Unit 1

• China possessed the biggest popsicle of power in the time period of 1200 to 1450
• Song Dynasty


  The dynasty in China during the time period of 1200 to 1450
• How Song rulers maintained and justified their power

  1. Revival of Confucianism

  2. Increasing use of an imperial bureaucracy
• Confucianism


  The official Chinese state philosophy, emphasising a hierarchical society with unequal relationships
• Neo-Confucianism


  The revival of Confucianism during the Song Dynasty, influenced by Buddhist and Taoist ideas
• Under Confucianism, women's legal rights were restricted in Song China
• The practice of foot binding was prevalent among the elite in Song China
• Imperial bureaucracy


  The governmental entity that carried out the will of the emperor
• To get a job in the Song bureaucracy, men had to pass a civil service examination based on Confucian classics
• Song China's cultural influence on Korea

  Korea maintained a tributary relationship, adopting aspects of Chinese culture like the civil service examination
• Song China's cultural influence on Japan


  Japan voluntarily adopted aspects of Chinese culture like the imperial bureaucracy and Buddhism
• Song China's cultural influence on Vietnam

  Vietnam had a tributary relationship, adopting Confucianism, Buddhism, and the civil service examination, but did not marginalise women as much as in China
• Buddhism


  A belief system originating in South Asia, with concepts like the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path
• Theravada Buddhism


  The original form of Buddhism, emphasising escaping the cycle of birth and death, mainly restricted to monks
• Mahayana Buddhism


  A branch of Buddhism that emphasised the teachings being available to all and the Buddha as an object of devotion
• Tibetan Buddhism


  A branch of Buddhism that emphasised mystical practices like lying prostrate and elaborate imaginings of deities
• Chan Buddhism


  The distinct version of Buddhism that developed in China during the Song Dynasty
• Factors contributing to the economic prosperity of the Song Dynasty

  1. Widespread commercialisation of the economy

  2. Expansion of iron and steel production

  3. Agricultural innovations like the introduction of Champa rice

  4. Transportation innovations like the Grand Canal and improvements in ship design
• The Song Dynasty was the most populous state in the world at the time
• The time period for unit one is Circa 1200 to 1450 and the basic idea of this unit is to drop in on the various major civilizations around the world and understand how they are building and maintaining their state
• State


  A territory that is politically organized under a single government
• The folks in charge call themselves The Song Dynasty and they were in power from 960 to 1279
• Song Dynasty


  • They maintained and justified their rule by emphasizing Confucianism
  • They maintained and justified their rule through the expansion of the Imperial bureaucracy
• Neo-Confucianism


  A revival of Confucian thought with some changes, including reducing the influence of Buddhism
• Confucian hierarchy


  Society is structured with those above and those below, where those below must defer to those above
• Filial piety


  The necessity and virtue of children obeying and honouring their parents and ancestors
• Women in Song China


  • They were stripped of legal rights, their property became their husband's, and they endured social restrictions like limited access to education and the practice of foot binding
• Imperial bureaucracy


  A hierarchical government entity that carries out the will of the emperor
• Civil service examination


  • Eligible men had to pass this exam, which was heavily based on Confucian classics, in order to get a job in the bureaucracy
• The kingdoms of Korea, Japan and Vietnam were influenced by Chinese traditions during the Song Dynasty, adopting similar civil service systems and Buddhism
• Four Noble Truths of Buddhism

  1. Life is suffering 2) We suffer because we crave 3) We see suffering when we cease craving 4) To cease craving, live a moral life according to the Eightfold Path
• Theravada Buddhism


  Confined the practice of Buddhism to monks and monasteries, believing only they could attain Nirvana
• Mahayana Buddhism


  Encouraged broader participation in Buddhist practices and had Bodhisattvas who aimed to help others attain Enlightenment
• Song Dynasty economy


  • Commercialization, innovations in agriculture like Champa rice, and improvements in transportation like the Grand Canal
• Dar al-Islam


  The territories where Islamic faith was the organizing principle of civilizations
• Monotheistic religions in Dar al-Islam


  Judaism, Christianity, Islam
• Transition in Dar al-Islam

  • Decline of Arab Muslim empires, rise of Turkic Muslim empires like the Seljuk Empire
  • Continuation of practices like Sharia law and military administration of states
• Muslim scholars preserved and translated ancient Greek works, which later influenced the European Renaissance
• Expansion of Muslim rule in Dar al-Islam

  • Military expansion
  • Trade and merchant activity
  • Missionary work of Sufis
• In South and Southeast Asia, the three main competing belief systems were Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam