Chapter 13: The Spread of Chinese Civilization:

Japan, Korea, and Vietnam

Vivian LinColin LuJasmine NguyenBasheer Rydhan

Heng LiBethany LuuChristine NguyenJoey Thai

Japan

Japan: The Imperial Age

NOTESJapan: The Imperial Age

• Japan borrowed from China peaked in:– Taika period (645-710)– Nara period (710-784)– Heian period (794-857)• Taika Reforms (646): or “The Great Reform”– Aimed at fixing

administration along Chinese lines.

Japan: The Imperial Age

• Affected both aristocrats and peasants• Aristocrats:– Confucian ways

(characters)– Chinese-style

temples– Buddhist arts

• Peasants– Turned to Buddhist

monks for help– Combined Buddhist

gods with kami

• The spread of Buddhism

Japan: The Imperial Age

Crisis at Nara and the Shift of Heian (Kyoto)

• Taika reforms were disrupted by aristocratic families and Buddhist monastic orders

• A cent. after introduction of Taika reforms: Buddhist monks grew powerful – Aristocracy feared power

• 760s: their influence threatened the throne

Crisis at Nara and the Shift of Heian (Kyoto)

• A Buddhist prelate got into empress Koken’s inner circle – schemed to marry

her and become emperor before his plans were foiled

• Emperor fled and established a new capital city at Heian (Kyoto)– Buddhist monasteries were not

allowed to be built inside city → built around city → reemerged as royal advisors

NOTESCrisis at Nara and the Shift of Heian (Kyoto)

• Emperor abandoned Taika reforms– NO limited power on aristocrats →

restored aristocrat families, who took over gov. positions

– NO rank by birth → little mobility – NO peasant conscript army → local

leaders organize forces

Crisis at Nara and the Shift of Heian (Kyoto)

NOTESUltracivilized: Court Life in the Heian Era

• Court culture – refined • Cent. during Heian era –

lived in a world of luxury and aesthetic* delights

• Social status = everything– Affairs such as dating and

marrying were a very important thing!

*Aesthetic = the nature of beauty, art, and taste

Ultracivilized: Court Life in the Heian Era

• Imperial household and aristocratic lived in palaces with gardens– Wood buildings– Sliding panels– Matted floors

• Chinese characters simplified → outpouring of poetic and literary works– Poetry was used to express

feelings such as happiness, pleasure, love, etc.

• Verse poems – most valued art at court

Ultracivilized: Court Life in the Heian Era

• The Tale of Genji: written by Lady Mutasaki– The first novel in any

language• According to the novel:

– Women were seen as equally dignified as men.

– Usually taught to play musical instruments and write poetry

– ALSO had power struggles like everywhere else.

Ultracivilized: Court Life in the Heian EraThe Tale of Genji

The Decline of Imperial Power

Era of warrior dominance

NOTES: The Era of Warrior Dominance

• Power of provincial lords increase – power of imperial and court decline

• Powerful families… – depend on alliances + take positions in

bureaucracy + competing for power → open feud

VS

MinamotoTaira

Era of Warrior Dominance

• At first:

• Around 1180s

– Controlled emperor– Dominate court

– Powerful network of alliances

– Links to rural notables who sided with them

– Power-grabbing efforts

The Declining Influence of China

• Power of imperial house weakened → relied less on Chinese culture and custom– No more political influence

– Buddhism changed into a Japanese religion

– Declining Tang dynasty → no reliable model

Tang Dynasty

NOTESThe Declining Influence of China

• Gempei Wars: raged in main island of Honshu

• 1185: Manamoto established bakufu– Bakufu: military

government or “tent”

• Capital at Kamakura

The Breakdown of Bakufu Dominance and the Age of the Warlords

• Yorimoto, leader of Mina., weaken Kamakura– Fear of betrayal in family

• Shoguns: military leaders of bakufu

• Yorimoto’s obsessive fear → no heir → Hojo dominated Kamakura regime– Hojo: closely allied

warrior family

Kyoto

Kamakura

The Breakdown of Bakufu Dominance and the Age of the Warlords

• Early 14th cent: Ashikaga Takuaji led revolt and overthrew Kamakura regime– Established Ashikaga Shogunate

(1336-1573)

• Emperor refused to acknowledge their power → tried reviving imperial power → exiled

Korea

Korea: Between China and Japan

• Influenced for the longest time

• Heavily influenced –able to make a “different” culture.

Korea: Between China and Japan

Korea: Between China and Japan

• Descended from hunting and herding people of the E Siberia and Manchuria.

• 4th cent: acquired farming and metal working techniques from the Chinese

• 109 BCE: Choson, earliest Korean kingdom, was conquered by Han emperor Wudi

• Parts of Korea were colonized by China and became a channel for Chinese influences to affect the Korean culture

Korea: Between China and Japan

• The tribal peoples of the peninsula – mainly the Koguryo in N – resisted Chinese rule

• Koguryo established a N independent state

Korea: Between China and Japan

– At war with its S rivals – Silla and Paekche

• Sinification: the extensive adoption of Chinese culture

• Buddhism – key link between Korea and the N China- Han dynasty successors

• Korean rulers patronized Buddhist artist and financed the monasteries and pagodas

Korea: Between China and Japan

• Adapted Chinese writing – Korean language was not suited for

characters

• Koguryo’s ruler forced a unified law code based after the Han’s

• Established universities • Build a Chinese-style bureaucracy

NOTESKorea: Between China and Japan

Followers (copiers)

China

Tang Alliances and the Conquest of Korea

• 3 Korean kingdoms fought and weakened each other → Korea vulnerable to outside attacks

Silla

Paekche

Koguryo

NOTESTang Alliances and the Conquest of Korea

• The Tang dynasty attacked Koguryo however the Koguryo fought back

Silla

Silla

Paekche

KoguryoTang

Tang

• The Tang conquerors fought the Silla over spoils– Silla strong enough to resist– Revolts in Paekche and Koguryo

• Tang makes deal with Silla– Tribute payments– Silla = vassal of Tang

• 668 – Tang withdraws armies• Silla became the independent

rulers of united Korea

Tang Alliances and the Conquest of Korea

Sinification: The Tributary Link

• Under Silla rulers and Koryo dynasty– Chinese influences peaked – Korean culture flourished

• Silla tried to become a miniature Tang empire– They regularly sent the Tang embassies

and tribute

Sinification: The Tributary Link

• Tribute System– Neighboring places offered

tribute to China– Korea was most committed

to the Tribute System– Emissaries offered tribute

in forms of splendid gifts and acknowledgement of the Son of Heaven

• Effects of the tribute system– Guaranteed peace with China– Access to Chinese learning, art, and

manufactured goods– Merchants and trading depended on

China– Scholars studied at china and bought

scrolls for Korea– Intercultural exchange

Sinification: The Tributary Link

Vietnam

Between China and Southeast Asia: The Making of Vietnam

• 220 BCE: record of “southern barbarians”

• Kingdom called Nam Viet– “People in the

south”

NOTESBetween China and Southeast Asia: The

Making of Vietnam• Qin raids → Vietnamese traded with

China

NOTESBetween China and Southeast Asia: The

Making of Vietnam• Defeated feudal lords• Took control of Red River valley

• Blended with Mon- Kmer- and Tai-speaking peoples: crucial part of distinct ethnic group

• Kmers = today’s Cambodians

Between China and Southeast Asia: The Making of Vietnam

• Viets had their own culture– Own spoken language– Strong village autonomy– Nuclear family– Women had more freedom

and influence

Between China and Southeast Asia: The Making of Vietnam

• Viets had their own culture– Different clothing style– Cockfights– Chewed betel nut

Conquest and Sinification

• Han empire accepted and satisfied with Viet tributes

• 111 BCE: Han conquers Nam Viet• Viets saw they could learn from China

– No resistance

NOTESConquest and Sinification: Education

• Viets attended Chinese schools– Studied Confucian classics– Wrote Chinese

• Exams for administrative posts

NOTESConquest and Sinification: Agriculture

• Chinese introduced cropping techniques and irrigation tehcniques

• Better agriculture → more food → support bigger population

+ =

NOTESConquest and Sinification: Military

• Learned from Chinese military organization– Advantage over Indianized* people (W

and S)

*Indianized people = people who adopted Indian way of kinship and warfare

Roots of Resistance

• Viets did not like Chinese rule– Chinese looked down on Vietnamese

customs

• Sporadic aristocratic revolts• Writing showed self-doubt and

resistance to Chinese dominance

Roots of Resistance

• Less rights and independence for women– Confined to home– Controlled by men

Roots of Resistance

• Women participated in revolts• 39 CE: famous uprising by Trung

Sisters– Daughters of deposed local leader

NOTES: Winning Independence and Continuing Chinese

Influences• 939 CE: Nam Viet won political

independence from China– Geographic advantages– Rebelled during fall of Tang

NOTESWinning Independence and Continuing

Chinese Influences• Le dynasty (980 - 1009 CE)

– First Vietnamese dynasty

• Bureaucracy – Copy of Chinese administrative system– Civil service exams– Learning Confucian classics in school– Deference from lower people

Winning Independence and Continuing Chinese Influences

• Local leaders identify with peasants– Local interests– Leaders in peasant uprisings

VS

The Vietnamese Drive to the South

• Viets did not want to settle near malarial highlands → fought Chams and Kmers– People

living S of Nam Viet

NOTESThe Vietnamese Drive to the South

• 11th – 18th cent: fought Chams and Kmers – Drove Chams to highlands– Defeated Kmers who were moving into

Mekong Delta Region

NOTES: Expansion and Division

• Move farther away from Hanoi (capital)– Marry and adopt

customs of Chams and Kmers

• Dynasties have less power over southern part → Nguyen (Hue, S) vs. Trinh (Hanoi, N)

Global Connections: In the Orbit of China

The East Asian Corner of the Globe

Japan

• Japan showed that women CAN accomplish things such as writing and poetry– “The Tale of Genji”

• :D They grew the new crop soy beans!

• Zen Buddhism influenced the quality in “rough” things (According to the book)