Transcript Ancient Persia & Greece - Sonoma Valley High School

Inner and East Asia 600-1200
Early Tang Empire 618-755
• Li Shimin expanded westward
combining cultural, religious and
military attributes of Turkic and
Chinese peoples .
• Inner Asian horses, camels and
clothing from the Silk Road
• Horsemanship combined with
armored infantry & crossbow.
• Mahayana Buddhism and
emphasis on bodhisattva allowed
for absorption of local gods.
• Cosmopolitan empire due to
‘breadth and diversity’
Trade and Exchange
• Built by the Sui, the Grand Canal
linked the Yellow and Yangzi
rivers.
• Chang’an a metropolitan
‘Mecca’ due to tributary system
and roads & canals
• Exports (mostly silk & china)
allowed for accumulation of
precious metals and luxury items.
• Trade by sea connected China
with Red Sea and Persian Gulf.
Also introduced the Plague.
Uighur and Tibetan Empires 600-907
• Turkic-speaking Uighurs and
Tibetans built large rival states
along the Silk Road (map 10.1).
• Influenced by Buddhist teachings,
religious art from northern India
and mixture of East Asian and
Islamic dress.
• Tibetans adopted architectural
and artistic styles from India.
• Chinese Buddhist pilgrims
connected India and Tibet
contributing to knowledge.
Fall of the Tang Empire 879-907
• Tried to destroy Buddhism as an
element of ‘foreign evil’.
• Believed encouragement of
women in politics was dangerous
and undermined Confucianism.
• Fear of ‘barbarians’ ruining
society led to attacks on foreign
residents.
• Oppressive landlords, along with
dependence on military
commanders and warlords led to
rebellions.
Neo-Confucian Influence
• Challenge to Buddhism
• Scholarly and cosmic
emphasis on‘sagehood’.
• Civil Service examinations
• Govt. ‘Meritocracy’
• Evidence in Korea, Japan
and Vietnam.
• Role of Women
The Song Empire 960-1279
Song achievements:
Song weaknesses:
– Su Song’s Celestial Clock
– They feared foreigners and
– Gunpowder in explosive
barbarians, though most of
shells
achievements in technology,
– First seafaring compass.
observation, math, astronomy
– Junks (stern rudder &
& economics came from India
watertight bulkheads).
& West Asia during the Tang.
– Produced steel of
unprecedented strength by
– Cut off from Inner & West Asia
using waterwheel-driven
they relied on sea trade.
bellows to superheat iron.
– Needed an army four times as
– Modern urban planning
large (though they occupied
(waste removal, water
diversion, fire prevention,
half the area) as the Tang.
leisure activities).
– Treatment of women worsened
– Moveable type and the
as the loss of Buddhism was
resulting spread of knowledge
replaced by neo-Confucianism.
– Pioneered paper money and
credit (flying money).