Ch. 15 -- The Resurgence of Empire in East Asia

Directions. Printout and review the Chapter outline & Study Guide prior to reading the Chapter. Not all the terms or people are to be found in the Chapter. For these, you are expected to research their relevance and include them.

Publisher’s Website for Outlines, etc. --

Introduction.After the fall of the Han dynasty, more than 350 years of disruption plagued China. Toward the end of the sixth century, centralized imperial rule returned to China and persisted for almost 700 years under the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties (589-1279 CE). This period witnessed unprecedented economic prosperity for China. In addition, China, as the “Middle Kingdom,” made its influence felt throughout the surrounding areas, (especially Korea, Japan and Vietnam) creating a larger east Asian society centered on China. This period of east Asian history is characterized by

  • Rapid economic development because of more advanced agricultural practices, technological and industrial innovations, and participation in sophisticated trade networks throughout East Asia and including the revived silk roads.
  • The spread of Buddhism beyond its place of origin in India until it became the most popular religious faith in all of east Asia.
  • The profound influence of Chinese social organization and economic dynamism on the surrounding cultures of Japan, Korea, Vietnam and central Asia.

The following section, including “People & Terms”is to be highlighted on the Chapter Outline. Words not appearing in the outline must be added to the outline. Incorporate the information for the Study questions into the notes you add to the outline.

People & Terms / Study Questions
Response should include answers to who, what, where, when, how why is this person important.
XuanzangYang JianSui Yangdi
Tang TaizongAn LushanHuang Chao
Du FuSong TaizuLi Bo
Zhu XiMurasaki Shikibu
State in your own words what each of the following terms means and why it is significant to a study of world history.
SuiGrand CanalTang
Chang’anEqual-field systemMiddle Kingdom
meritocracyUighursSong
KhitanJurchenFoot binding
DunhuangChan BuddhismNeo-Confuciansim
SillaVietnamNaraJapan
Heian PeriodTale of GenjiMinamoto
ShogunKamakuraMuromachi
Samuraibushidoseppuku /
  • The poet Du Fu complained that the “Men of China are able to face the stiffest battle, but their officers drive them like chickens and dogs.” Was Tang China a violent place? What was the structure of society like during the Tang age? What role did poets such as Du Fu and Li Bo play in recording the life of the average Chinese peasant?
  • Compare and contrast the Tang and Song bureaucratic brilliance to other societies studied thus far. Why was the Chinese system stable for so long? Despite their political brilliance, both of these dynasties eventually collapsed. What factors explain their collapse? Are their any similarities to the decline and fall of other powerful states covered so far?
  • Examine the spread of Buddhism into China. How did Buddhism influence China and how did China influence Buddhism?
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  • The book refers to China, Byzantium and the Abbasid empires as “the political and economic anchors of the postclassical world.” What does this phrase mean? What did all three of those powers have in common? How did those factors contribute to their political and economic effectiveness?
  • Compare the role China played in the development of Korea, Vietnam and Japan to the role played by Greece and Rome in the Mediterranean basin and the role played by Byzantium in Eastern Europe and Russia.
  • Explain the relationship between each of the following pairs. How does one lead to or foster the other? Be specific in your response.
  • Grand Canal & fast-ripening rice
  • Sui & Song dynasties
  • Tang & Japan
  • Silk Roads & Buddhism
  • Foot binding & ancestor worship