Asian World

Emergence

Japan is a chain of islands. Shotuku Taishi tried to unify the various clans so that Jpanese efectively could resist an invasion so he began to create a new centralized system of goverment. As a result , the ruler was portrayed as a divine figure.

Nara and Heian Periods

After Shotoku's death the political power fell into Fujiwara's clan hands and in 710 a new capital was stablished in Nara.
Aristocrats were able to keep the takes from lands for themselves and as a consequence goverment lost power and influence. With the decline of central power aristocrats took justice on their hands and turnet to military source (samurais).

Kamakura Shogunate

In the twelfth century aristocratic families had led to almost
all constant civil wars. So a powerful noble named Minamato Yoritomo defeated several rivals and set up a power base near Tokyo. He created a more centralized goverment under a powerful military leader. It lasted from 1192 to 1333. At first it worked well but fighting with the Mongols put a heavy strain on the system. Then the power moved to Ashikaga's family which was a chaos and central authority disappeared.

Life and Culture

Early Japan was mostly a farming society. Trade and
manufacturind developed during the Kamura period. Foreign trade began in the eleventh century. Japan exported raw materials, painting,swords, and other items. Early Japanise worshiped spirits called kami and also believed their ancestors spirits where in the air. These belief is called "Shinto". But some japanese not satisfied with this believe changed to Buddhaism.

After the Guptas

In the eight century, Islam became popular in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent and had a mayor impact in India. One reason of Islam's success was the state political disunity when it arrived. The Gupta empire had collapsed, and there was no authority and India was divided into small states that constantly fought among each other. Expansion took over when Turkish slaves founded Ghazna.

Impact of Timur Lenk

In 1300s the sultanateof Delhi began to decline and new military force crossed the Indus River. The invader raided the capital of Delhi and then withdrew. Timur Lenk was the ruler of a Mongol state. He seized power in 1380s and he placed all the region east of the Caspian Sea under his authority. He died in 1404, his dead removed a menace from the various states but by the early 1500s two new challenges had appeared. One Mongul and Portuguese traders.

Islam and Indian Society

The Muslim rulers in India viewed themselves as foreign conquers. They tried to maintain apart of Hindu population. Muslim rulers were tolerant of their faiths. They also realized there were too many Hindus to convert them all and accepted their religion. However, they did impose many Islamic customs. Muslims and Hindus relationship was that of conquer and conquered marked by suspicion and dislike rather than friendship and understanding.

Formation of States

During the yaears of 500 and 1500, people began to create their own states by getting ideas and models of China and India. Later on in 111 b.c. Vietnam was conquered by the Chinese but the Vietnamese overthrew Chinese rule in the 10th century however chinese influence remainded. In the 9th century the kingdom of Angkor arose in the region that is now called Cambodia and for several years was the most powerful state in Southeast Asia. Then Thai destroyed Angkor. The Thai were threatened from the west by the Burmese peoples.

Society and Culture

At the top of the social ladder in most Southeast Asian societes were the heredity aristocrats. They held political powe and economic wealth. In southeast asia countries most people were rice farmers who lived at a bare level of subsistence and paid heavy rents or taxes. Chinese culture made an impact in Vietnam and in the rest of Southeast Asia indian influence stayed. The temple of Angkor Wat is the most famous, it combines indian architectural techniques with native inspiration.

Tang Dynasty

This dynasty lasted about 300 years, from 618 to 907. Also this dynasty tried to help and stablelize the economy by giving land to the peasents. This dynasty weakened alot during the 8th century and later on it disappeared by overthrowing the Tang ruler on 907.

Song Dynasty

This dynasty started in 960 and ended in 1279. They rose to power during a period of economic and cultural achievement. The rulers of Song were forced to move southern and 70 years later, the Mongols overplaced them and created a new dynasty in China.

Politics, Economy, and Society

During the era of the Sui dynasty until the end of the Song dynasty a political system was put into practice. During the Han Era, China was a monarchy with a high bureaucracy.
When Sui and Song dynasties were present, the Chinese economy got bigger in every aspect. For example in complexity, agriculture, and even in manufacturing. Throughout these years, techonology advanced in many ways in China, for example the Tang dynasty began making swords and sickles and so on. The economic changes positively affected the people in China and the wealthier cities were being recognized thorughout the world.

Mongol Empire

The Mongols were originally from Mongolia and the people from here were organized into clans.In 1206, Temujin was elected as the strong ruler and he happily commited and devoted himself to conquest. By the fact that Temijun died in 1227, the empire began to change and his heirs divided the territory. Later on in 1231, Persia got attacked by the Mongols and then defeated the Abbasids. They also attacked the Song dynasty in China.

Mongol Dynasty

The grandson of Genghis Khan, completed his conquest in 1279 by establishing a new dynasty named the Yuan. Before he died in 1294, he established the capital of Khan that is now known as Beijing. Throughout the leadership of his grandson, Kublai Khan, the empire grew farther and Vietnam was conquered for a short period of time. Overtime, the Mongols had more success in ruling China by the fact that they adapted more into their way of politics. Later on in 1368 a peasant's son named Zhu Yuanzhang, raised an army and ended the Mongol dynasty and created the Ming dynasty.

Religion

During the Han dynasty, Confucian principles became the basis for the Chinese goverment. Buddhism and Daoism became the oponent of Confucianism during the Sui and Tang dynasties. then again Confucianism took over during the times of the Song dynasty.

A Golden Age in the Arts

During the Song and Mongol dynasties, landscape painting
reached its highest point. Influenced by Daosim, Chinese artist went into mountains to find the Dao, or Way in nature. Chinese artists tried to reveal the hidden forms of lanscape, it also helped to make literature more readily. Poetry was also popular, Li Bo was the most popular poet during the Tang Era.