids and invasions were some of the deadliest and most terrifying conflicts in human history. Ultimately, the empire started to fragment and dissolved in 1368, at which point the Han Chinese Ming Dynasty took control.

What were the chief initiatives taken by the early rulers of the Ming dynasty to enhance the role of China in the world? Why did the imperial court order the famous voyages of Zhenghe, and why were they discontinued?

The chief initiatives taken by the early rulers of the Ming Dynasty to enhance the role of China in the world were making, Confucian institutions, factories and workshops cities, and increasing the food output. The imperial court ordered the famous voyages of Zhenghe because they wanted to bring back information and goods to their dynasty. They were discontinued because Emperor Yongle died and he was the main Emperor behind the expeditions.

What were the possible reasons why Japan failed to adopt the Confucian-based civil service examination system?

The civil examination in japan were not open to all but were awarded large tracts of land and they and the other powerful families were able to keep the taxes from the lands for themselves. Increasingly starved for revenue, the central gov lost power and influence. The central government could not curb the power of the aristocracy so if the central government was stronger it could have used the examinations but the reforms that they wanted to use failed so the gov started to fail.

Discuss the significance and impact of the civil service examination on Chinese society. Who benefited and who did not from the system? Was it actually based upon merit? Why or why not?

The civil service examination allowed people in Chinese society to accurately elect their officials. Only those of noble birth could complete the civil service examination. The Chinese turned to the civil service exams to assist them in keeping their authority over their people. This was based on merit. This prevented challenges from aristocratic families. Aristocratic families mastered preparing people for the exams. This did not benefit the noble families because the relatives of officials were not allowed to take the test, reducing their power. This system was a great addition to Chinese society and limited power of higher class families.

What brought on the several centuries of political division following the collapse of the Han dynasty? What was the appeal of Buddhism and Daoism during the era after the collapse of the Han dynasty?

The collapse of the Han dynasty led to division and civil wars. Nomadic forces took advantage of this and started to rule over Northern China while Southern China was still ruled by the Chinese. This led to instability and many civil wars. (Era of the six dynasties) // The Confucian principles were severely challenged (meaning that people started thinking against it) and many Chinese turned to supernatural/spiritual beliefs. They began to turn to Daoism which provided emotional satisfaction (people drank and were naked) But neither was enough to satisfy the sorrow in people so Buddhism came and helped. Buddhism had the concept of rebirth.

How was the Japanese aristocracy able to suppress the centralization of the Japanese government? How does this contrast with the governmental system of China? What were the advantages and disadvantages of Japan having a governmental system in which the emperor reigns and the shogun rules?

The japanese aristocracy was able to suppress the centralization of the japanese government by allowing power to noble families instead of the actual central gov. This contrasts to the governmental system of china by being more corrupt or favored. The advantages of Japan having a governmental system in which the emperor reigns and the shogun rules are that it let the shoguns handle reducing rival aristocratic status. On the other hand it still weakened central gov. And came close to anarchy.

How did Song rule differ from Sui, Tang, or Yuan? What methods were utilized, and what transformations were taking place, that made this period of rule unique? Assess the Mongol management of China. Is "pax mongolica" a legitimate term? What did it accomplish?

The leader of the song was able to co-opt many powerful military commanders and moved its capital. The song were then weakened by factionalism and less tax revenue and soon conquered by the mongols using new technologies.

How has Vietnam's resistance to attempted conquest been a primary determinative factor in the development of Vietnamese culture? How has the strong Vietnamese sense of cultural distinctiveness made them resistant to assimilation by China?

Vietnam's resistance to attempted conquest has been a primary determinative factor in development of Vietnamese culture because the Vietnamese were able to keep out a lot of their strong enemies that showed the vietnamese displayed an impressive capacity for warfare and independence. The strong Vietnamese sense of cultural distinctiveness made them resistant to assimilation by China because instead of being seen as a defender they were seen as a symbol of independence.

Compare and contrast the Heian era of Japan with the period of the Kamakura shogunate. What changed, and why?

What changed was seen in the central power. During the Heian Era central power was fading but in the Kamakura shogunate it was planned to be restored and soon was effective.

What is the relationship between the major agricultural regions in Japan and its political development and historical evolution?

With its agricultural regions it was able to advance onto major manufacturing for the future and was a good way for political classes to get money.

How applicable is the term "feudalism" to Eastern societies? What are the characteristics that make it so? How does it vary in its conception from each country?

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