Transcript Chapter 11 * Civilizations of East Asia

Lesson 2: The Mongols
and
Chinese culture
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"The Dynasties Song"
This "dynasties song," sung to the tune of "Frère Jacques,"
can help students remember the major Chinese dynasties in chronological order.
Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han
Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han
 Sui, Tang, Song
Sui, Tang, Song
 Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic
Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic
 Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
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For 3000 years China was under Dynastic Rule. At
times it took centuries for a new Dynasty to claim
the Mandate of Heaven & reunite the Chinese
Empire… but from 3000 BC to 1950 AD China was
ruled in essentially the same way…by a Dynastic
Emperor.
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The Mongols were farmers from Northwest Asia who were organized into
clans (a group of close-knit interrelated families); their rise to power in Asia
was fast.
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1160’s – Temujin is born into a Mongol clan;
1206 – the Clans unite & elect him as leader or “Genghis Khan” – meaning strong ruler - & he
immediately starts conquering lands to build an empire.
1227 –Genghis Khan’s army of 130,000 brings much of the Eurasian (Europe & Asia) landmass
under his control creating the largest land empire in history. That same year Genghis Khan dies
& his empire is divided among his sons, according to Mongol custom. Each separate territory is
called a khanate. The conquering continues…
1231 Persia falls to the Mongols
1258 Muslim Empires in Baghdad fall
1260’s attacks begin on China and continue until…
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1279 – and the Mongols set up their OWN dynasty – the YUAN – under
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Genghis Khan’s grandson Kublai Khan and for the first time in Chinese
history they are under foreign rule. The Yuan Dynasty of the Mongols
would try to expand China by conquering Vietnam and Japan; & would
open China up to foreign trade; would adapt the Chinese political system &
bring stability to the empire. They ruled until corruption & overspending
led to the emergence of a new native ruling family who claimed the
Mandate & set up the Ming Dynasty.
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Confucianism – for many centuries it was the
basis for Chinese government…until…
Buddhism was brought to China by
merchants & missionaries from India in the
first century AD. Buddhism enjoyed a period
of popularity but ultimately it was rejected by
most because it clashed with Confucian
values of devotion to family & hard work.
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Between the Tang & Ming dynasties China
experienced a golden age (2) of art, literature
& cultural growth that greatly intrigued the
European traders who traveled there under
the Yuan Dynasty.
Share your WRITING ACTIVITY paragraph
with a partner. What kinds of things were
described by your partner as the highlights
of China?
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Golden Age History & Music
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In the early 8th century Islam became popular in
parts of the Indian subcontinent& had a major
impact on Indian civilization;
This can still be seen in the division today
between mostly Hindu India and the 2 Islamic
states of Bangladesh and Pakistan.
One reason Islam succeeded in India was
because of the political disunity that happened
after the fall of the Gupta Empire; India divided
into 70 states that were always at war with each
other. This made it easier for Muslim leaders to
take over & set up governments.
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Most Muslim rulers realized that there were
too many Hindus to convert them all so they
accepted the need for religious tolerance;
however the 2 religions are VERY different
(we will look at that tomorrow more closely)
The spread of religion (& other cultural traits)
has a name…it is called DIFFUSION… you will
do a reading on that today.
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The Vietnamese were one of the first peoples
in Southeast Asia to develop their own state
and culture;
Although China invaded there after centuries
of trying to impose their gov. and culture on
Vietnam the Vietnamese overthrew Chinese
rule & set up their own government based on
a centralized form of Confucian ideals.