The Mongol and Ming Empires

Objectives

• Describe the political, economic and cultural achievements of ancient China. 

• Understand the influence of China and Buddhism on Korea and Japan. 

• Describe the cultural influences of Korea on Japan including art, architecture, the spread of Buddhism, ship building, and ceramics.

• Describe the economic relationship of Korea and Japan including phases of Korean and Japanese hegemony.

• Describe the cultural influences of Tang and Song China on Japan including the spread of elements of Confucianism, art, architecture, and writing systems.  

• Describe the economic relationship of Japan and China including the role of silk, silver, tea, rice, and pirates.

• Explain how geography set Japan apart from other civilizations.

• Describe how geography affected life on the Korean peninsula. 

• Explain the Japanese feudal system.  

Essential Questions 

• How did China impact the growth and development of Japan? 

• How did the culture of Korea impact Japan?  

• How are Korea’s culture and history linked to China and Japan?  

• What factors shaped Japan’s civilization?   

• How did the geography of Japan impact the growth and development of civilization in Japan?  

• What are the characteristics of feudal Japan? How did feudalism impact Japan’s way of life?

THE MONGOL AND
MING EMPIRES

Academic Vocabulary  

• Silla Dynasty  

• Koryo dynasty

• Celadon  

• ​Choson (Yi) dynasty  

• ​King Sejong  

​

• Hangul 

• Literacy rate  

• Confucianism  

• Archipelago  

• Tsunami  

• Shinto  

​

​

​

• Selective borrowing  

• Kana  

• Samurai  

• Bushido  

• Zen  

Mongol Armies Build an Empire

•The Mongols were a nomadic people who grazed their horses and sheep on the steppes, or vast, treeless plains of Central Asia

•In the early 1200s, Genghis Khan, meaning “Universal ruler”,
conquered a vast empire that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe

•Khan imposed strict military discipline and demanded absolute loyalty

•Mongols invaded China, but had problems with attacking walled cities

•Khan did not live to see China conquered, but his heirs continued to expand the Mongol empire and dominate Asia for the next 150
years

Mongol Armies
Build an Empire

•Non-oppressive rulers

–Allowed conquered to live as before

–Just pay tribute to the Mongols

•In the 1200s and 1300s, the sons and
grandsons of Khan established peace and order

•This period is referred to as Pax Mongolica, or Mongol Peace

•Mongols now controlled the great Silk Road and trade flourished across Eurasia

•Cultural exchanges increased as foods,
tools, inventions, and ideas spread along
the trade routes

China Under Mongol Rule

• Genghis Khan’s grandson, Kublai

Khan, toppled the last Song
emperor in 1279 and ruled all of
China and Korea

• Kublai did not want to be

absorbed in Chinese civilization--
-only Mongols could serve in the
military

• Reserved the highest

government jobs for Mongols or
non-Chinese

• A mix of Chinese and foreign

customs developed---Kublai
named his dynasty Yuan (a
Chinese name)

China Under Mongol Rule

• Italian merchant Marco polo, visited China

during the Yuan dynasty

• He spent 17 years in Kublai’s service before

returning to Venice

• Wrote about Kublai’s royal palace and

described China’s efficient mail system

• Sparked European interest in the riches of

Asia

• Mongol empire prospered, contact

between Europe and Asia continued

• Chinese products like gunpowder,

porcelain, and playing cards moved
towards Europe

The Ming Restore Chinese Rule

• The Yuan dynasty declined after Kublai’s death in 1294

• Most Chinese despised Mongol rulers

• Heavy taxes, corruption, and natural disasters led to uprisings

• Peasant leader Zhu Yuanzhang toppled the Mongols and found a

dynasty called Ming, meaning brilliant

• The Ming restored the civil service system and Confucian learning

• They repaired the canal system, made trade easier, and allowed

cities to grow

• New technologies increased output in manufacturing and better

printing methods

• A revival of arts and literature developed

Chinese Fleet Sail the Seas

• Zheng He commanded the first of seven expeditions

starting in 1405

• Was to promote trade and collect tribute

• The voyages showed local rulers the power and

strength of the Chinese empire

• With the death of Zheng in 1435, exploration ended

• Why did China turn its back on overseas exploration?

• Chinese civilization was the most successful in the

world and they wanted to preserve its ancient
traditions

Chapter 12 Section 3:
Korea & It’s
Traditions

Korean Peninsula -Cultural Bridge connecting China and Japan

PulguksaTemple, South Korea

Silla & Koryo

Dynasty

• From 100 B.C. –A.D. 676 powerful local rulers

created 3 kingdoms

– Koguryo (North)

– Paekche (Southwest)

– Silla (southeast)

– Same culture but warred constantly with each

other and China

• China still influenced the kingdoms

• Korean Monks traveled to China and India to

learn Buddhism and bring it back to Korea.

Silla

Dynasty

Unites

Kingdoms

• Silla Dynasty

– Korea prospered; Arts flourished

– Most advanced in the world

– Buddhism became a powerful force -hundreds of temples built

– Trade with China influenced culture, written language, and

political institutions

– Trade focused on Silla capital, Kyongju

• “City of Gold”- where aristocrats pursued a life of high

culture and extravagance

• Medicine, astronomy, metal casting, sculpture, and textile

manufacturing reached especially high levels.

– Only aristocrats could take the “civil service exam” to

become politician

– Resulted in conflicts between peasants and aristocrats that

led to the Silla Dynasty overthrown.

Koryo

Dynasty

• Korea derived from “Koryo”

• Replaced Silla Dynasty in 918

• Capital: Songak (present day Kaesong)

• Confucianism and Buddhism were very

influential during time period

• Used China’s woodblock printing for Buddhist

texts

– Later Korea improved printing by creating

movable metal type to print more books

– Improved on Chinese porcelain to create

celadon-porcelain with a blue-green glaze

– In 1200, Mongols overran Korea and the

secret of making celadon was lost forever.

Choson
Dynasty
Rules for
Over 500

Years

• Mongol invasion 1231-1250’s

• 1258 Made peace with Mongols

– But lack of taxes weakened kingdom

• 1932 Yi Song-gye (yee-sung-gyeh) (Korean General)

– Overthrew Mongols

– Created Choson dynasty-last and longest of Korean

dynasties

– Reduced Buddhist influence

– Set up government on Confucian principles

Choson Dynasty Rules

for over 500 Years

• 1443 Created Alphabet

– King Sejong “The language of this land is different

from China’s”

– Replaced complex Chinese system of writing

– Experts developed hangul-Korean phonetic

alphabet that uses symbols to represent the
sounds of spoken Korean

– Rejected at first by Confucian scholars, then

quickly spread

– Easier than the thousands of characters of written

Chinese

– Led to extremely high literacy rate-percentage of

people who can read and write

• 1590’s Japanese Invasion

– Ambitious Japanese ruler
– Invade China through Korea
– Looted and burned Korean peninsula for

years

– Korean admiral Yi Sun-shin

• Great hero who used “turtle ships”

(armored and shaped like turtles) to
sail into Japanese fleet

• 6 years later Japan withdrew
• Took Korean artisans to introduce

their skills to Japan.

Choson
Dynasty
Rules for
over 500

Years

CHAPTER 12
SECTION 4: THE
EMERGENCE OF
JAPAN AND THE
FEUDAL AGE

Geography
Sets Japan
Apart

• Japan is located on

an archipelago

• Has 4 main islands

– Hokkaido

– Honshu

– Kyushu

– Shikoku

Seas Protect

Japan

•4/5 of land is mountainous

•People settle in river valleys & coastal

plains

•Seas > protect & isolate Japan

•Japan at times sealed off from foreign

influence preserved identity

•Thriving fishing industry

Forces of
Nature

• Japan lies on “Ring of Fire”

– Chain of volcanoes

• Earthquakes & tsunamis

– No warning

Early Traditions

• Yamato Clan Claims Power

• –society divided into uji (clans)

• –clans had a chief & special god

• –Yamato set up Japan’s 1st& only dynasty

• –current emperors trace roots to this clan

Early

Traditions

Cont.

• Religion

• –worshiped forces of nature > Shinto

• –traditions still seen today

• Korean Connection

• –Japanese lang. > diff. from Chinese but related to

Korean

• arrival of Buddhism sparked an interest

Japan

Looks to

China

••People from Yamato Clan visited China under the Tang dynasty

•–spread Chinese art and technology

•–adopted Chinese govt., pagoda architecture, Confucian ideas, etc.

••Tang declined > formed their own unique civilization

••Selective borrowing?

•–Example > added kana> phonetic symbols representing syllables
to Chinese writing

Warriors Est.
Feudalism

••Warrior aristocracy dominates Japan

•Emperor > figurehead

•Shoguns

•–Supreme military commanders

•Warrior Lords (Daimyo)

•Lesser Warriors > Samurai> “those who serve”

•–Disciplined and highly trained warriors

•–Code of values > bushido

•Peasants, Artisans, and Merchants (75% pop.)

Fight Off
Mongols

• Kublai Khan sent two large forces to Japan

when they did not accept Mongol rule

• –Both invasions unsuccessful due to

typhoons

Tokugawas Unite
Japan

•Introduce centralized feudalism

•Created a unified orderly society

•Peace countryside > surplus in food > economy booms

–huge population increase

–trade flourished

•Zen Buddhism is est.

–Self-reliance

–Mediation

–Devotion to duty