a chinese philosophy that promotes social order through hierarchy, duty, and moral behavior in relationships
confucianism
a centralized system of government offices staffed by officials who carry out the emperor’s policies
imperial bureacracy
state tests based on Confucian texts used to select government officials
civil service exams
the educated landowning elite who passed exams and ran local and imperial administration
scholar- official class (gentry)
a revival of confucianism that blended ideas from Buddhism and Daoism, stressing self-cultivation and social order
neo-confucianism
the confucian value of deep respect and obedience to parents and elders
filial piety
a branch of Buddhism the emphasizes compassion and the ais of bodhisattvas on the oath to enlightenment
Mahayana buddhism
a school of buddhism focused on mediation and direct experience rather than ritual or scripture.
chan (zen) buddhism
a devotional form of Buddhism centered on faith in amitabha Buddha for rebirth in a blissful pure land
pure land Buddhism
the practice of tightly wrapping girls feet to keep them small, signalling elite status and female seclusion
foot binding
a fast-ripening, drought resistant rice strain adopted from Vietnam that greatly increased harvests
champa rice
a vast man- made waterway linking northern and southern China to move grain, taxes, and goods
grand canal
government-issued notes used as currency instead of metal coins
paper money
overland trade routes connecting China with central and west Asia and beyond
silk road networks
sea- based trade linking east Asia, southeast Asia, south asia, the middle east and east africa
Indian ocean trade
Regulated exchange tied to diplomatic missions, where foreign states offered gifts to China and received prestige goods and trading rights.
tribute trade
A military government in Japan led by a shogun, with power decentralized among regional lords.
Shogunate
song dynasty
- confucianism
- hierarchy
- virtue based leadership
- imperial bureaucracy
- civil service exams
- Scholar-official class (gentry) became dominant in politics and local governance.
- Local officials collected taxes, kept order, and reported upward to central authorities.
Southern Song
- After nomadic Jin invasions from the north, the capital moved south.
- Despite losing the north, government bureaucracy and economy adapted and flourished
Mongol Yuan Dynasty
- Genghis Khan’s descendants conquered China; Kublai Khan established the Yuan.
- Kept Chinese administration in place but put Mongols in top positions.
- Created multilayered social hierarchy:
Mongols
Central Asians/Muslims
Northern Chinese
Southern Chinese - Used Chinese tax systems and governance structure but altered power balances.
MIng dynasty
- Restored Han Chinese rule by kicking out Mongols.
- Reinforced Confucian ideologies and exam systems even more.
- Built the Forbidden City and centralized authority around the emperor.
Confucianism and Neo- confucianism
- Confucian thought dominated political and family life:
- Social harmony through hierarchy (ruler–subject, father–son, etc.)
- Education = moral improvement and advancement
- Neo-Confucianism appeared under the Song:
- Blended Confucianism with Buddhist and Daoist ideas
- Emphasized self-cultivation and order
- Spread to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam
Mahayana Buddhism
emphasized compassion and multiple paths of enlightenment
Chan Buddhism
focused on mediaiton, simplicity - appealed to intellectual elites
