Unit 1 c 1200 1450 The Global Tapestry

Unit 1 c. 1200 – 1450 The Global Tapestry

1. 1 Developments in East Asia v Big Picture – Ø Large empires emerged – revival of earlier empires in their region Ø New developments Ø All shaped by the REGIONAL TRADE

Post-Classical Period of China z Golden Era z 600 Years of buoyancy z Great wealth z Political stability z Fine artistic and intellectual achievements

Song Dynasty-overview v. Began in 960 lasting till 1279 - ended due to pastoralists from Manchuria invading v. Expansion Ø Government positions Ø Educational opportunities § Civil service exams § Scholar gentry § Meritocracy Weakness of Dynasty v. Mongol Take over ends dynasty

Imperial Bureaucracy v Appointed officials carried out the empire’s policies. Ø Continuity v Expanded government positions v Emperor Song Taizu

Economic Developments v. The Tang Dynasty v Infrastructure Roads and canals, Ø ØForeign trade, and spread technology-

The Grand Canal Today

Agricultural Productivity v. Champa rice – fast ripening rice, introduced from Vietnam. Ø Production Ø Irrigation increases with using manure systems, Ø Agricultural Ø terracing New heavy plows. Ø Results=an abundance of food causing the population to grow quickly v. Population growth increased from around 25% to nearly 40% (World) in the three centuries of the song dynasty. v. Allowed peasants in South China to grow two crops a year, helping landredistribution

Manufacturing and Trade v Black Earth – coal Cast iron to Steel Ø Reinforced bridges, gates, ship anchors Ø v Proto-industrialization Ø Relied more on home-based or community-based production using simple equipment. v Artisans produced steel in smelting facilities, manufactured porcelain and silk textiles. v China became the world’s most commercialized society.

New Technologies z New technologies: Printing moveable print Ø Porcelain Ø Gunpowder Ø Compass Ø

Influences of Long-distance Trade v Silk Road Economic prosperity Ø Spreads religious traditions Ø Transmission of disease Ø v Linked much of Eurasia and northern Africa

Maritime technology and Guns v Compass v Chinese ship junk v Printed paper for navigation charts v Gunpowder

Indian Ocean Trade v Monsoon Changes Nov – Feb > SW Ø April – Sept > NE Ø Key was regularity Ø v Sea transport is Cheaper Ø Textiles, pepper, timber, rice, sugar, wheat v First to be crossed v Sailor’s Ocean