Post+Classical+Eurasia+and+Asia

=Post-Classical Eurasia and Asia= = The Restoration of Centralized Imperial Rule in China =

After Sui Yangdi's (emperor of the Sui Dynasty) death, a rebel leader seized Chang'an and proclaimed himself emperor of a new dynasty he named Tang. The dynasty lasted for almost three hundred years. (618-907 CE) and Tang rules organized China into a powerful, productive, and prosperous society.

The Tang Dynasty
Taizong was both a ruthless and ambitious ruler. On his way to the imperial throne, he killed two of his brothers and pushed his father aside. Once on the throne, he displayed a high sense of duty and strove conscientiously to provide a stable government for China. He built a capital at Chang'an, and saw himself as a Confucian ruler. The Chinese enjoyed an unusual era of stability and prosperity during the Tang dynasty. Three policies helped explain the success of the early Tang dynasty: All three policies occurred in the Sui dynasty but the Tang rulers applied them more systematically and effectively.
 * maintenance of well-articulated transportation and communication networks - Transportation systems were maintained and kept strong during the Tang dynasty.
 * distribution of according to the principles of the equal-field system - The Equal-field system governed the allocation of agricultural land. Its purpose was to ensure an equitable distribution of land and to avoid the concentration of landed property that had caused social problems during the Han dynasty. During the first half of the Tang dynasty, this system provided a foundation for stability and prosperity, but later took strain when land distribution became more difficult.
 * reliance on a bureaucracy based on merit - As reflected in the Han dynasty, Tang rulers recruited government officials from the ranks of candidates who had progressed through the Confucian school and had mastered Chinese literature and philosophy. Intellectual ability was highly sought after.

Military Expansion, Tang Foreign Relations, and The Tang Decline
In the north, Tang forces brought Manchuria under imperial authority and forced the Silla kingdom in Korea to acknowledge the Tang emperor as overlord. To the south, Tang armies conquered the northern part of Vietnam. The high plateau of Tibet was also under Tang control. The Tang empire ranks among the largest in Chinese history. In order to fashion stable diplomatic order, Tang emperors revived the Han dynasty's practice of maintaining foreign relationships between China and its neighboring lands. These relationships were extremely important because they institutionalized relations between China and other lands, fostering trade and cultural exchanges as well as diplomatic contacts. Under Taizong, the Tang dynasty flourished. But later,however, careless and casual leadership brought the dynasty to a crisis from which it never fully recovered. Rebellions left the dynasty in a gravely weakened state. Tang commanders had to invite the Uighurs to help bring an army to oust An Lushan (the ruler at the time) from the imperial capitals. In return for their services, the Uighurs demanded the right to sack Chang'an and Louyang (the secondary capital) after the expulsion of the rebels. After this, the equal-field system deteriorated, and tax receipts failed to meet dynastic needs. Armies were unable to avoid the encroachments of Turkish people. During the 9th century, a series of rebellions put the country in turmoil. In 907, the last Tang emperor abdicated his throne, and the dynasty came to an end.



The Song Dynasty
Thought it survived for almost three centuries, the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) never built a very powerful state. Song rulers mistrusted military leaders, and they placed much more emphasis on administration, industry, education, and the arts than on military affairs. Song Taizu was the Song's first emperor. He placed great emphasis on servitude of the state, and vastly expanded the bureaucracy based on merit by creating more opportunities to seek a Confucian education and take civil service exams. The accepted many more candidates than their previous dynasties, and even placed civil bureaucrats in charge of military forces. The government of the Song was more centralized than other dynasties, but it had two main problems. The first was that the enormous Song bureaucracy devoured China's surplus food production. The treasury fell under pressure of the peasants, who refused to pay higher taxes to support the economy. The second problem was military. Bureaucrats placed in charge of these armies generally had little idea on how run military affairs. Later, nom adic peoples took of the capital of the Song and established the Jin dynasty, and the Song moved its capital to the city of Hangzhou in southern China. Mongol forces ended the dynasty and incorporated southern China into their empire.

Economic Development of Tang and Song China
The Song dynasty, unlike the Tang, did not have a strong military force, but rather benefited from the remarkable series of agricultural, technological, and commercial developments that transformed China into the economic powerhouse of Eruasia. These changes started in the Tang, but were more prominent in the Song.
 * Agricultural development - agricultural productivity increases after the imposed control of southern China and Vietnam. In Vietnam, new varieties of fast-ripening rice enables cultivators to harvest two crops per year. The greatly expanded the supply of food available to China.
 * New agricultural techniques - increased use of iron plows, harnessed oxen and water buffalo, enriched the soil with organic matter, extensive irrigation systems, terraced mountains
 * Population Growth - increased agricultural production = population explosion, more productivity in the economy
 * Urbanization** is the movement of people living in rural areas to cities. Increased food supply encourage the growth of cities, and Chang'an becomes the most urbanized city in the world. Extremely high cultured cities peaked at over 1 million residents. Another result of increased food production was commercialized agricultural economy. The value of goods fluctuate based on region and how difficult they are to grow. Many small businesses emerge among farmers.
 * Patriarchal society and structures** still remain dominant during this time period. The veneration of ancestors becomes more elaborate than before. This strengthens family identity and cohesiveness.
 * Foot Binding** was usually prominent in the lower classes, but later became a high mark of society and attractiveness for young girls.

Arts, Science, Technology
Abundant supplies of food enabled many people to pursue technological and industrial interests. Chinese craft workers discovered techniques of producing:
 * High-quality porcelain, which became known as chinaware[[image:http://arts.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/upload/upfiles/2009-04/23/a_blue_and_white_porcelain_plate_of_yuan_dynasty649b0bd1911b73ac56e7.jpg width="225" height="160" align="right"]]
 * Metallurgical technologies. Production of iron and steel increased during this era, due to techniques that resulted in stronger and more useful metals.
 * Built pagodas and structures.
 * New tools, products, and techniques.
 * Gunpowder
 * Printing
 * The earliest printers employed block printing techniques: they carved a reverse image of an entire page into a wooden block, inked the block, then pressed a sheet of paper on top. By the mid-eleventh century, printers had begun to experiment with reusable, movable type: instead of carving images into blocks, they fashioned dies in the shape of [[image:http://wikis.lib.ncsu.edu/images/9/9b/Movable_type.jpg width="214" height="137" align="right"]]ideographs, arranged them in a frame, inked them, and pressed the frame over paper sheets.
 * Naval technologies.
 * They soon learned that by adding gunpowder in bamboo “fire lances”, a kind of flamethrower, and by the eleventh century they had made primitive bombs.

**Korea and** **Vietnam**
Chinese armies ventured into Korea and Vietnam on a campaign of imperial invasion as early as the Qin and Han dynasties. Localaristocrats organized movements that ousted Chinese forces from both lands. In the Tang dynasty they tried the imperial invasion again. The Korea and Vietnam responded differently. They borrowed Chinese political and cultural traditions and used them in their own societies. Tang armies ended up conquering much of Korea before the native Silla dynasty rallied to prevent Chinese from taking the peninsula. Both authorities wanted to avoid and long and costly conflict by making a compromise. Chinese forces withdrew from Korea and the Silla king recognized the Tang emperor as his overlord. Korea entered into a tributary relationship with China. The tributary embassies included Korean royal officials and scholars. The officers observed the workings of the Chinese court and bureaucracy and then organized the Korean court on similar lines. The Silla king even built a new capital at Kumsong modeled on the Tang capital at Chang’an. The scholars studied Chinese thought and literature and took copies of Chinese writing back to Korea. Korean elite took interest in the Confucian tradition while the peasants turned toward Chan Buddhism. The Chinese relations with Vietnam were very tense. The Chinese ventured into a region called Nam Viet, and the Chinese encountered spirited resistance, however Tang forces took control. Vietnam adopted Chinese agriculture, schools and thought. China and Vietnam had a tributary relationship in their court systems. The Tang dynasty fell in the tenth century and the Viets won their independence and successfully resisted later Chinese efforts at imperial expansion to the south. Vietnam differed from China in many ways. Vietnamese retained indigenous religions in preference to Chinese cultural traditions. Women played a much more prominent role in Vietnam economy and society.(L.F.)

**Early Japan**
Chinese never invaded Japan, however Chinese traditions deeply influenced Japanese political and cultural development. The Establishment of Japan: Nara Japan (710-794 C.E) The earliest inhabitants of Japan were nomadic peoples from northeast Asia. By the middle of the first millennium C.E., several states ruled small regions. Just like the Tang, one clan claimed imperial authority over others. They built a new capital called Nara in 710 C.E., which was modeled on Chang’an. They adopted Confucianism and Buddhism, but still were able to maintain their Shinto rites. Heian Japan (794-1185 C.E.) The Japanese moved to a new capital, Heian (which is modern Koto), in 794 C.E. The Japanese emperors were ceremonial figureheads and symbol of authority, but rarely ruled. The power was in the hands of the Fujiwara family, and they used it effectively. The Chineselearning dominated Japanese education and thought. The Tale of Genji Because Japanese women rarely received a formal Chinese-Style education, in Heian times aristocratic women made the most notable contributions to literature. The Tale of Genji was written by a women named Murasaki Shikibu. The story reflects Heian court life and the experiences of the fictional imperial price named Genji.

Decline of Heian Japan The equal-field system began to fall and the aristocratic clans accumulated most of the land. Taira and Minamoto, the two most powerful clans, engaged in wars and the leader of the Minamoto claimed the title shogun, military governor and he ruled in Kamakura. (L.F.)

**Medieval Japan**
Medieval Japan was a period of decentralization. The Kamakura (1185-1333 C.E.) and Muromachi (1336-1573 C.E.) periods were when Japan developed a decentralized political order were provincial lords took authority. The Samurai were professional warriors of the provincial lords. The samurai both enforced their authority in their territories and to extend to their claims to other lands. The samurai valued loyalty, military talent and discipline. To preserve their honor, samurai engaged in ritual suicide called seppuku.(L.F.)

= Turkish Migration =

**Nomadic Economy and Society**
Nomadic societies in central Asia developed by adapting to the ecological conditions of arid lands. Central Asia does not receive enough rain to support large-scale agriculture. Only grasses and shrubs can grow well, and cattle survives well on that food source, so nomads were herders. They would move their cattle, however they didn’t wander aimlessly, they would follow migratory cycles that took account of the seasons and local climatic conditions. On central Asia’s steppes, the nomads would use milk, meat and hides from their animals to survive. The nomads also produced a limited amount of millet, pottery, leather goods and iron. Nomads traded with settled peoples and popular caravan routes. In the nomadic society there are two social classes. There are the nobles and the commoners. Charismatic leaders won recognition as nobles and thereby acquired the prestige needed to organize clans and tribes into alliances. The earliest religion of the Turkish peoples revolved around shamans, religious specialists who possessed supernatural powers, communicated with the gods and natural spirits. Many Turkish peoples became attracted to different religions that they encounter while trading. Many Turks converted to Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, or Manichaeism. By the tenth century Turks living near Abbasid began to turn Islam. With Military Organization the nomadic leaders organized vast confederations of individual tribes for expansion. The ruler, or Khan had outstanding cavalry foresees. They were able to beat a hasty retreat and escape from their less speedy adversaries.(L.F.)

The Silk Roads

 * The Silk Roads connected the Eastern Hemisphere together.
 * Cultural diffusion
 * Foreign spices and goods were made available.

The Consequences of plague and pandemics in 1300's

 * The total population dropped considerably.
 * There weren't enough laborer's or farmers which helped end the Mongol regime
 * By 1368, the Chinese drove the Mongols back to the steppes.

The Growth and role of cities

 * Specialized jobs were required
 * Art flourished
 * More urbanization
 * More dependence on commerce not agriculture
 * Time to focus more on science and technology instead of religion

**The Mongol Empires**
Chinggis Khan and the making of the Mongol empire

Chinggis Khan (universal ruler) unified Mongol tribes through alliances and conquests. The Mongol political organization organized new military units and broke up tribal affiliations and chose high officials based on talent and loyalty and the capital of Karakorum was established. Chinggis Khan had Mongols raid the Jurchen in north China beginning in 1211 C.E. Chinggis Khan then controlled north China by 1220 C.E., however south China was still ruled by the Song dynasty. Chinggis Khan tried to open trade and diplomatic relations with Saljup leader Khwarazm shah, the ruler of Persia in 1218. But Chinggis Khan was rejected, and Chinggis led forces to pursue the Khwarazm. The Mongols destroyed Persian cities and with the death of Chinggis in 1227, laid a foundation for a mighty empire. (L.F.)

Mongol expansion and its impact
For most of history the nomadic Mongols lived on the high steppe lands of eastern central Asia. The vast Mongol realm dissolved into a series of smaller empires. The unifier of the Mongols was Temujin. He made an alliance with a prominent Mongol clan leader. He then changed his name to Chinggis Khan (“universal ruler”) Chinggis Khan wreaked destruction on the conquered land. The Mongols ravaged one city after another, demolishing buildings and massacring hundreds of thousands of people. Chinggis Khan himself extended Mongol rule to northern China. He also sent forces to Afghanistan and Persia. He had united the Mongols, established Mongol supremacy in central Asia, and extended Mongol control to northern China in the east and Persia in the west. His sons then divided his empire after his death. However, they had many conflicts fueled by constant tensions and ambition. The Mongols brought tremendous destruction to lands. Yet they also sponsored interaction among peoples of different societies and linked Eurasian lands more directly than ever. The Mongol rulers positively encouraged travel and communication over long distances.

The Five Themes
Economics and Politics - Asia and Eurasia showed a prominent need to better their societies. East Asia need more political organization to further better their societies, implementing techniques from earlier dynasties in a more efficient and effective way. Commerce was based on trade and agriculture, and the spread of power was in high desire. Nomadic warriors such as the Huns wished to seize this power by taking over empires across the Asia and Eurasia continent.

Technology and Environmental Adaptations - Asia is probably one of the best examples of technological advancements. The iron tip plow was introduced to this region thousands of years before ever appearing in other parts of the world. The Chinese were the forefront of ancient civilizations, inventing paper, gun powder, kites, a writing system, and many more, all while developing their own unique culture and customs. They changed their landscape by making them more suitable for agriculture and building vast irrigations systems and capitals to accommodate the needs of their people.

Social and Gender Advancements - Although a strictly patriarchal society, women still had their place in Asia and Eurasia. Empresses lived alongside emperors, and took care of the family at home. Some ancient customs, such as feet binding, limited the power of women further and gave it to their male counterparts.

Cultural and Intellectual Developments - China especially had a high understanding of philosophy, which they recorded in their own written language. Social status could be obtained by merit through the Confucian school, and rulers were chosen on their ability to think and act. Culture exploded throughout the regions of Asia and Eurasia, traveling and mingling along the silk roads. Cultural diffusion was good and bad in ways, intermixing languages and customs but at the same time, in China's view, ruining ancient traditions that they wished to keep separate from the rest of the world.

The Effectiveness of the State - Both regions in general were highly successful in developing rich cultures and traditions, establishing a communication and philosophical system, having a government, and effectively using their surroundings. Civilizations in these regions survived thousands of years because of the implications of its people, utilizing and advancing their understands in science, technology, and the outside world.


 * < Chronology ||
 * < 589-618 ||< Sui dynasty (China) ||
 * < 601-664 ||< Life of Xuanzang ||
 * < 604-618 ||< Reign of Sui Yangdi ||
 * < 618-907 ||< Tang dynasty (China) ||
 * < 627-649 ||< Reign of Tang Taizong ||
 * < 669-935 ||< Silla Dynasty (Korea) ||
 * < 710-794 ||< Nara period (Japan) ||
 * < 755-757 ||< An Lushan's rebellion ||
 * < 875-884 ||< Huang Chao's Rebellion ||
 * < 960-1279 ||< Song dynasty (China) ||
 * < 960-976 ||< Reign of Song Taizu ||
 * < 1024 ||< First issuance of government sponsored paper money ||
 * < 1055 ||< Tughril Beg named Sultan ||
 * < 1071 ||< Battle of Manzikert ||
 * < 1206-1227 ||< Reign of Chinggis Khan ||
 * < 1211-1234 ||< Mongol conquest of northern China ||
 * < 1219-1221 ||< Mongol conquest of Russia ||
 * < 1237-1241 ||< Mongol capture of Baghdad ||
 * < 1258 ||< Mongol conquest of southern China ||
 * < 1264-1279 ||< Reign of Khubilai Khan ||
 * < 1264-1294 ||< Yuan dynasty ||
 * < 1279-1368 ||< Conversion of Ilkhan Ghazan to Islam ||
 * < 1295 ||< Life of Tamerlane ||
 * < 1336-1405 ||< Life of Tamerlane ||
 * < 1453 ||< Ottoman capture of Constantinople ||

Wikipedia Articles - Dragons, Cranes, Paper, Porcelain (China), Fans, Red Envelopes, Imperial Yellow, Chopsticks AP World History Textbook (T.T.) (N.H.) (S.N)
 * Sources: