Chapter 4: East Asia in the Era of Warlords

• Chabi


  One of Kubilai Khan's wives during Yuan China. She promoted Buddhism and prevented Mongol women from adopting restrictive Chinese practices such as foot binding.
• Romance of the West Chamber


  A famous Chinese drama written during the Yuan dynasty. This is one musical drama that helped actor/actresses flourish during the Mongol rule.
• White Lotus Society


  A religious cult formed in secret dedicated to overthrow the Mongol rule. Their claims of magical powers encouraged peasant resistance against the Yuan dynasty
• Zhu Yuanzhang


  The first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. From a peasant family, his rule helped many peasants live a better life
• Ming Dynasty


  The successor to the Yuan dynasty. Improved life for peasants and cut down on court factionalism. Erased Mongol influence as much as possible.
• Hongwu

  Name chosen by Yuanzhang, the first emperor of Ming Dynasty. Abolished position of prime minister, and implemented new rules, improving the life of peasants
• foot-binding


  Chinese practice of binding women's feet to be smaller. This prevented women from moving around, forcing them to stay in the house and reducing their power
• bushi


  Warrior leaders who ruled small kingdoms in Japan. They built small fortresses and formed their own armies
• samurai


  Troops of the bushi who are loyal to their lords and not the emperor. They dedicated their lives to being samurai and fought other lords and their samurai
• seppuku


  Ritual suicide that restores honor to a family after one does wrong. The Japanese would rather die then be dishonored, which impacts a lot of their warfare
• Taira


  In the 11th and 12th century, a powerful family that was defeated after Gempei Wars. Their poor army led to their defeat
• Minamoto


  A powerful family in 12th century Japan. Defeated the Taira family and formed the military government bakufu
• Gempei Wars


  From 1180-1185, the Taira and Minamoto family fought for power. Many people died and much farmland was destroyed; Minamoto family won.
• bakufu


  The military government formed by the Minamoto after the Gempei Wars. The emperor was a figurehead, real power lied in military
• Hojo


  Allies of the Minamoto. They manipulated the Minamoto to have the real power, forming a 3-tiered system of power
• Ashikaga Takuaji


  The Minamoto family member who overthrew the Kamakura regime and established the Ashikaga Shogunate. The exiled emperor and him fought during the 14th century.
• Ashikaga shogunate


  Successor of the Kamakura regime. Was able to defeat the Yoshino center of authority
• Chams


  A rival of the Vietnamese. Their Indianized army tactics were no match for the Vietnamese Chinese inspired tactics and were defeated, fleeing to the South
• Khmers


  A rival of the Vietnamese. Similarly driven South by the Vietnamese because of the weaker war strategies.
• Tran Dynasty


  Came to power during 1225 in Vietnam. Agreed to become Mongol's vassal after defeating them 2 times.
• The Mongols improved peasant life by not allowing cavalrymen to take peasant's farmland for grazing and reduced their taxes. Artisans and merchants flourished; trade improved with paper money and improved transportation while new dramas and poetry put artists closer to the top of the social hierarchy in the Yuan dynasty. Although Kubilai Khan kept Confucian rituals, the scholar-gentry class was snubbed for foreign officials and they wanted their hierarchy back.
• Song loyalists revolted in the South, peasants became angry after Kubilai's descendants increased labor and taxes, and combined with the famine and increase in banditry and piracy, the grip the Mongols had on China loosened. Zhu Yuanzhang (Hong Wu emperor) took over and improved the life of peasants. The shame of losing to Japan and Vietnam also caused the Mongols to collapse
• The warlords of elite families ruled small kingdoms "house" governments and controlled land and labor. They were aided by the samurai, the top of their armies that protected them. The Kamakura regime emerged and had a military based government with shogun and soon was run by the Hojo family.
• The Mongols were unable to take Vietnam because the Viets used guerilla warfare. By taking advantage of their environment, the Vietnamese army evaded, but still ended up becoming vassals. Like Japan, the environment aided their fight against the Mongols, though Japan never became a vassal.