1) Ancient Japan was first inhabited over 30,000 years ago via a land bridge from Asia. The Jomon period from 8,000 BC to 300 BC saw the development of pottery and shellfish gathering. From 300 BC to 300 AD, the Yayoi period brought rice farming and the use of bronze and iron tools. 2) The Kofun period from 300 AD to 710 AD saw a more unified Japan with powerful families buried in large tombs. Buddhism was introduced in 552 AD. In the 7th century, the emperor became more powerful and the capital was moved to Nara in 710, establishing a centralized state. 3) The Heian period from 794 to 1

1. Japanese History
ANCIENT JAPAN
The First Japanese
Human beings have lived in Japan for at least 30,000 years.
During the last ice age Japan was connected to mainland Asia
by a land bridge and stone age hunters were able to walk across.
When the ice age ended about 10,000 BC Japan became a group
of islands.
About 8,000 BC the ancient Japanese learned to make pottery.
The period from 8,000 BC to 300 BC is called the Jomon. The
word Jomon means 'cord marked' because those people marked
their pottery by wrapping cord around it. The Jomon people
lived by hunting, fishing and collecting shellfish. The Jomon
made tools of stone, wood and bone. They also made clay
figurines of people and animals called dogu.
Between 300 BC and 300 AD a new era began in Japan. At that
time the Japanese learned to grow rice. They also learned to
make tools of bronze and iron. The Japanese also learned to
weave cloth.
This period is called Yayoi. (It was named after a village called
Yayoicho). Farming meant a more settled lifestyle. Yayoi
people lived in villages of wooden huts. Farming and other
skills also meant society became divided into classes. The
leaders of Yayoi society were buried in mounds away from the
ordinary people's burial grounds.
The Kofun Period in Japan

2. The Yayoi period was followed by the Kofun (from 300 AD to
710 AD).
At this time Japan gradually became united. The rich and
powerful men of the era were buried in vast tombs called Kofun.
Clay figures called haniwa were placed around the tombs to
guard them. At that time Japan was heavily influenced by
China. About 400 AD writing was introduced into Japan from
China. The Japanese also learned to make paper from the
Chinese. They also learned to make porcelain, silk and lacquer.
The Japanese also learned to plan cities in the Chinese way.
According to tradition in 552 AD the king of Paekche in Korea
sent priests to convert Japan to Buddhism. The native Japanese
religion is called Shinto, which means 'the way of the gods'.
Shinto teaches that spirits are present everywhere in nature.
Every natural phenomena such as a mountain, lake, tree,
waterfall and even rock has a spirit. Shinto does not have
prophets or a sacred book but its teachings were passed on in
myths. Shinto has many ceremonies and festivals. The two
religions, Buddhism and Shinto co-existed peacefully in Japan.
Shinto is more concerned with this life and its followers
frequently pray for things they need or desire. Buddhism is
more concerned with what happens after death. Most of the
Japanese were happy to practice both religions.
The Kofun Period in Japan
Furthermore in the 7th century AD the emperor became more
powerful. Prince Shotoku (574-622) ruled as regent to Empress
Suiko. He was a patron of the arts and learning. He brought
scholars from China and Korea to Japan and he adopted the
Chinese calendar.
Shotoku also built the Horyuji Buddhist temple and monastery
in 607. It burned down in 670 but it was rebuilt and became a
center of Buddhist learning. Today they are the world's oldest

3. surviving wooden structures.
After him, in 646, a series of reforms were made known as the
Taika. From then on all land in Japan belonged to the emperor.
Peasants were made to pay taxes to the emperor either in goods
like rice or cloth or in labor by working on building sites or by
serving as soldiers. In 670 a census was held to find out how
many taxpayers there were. By the late 7th century Japan was a
centralized and highly civilized kingdom.
At that time the capital of Japan was moved when an emperor
died as people believed it was unlucky to stay in the same place
afterwards. However following the Chinese custom the Japanese
decided to create a permanent capital. They built a city at Nara
in 710. At that time Japan was divided into provinces. In 713
the governor of each Japanese province was ordered to write a
report about his province. The reports described the products of
each province as well as its plants, animals and other resources.
However in the 8th century Buddhist monks and priests began to
interfere in politics. So in 784 Emperor Kammu (737-806)
decided to move his capital. Eventually in 794 he moved to
Heian-Kyo, which means 'capital of peace'. Later the city's
name changed to Kyoto and it remained the official capital of
Japan till 1868.
The Heian Period in Japan
The era from 794 to 1185 is called the Heian period. During this
period the arts and learning flourished. About 1000 Ad Lady
Murasaki Shikibu wrote the world's first novel The Tale of
Genji a story about the life of a prince called Genji. Another
book from that time is a diary written by a lady in waiting
named Sei Shonagon. It is called The Pillow Book.
Meanwhile at the beginning of the 9th century Dengo Daishi
founded the Tendai sect of Buddhism. Slightly later Kobo
Daishi founded the Shingon sect. Meanwhile in the late 7th
century an aristocratic family called the Fujiwara became very

4. powerful. They had an increasing influence on Japanese
politics.
Moreover outside Kyoto the emperor's power grew weaker. Rich
landowners became increasingly powerful and they employed
private armies. (Japanese warriors were called Samurai). In
feudal Japan the Samurai were hereditary warriors who followed
a code of behavior called bushido. Samurai were supposed to be
completely loyal and self-disciplined. Rather than be captured
by the enemy samurai were supposed to commit suicide by
disemboweling themselves. This was called seppuku. Samurai
fought with long swords called katana and short swords called
wakizashi. They also used spears called yari and daggers called
tanta. Samurai also had skewers called kogai and small knives
called kozuka.
The Heian Period in Japan
The main piece of armor to protect a samurai’s torso was called
a haramaki. It had skirts called kasazuri to protect the lower
torso. A samurai’s helmet was called a kabuto. A kabuto had
neck guards called shikoro. It sometimes had a crest called a
kasjirushi. The neck was also protected by a piece called the
nowdawa. Samurai also wore masks called mempo. They wore
armored sleeves called kote to protect their arms.
Eventually in 1180 civil war broke out between rival powerful
families in Japan. On one side were the Taira family (also
called the Heike). On the other side were the Minamoto family
(also called the Genepi). The Minamoto were supported by the
Fujiwara. They were led by two brothers Yoritomo and
Yoshitsune. The Taira were finally defeated by the Minamoto in
a naval battle at Dannoura in 1185.
JAPAN IN THE MIDDLE AGES
In 1192 the emperor gave Yoritomo the title Sei Tai Shogun,

5. which means barbarian conquering great general. The shogun
became the real power in Japan ruling in the emperor's name.
This new form of government was called bakufu, which means
tent government as generals gave commands from their tents
during wartime.
After Yoritomo's death two of his sons ruled Japan in turn.
However the second son was assassinated in 1219. Power then
passed to Yoritomo's wife's family, the Hojo. Afterwards Japan
had an emperor, who was only a figurehead, a Shogun and a
Hojo regent ruling on behalf of the shogun.
In the 13th and 14th centuries town and trade in Japan grew and
merchants became wealthy. They organised themselves into
guilds. Also at this time Zen Buddhism became popular. Zen
emphasizes meditation. Some followers meditate by trying to
empty their minds of all worldly thoughts and desires. Others
meditate on riddles called Koan such as 'what is the sound of
one hand?'. Zen had a tremendous influence on arts like
gardening and flower arranging. (Japanese flower arranging is
called Ikebana and from the 15th century it developed into a
sophisticated art).
JAPAN IN THE MIDDLE AGES
Also at this time the tea ceremony evolved in Japan. According
to tradition a monk named Eisai (1141-1215) brought tea seeds
from China in 1191. He believed that tea helped monks remain
alert when they were meditating. To maintain the calm mood the
tea was prepared slowly and carefully. Gradually the process of
making and drinking tea in a peaceful and relaxing environment
spread to the nobility and merchants. Finally in the late 16th
century the tea ceremony or cha-no-yu was developed into its
modern form by Sen no Rikuyu (1522-1519).
In the middle of this era the Mongols tried to conquer Japan.
They sent fleets in 1274 and 1281. In 1274 the Mongols landed
but withdrew when their fleet was endangered by a storm. In

6. 1281 the Mongols landed again. For seven weeks they held a
bridgehead in Japan but again their fleet was scattered by a
typhoon. The Japanese called it Kamikaze, which means divine
wind.
Fighting the Mongols cost a great deal of money. That in turn
meant high taxes and inevitably the government became deeply
unpopular. Meanwhile the emperor Go-Daigo was not content to
be a mere figurehead and in 1333 he raised an army to fight the
Hojo. The Hojos sent a force under a general named Ashikaga
Takauji (1305-1358). However Takauji changed sides. He joined
forces with Emperor Go-Daigo and the Hojos committed
suicide. However Go-Daigo and Ashikaga Takauji soon
quarreled. In 1336 Takauji led a rebellion. Go-Daigo fled to
Yoshino. Takauji created a rival emperor in Kyoto and ruled as
shogun. So until 1392 Japan had two emperors.
The Muromachi Period in Japan
The era from 1333 to 1573 is called the Muromachi period
because the Ashikaga family ruled from the Muromachi district
of Kyoto. During the Muromachi period Noh theater developed
in Japan. Actors were masks and perform on a bare stage with a
painted backdrop. Musicians accompany the actors.
Furthermore two great monuments survive from the Muromachi
period, the Kinkaku-ji and the Ginkaku-ji, (gold and silver
pavilions) in Kyoto.
However in 1466 the Ashikaga family argued over who would
be the next shogun. The argument became the Onin War from
1467-1477. The fighting took place mostly in and around Kyoto
and much of the city was destroyed. By the end of the 15th
century central authority had virtually disappeared. While there
was still an emperor he was only a figurehead and Japan was
afflicted by a long series of civil wars as rival landowners,
called daimyos, fought for power.

7. The Portuguese arrive in Japan
In 1542 the Portuguese arrived in Japan. Two Portuguese were
passengers on a Chinese ship that landed at Tanegashima Island.
The Portuguese were keen to trade with the Japanese and they
soon returned. Very quickly the Japanese learned to make guns
from the Portuguese. The Portuguese also brought tobacco and
sweet potatoes to Japan. They also brought clocks. The Japanese
called the Portuguese namban, which means southern barbarians
because they sailed to Japan from the south.
In 1549 Jesuit missionaries led by Francis Xavier arrived in
Japan and attempted to convert the Japanese to Roman
Catholicism. At first the Japanese tolerated them. In 1571
Nagasaki was founded to trade with the Europeans and it
became a center of missionary activity.
Meanwhile Japanese warfare was radically changed by the
introduction of handguns and cannons. A warlord called Oda
Nobunaga quickly learned to use the new weapons and in 1569
he captured the port of Sakai. In 1575 he won a great victory at
Nagashino. By the time he died in 1582 he controlled central
Japan.
The Portuguese arrive in Japan
Oda Nobunaga was assassinated in 1582 but his general
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536-1598) avenged his death and
continued the work of reuniting Japan. In 1587 he subdued the
southern island of Kyushu and by 1590 he had also conquered
eastern Japan. Toyotomi then attempted to conquer Korea.
However he failed and the Japanese withdrew in 1598.
Toyotomi died shortly afterwards.
Toyotomi wanted his son Hideyori to succeed him. Before he

8. died Toyotomi persuaded his general Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-
1616) to promise to support his son. However Ieyasu soon broke
his promise and seized power for himself. In 1600 he crushed
his rivals at Sekigahara although Hideyori survived. In 1603
Ieyasu was made shogun and in 1615 his forces captured Osaka
castle, Hideyori's stronghold. Hideyori killed himself. Japan
was now united under a strong central government and the
Tokugawa family ruled as shoguns until 1868.
The Tokugawa Period in Japan
During the Tokugawa period Japanese society was strictly
divided. At the top were the daimyo, the landowners. Below
them were the samurai, hereditary warriors. Below them came
the farmers, the craftsmen then the merchants. (The merchants
were at the bottom because they did not make anything.
However in reality many merchants became very rich).
Meanwhile in 1600 a badly damaged Dutch ship landed in
Japan. On board was an Englishman, William Adams (1564-
1620). He was taken to Ieyasu, who questioned him. Adams
showed the Japanese how to build two European style ships. He
also married a Japanese woman and lived in Japan until his
death.
In 1609 another Dutch ship arrived in Japan. The shogun
granted the Dutch the right to trade with Japan. In 1613 an
English ship came the shogun gave them too the right to trade.
Meanwhile Japanese merchants sailed to Thailand and the
Philippines (a Spanish colony). In 1610 a Japanese merchant
called Tanaka Shosuke sailed to Mexico.
However despite trading with foreigners the Japanese began
persecuting Christians. The government feared Christians were
a threat to Japan's internal security. In 1597 Toyotomi
Hideyoshi had 26 Christians including 9 European missionaries,
crucified in Nagasaki. In 1612 Christianity was banned
altogether in Japan and persecution of Christians grew worse

9. and worse. Finally in 1637 Christians in the Shimbara area
rebelled. However in 1638 the rebellion was crushed and
Christians were massacred.
The Japanese government then shut their country off from the
rest of the world. Between 1633 and 1639 laws were passed
forbidding the Japanese to travel abroad or to build ocean-going
ships. Only the Chinese and the Dutch were allowed to trade
with Japan. In 1641 the Dutch were restricted to an island in
Nagasaki Harbor called Dejima. This policy of isolating Japan
was called sakoku. However Japan did not cut itself off from
the outside world completely. Dutch books were still imported
and the Japanese ruling class were quite well informed of what
was happening in the outside world.
The Tokugawa Period in Japan
The Tokugawa government went to great lengths to maintain
order. They directly controlled about one quarter of the land in
Japan. Around their land they gave estates to trusted daimyos.
Land around the edges of Japan was given to their former
enemies. The Tokugawa also employed spies to watch powerful
families in Japan.
The arts flourished during the Tokugawa period. So did trade
and commerce. However Japan was not entirely peaceful. There
were many peasant rebellions. Nevertheless samurai were less
useful than in former times and many became ronin or samurai
without masters.
In the late 17th century Kabuki theater developed in Japan.
Male actors play the female roles and actors are accompanied by
music and singing. The martial art of kendo developed into its
modern form in the late 18th century. It was derived from
samurai training but practitioners use bamboo staves instead of
swords.
By 1853 the Western powers wanted Japan to open her market
to their goods. The Americans also wanted to use Japan as a

10. coaling station for steam ships. So in July 1853 4 American
ships commanded by Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into
Japanese waters near Edo. Perry handed over a message asking
for trading rights, coaling ports and protection for shipwrecked
sailors. Perry warned he would return next year with a much
larger force. He returned in February 1854 with 9 ships.
Japan's armed forces were in no state to resist so the shogun
agreed to open two ports to American ships. By 1856 France,
Britain, the Netherlands and Russia had also forced Japan to
sign similar treaties. In 1858 the Americans forced the Japanese
to open more ports to trade. Britain, France and Russia forced
Japan to sign similar treaties. The treaties stated that the
Japanese could only charge low import duties on imported
goods. Furthermore foreign citizens were exempt from Japanese
law.
Western imperialism
in Asia dramatically changed Japan
Let’s quickly review Japanese history
Title
Text
Ancient Japan was a territory divided by clans that borrowed
ideas from China, like Buddhism, emperors, writing, &
architecture

11. By the mid 11th century, Japanese feudalism began
Japan was ruled by regional landowners called daimyo
Daimyo were served by loyal warriors called samurai
Emperor had little power
For safety, farmers and small landowners traded parts of their
land to strong warlords in exchange for protection. With more
land, the lords gained more power. This marked the beginning
of a feudal system of localized rule like that of ancient China
and medieval Europe.
Samurai Warriors
Since wars between rival lords were commonplace, each lord
surrounded himself with a bodyguard of loyal warriors called
samurai (SAM•uh•RY). (Samurai means “one who serves.”)
Samurai lived according to a demanding code of behavior called
Bushido (BUSH•ih•DOH), or “the way of the warrior.” A
samurai was expected to show reckless courage, reverence for
the gods, fairness, and generosity toward those weaker than
himself. Dying an honorable death was judged more important
than living a long life.
The Kamakura Shogunate
During the late 1100s, Japan’s two most powerful clans fought
for power. After almost 30 years of war, the Minamoto family
emerged victorious. In 1192, the emperor gave a Minamoto
leader named Yoritomo the title of shogun, or “supreme general
of the emperor’s army.” In effect, the shogun had the powers of
a military dictator. Following tradition, the emperor still
reigned from Kyoto. (Kyoto was rebuilt on the ruins of Heian,
which had been destroyed in war.) However, the real center of
power was at the shogun’s military headquarters at Kamakura
(KAHM•uh•KUR•uh). The 1200s are known in Japanese history
as the Kamakura shogunate. The pattern of government in which
shoguns ruled through puppet emperors lasted in Japan until
1868. The Kamakura shoguns were strong enough to turn back
the two naval invasions sent by the great Mongol ruler Kublai

12. Khan in 1274 and 1281. However, the Japanese victory over the
Mongols drained the shoguns’ treasury. Loyal samurai were
bitter when the government failed to pay them. The Kamakura
shoguns lost prestige and power. Samurai attached themselves
more closely to their local lords, who soon fought one another
as fiercely as they had fought the Mongols.
16
From 1192 to 1867, Japan was ruled by military dictators called
shogun
From 1560 to 1600, 3 powerful shogun, unified Japan
Oda Nobunaga
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan in 1600 & created a strong line
of succession called the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan
until 1867
17
European merchants & missionaries first arrived in Japan
in the mid-1500s
Japanese shogun enjoyed trade with Europeans & were
fascinated by their military & technologies
But the rapid conversion of Japanese to Christianity worried
Tokugawa who banned Christianity in 1619

13. Contact Between Europe and Japan
Europeans began coming to Japan in the 16th century, during
the Warring States period. Despite the severe disorder in the
country, the Japanese welcomed traders and missionaries, from
Portugal and, later, other European countries. These newcomers
introduced fascinating new technologies and ideas. Within a
century, however, the aggressive Europeans had worn out their
welcome.
Portugal Sends Ships, Merchants, and Technology to Japan
The Japanese first encountered Europeans in 1543, when
shipwrecked Portuguese sailors washed up on the shores of
southern Japan. Portuguese merchants soon followed. They
hoped to involve themselves in Japan’s trade with China and
Southeast Asia. The Portuguese brought clocks, eyeglasses,
tobacco, firearms, and other unfamiliar items from Europe.
Japanese merchants, eager to expand their markets, were happy
to receive the newcomers and their goods. The daimyo, too,
welcomed the strangers. They were particularly interested in the
Portuguese muskets and cannons, because every daimyo sought
an advantage over his rivals. The Japanese purchased weapons
from the Portuguese and soon began their own production.
Firearms forever changed the time-honored tradition of the
Japanese warrior, whose principal weapon had been the sword.
Some daimyo recruited and trained corps of peasants to use
muskets. Many samurai, who retained the sword as their
principal weapon, would lose their lives to musket fire in future
combat. The cannon also had a huge impact on warfare and life
in Japan. Daimyo had to build fortified castles to withstand the
destructive force of cannonballs. (See the photograph of Himeji
Castle on page 543.) The castles attracted merchants, artisans,
and others to surrounding lands. Many of these lands were to
grow into the towns and cities of modern Japan, including Edo
(Tokyo), Osaka, Himeji, and Nagoya.
Christian Missionaries in Japan
In 1549, Christian missionaries began arriving in Japan. The

14. Japanese accepted the missionaries in part because they
associated them with the muskets and other European goods that
they wanted to purchase. However, the religious orders of
Jesuits, Franciscans, and Dominicans came to convert the
Japanese. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit, led the first mission to
Japan. He wrote that the Japanese were “very sociable. . . and
much concerned with their honor, which they prize above
everything else.” Francis Xavier baptized about a hundred
converts before he left Japan. By the year 1600, other European
missionaries had converted about 300,000 Japanese to
Christianity. The success of the missionaries upset Tokugawa
Ieyasu. He found aspects of the Christian invasion troublesome.
Missionaries, actively seeking converts, scorned traditional
Japanese beliefs and sometimes involved themselves in local
politics. At first, Ieyasu did not take any action. He feared
driving off the Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Dutch traders
who spurred Japan’s economy. By 1612, however, the shogun
had come to fear religious uprisings more. He banned
Christianity and focused on ridding his country of all
Christians. Ieyasu died in 1616, but repression of Christianity
continued off and on for the next two decades under his
successors. In 1637, the issue came to a head. An uprising in
southern Japan of some 30,000 peasants, led by dissatisfied
samurai, shook the Tokugawa shogunate. Because so many of
the rebels were Christian, the shogun decided that Christianity
was at the root of the rebellion. After that, the shoguns
ruthlessly persecuted Christians. European missionaries were
killed or driven out of Japan. All Japanese were forced to
demonstrate faithfulness to some branch of Buddhism. These
policies eventually eliminated Christianity in Japan and led to
the formation of an exclusion policy.
The Closed Country Policy
The persecution of Christians was part of an attempt to control
foreign ideas. When Europeans first arrived, no central
authority existed to contain them. The strong leaders who later
took power did not like the introduction of European ideas and

15. ways, but they valued European trade. As time passed, the
Tokugawa shoguns realized that they could safely exclude both
the missionaries and the merchants. By 1639, they had sealed
Japan’s borders and instituted a “closed country policy.”
Japan in Isolation
Most commercial contacts with Europeans ended. One port,
Nagasaki, remained open to foreign traders. But only Dutch and
Chinese merchants were allowed into the port. Earlier, the
English had left Japan voluntarily; the Spanish and the
Portuguese had been expelled. Since the Tokugawa shoguns
controlled Nagasaki, they now had a monopoly on foreign trade,
which continued to be profitable. For more than 200 years,
Japan remained basically closed to Europeans. In addition, the
Japanese were forbidden to leave, so as not to bring back
foreign ideas. Japan would continue to develop, but as a self-
sufficient country, free from European attempts to colonize or
to establish their Presence. Europeans had met with much
resistance in their efforts to open the East to trade. But
expansion to the West, in the Americas, as you will learn in
Chapter 20, would prove much more successful for European
traders, missionaries, and colonizers.
18
To protect Japan from European influences, Tokugawa
Shogunate banned all foreign merchants & missionaries
By 1639, Japan adopted a “closed country policy” & Japan
entered an
era of isolation that lasted for 200 years
Nagasaki Bay
Deshima
Dutch Ships

16. During this era of isolation, the Japanese allowed one port at
Deshima in Nagasaki Bay to remain open but only to Dutch &
Chinese merchants
By 1639, they had sealed Japan’s borders and instituted a
“closed country policy.” Most commercial contacts with
Europeans ended. One port, Nagasaki, remained open to foreign
traders. But only Dutch and Chinese merchants were allowed
into the port. Earlier, the English had left Japan voluntarily; the
Spanish and the Portuguese had been expelled. Since the
Tokugawa shoguns controlled Nagasaki, they now had a
monopoly on foreign trade, which continued to be profitable.
For more than 200 years, Japan remained basically closed to
Europeans. In addition, the Japanese were forbidden to leave, so
as not to bring back foreign ideas. Japan would continue to
develop, but as a self-sufficient country, free from European
attempts to colonize or to establish their Presence. Europeans
had met with much resistance in their efforts to open the East to
trade. But expansion to the West, in the Americas, as you will
learn in Chapter 20, would prove much more successful for
European traders, missionaries, and colonizers.
20
The Japanese did more than trade with the Dutch, they also
learned from them about new Western ideas
These “Dutch studies” helped Japan learn about some of the
new scientific & industrial technologies in Europe
Microscope, 1787
Anatomy book, 1774
Electric battery, 1840

17. Railroad, 1845
Steamboat, 1845
Steam engine, 1845
21
Title
From 1640 to 1853, Japan was isolated while the rest of Asia
became imperialized by Western powers
In the early 1800s, Britain, France, Russia, & USA tried to
negotiate trade rights in Japan
The Japanese repeatedly refused Western trade
Critical Thinking Decision #1:
The Arrival of Americans in 1853
In 1853, U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Tokyo
Harbor with 4 well-armed, steamships & demanded that the
Japanese trade with the USA
Japan’s Response:
C
Japanese officials realized they were overmatched by
U.S. naval ships
When Matthew Perry returned in 1854, Japanese officials signed
the Treaty of Kanagawa which opened two ports to American
merchants

18. After the United States opened the door to Japanese trade in
1854, other Western powers entered Japan
By 1860, England, France, the Dutch, Russia, & USA all had
unequal trade treaties & extraterritorial rights in Japan
Text
Japanese were angry that the shogun had given in to foreigner’s
demands & feared Japan would become as powerless as China
In 1867, the Tokugawa shogun stepped down which brought an
end to 600 years of military dictatorship
Emperor Mutsuhito took control of the government & took the
title “Meiji” (“enlightened rule”)
Critical Thinking Decision #2:
The Meiji Restoration
Japan’s Response:
B
http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/throwing_off_asia_01/2
000_535_l.html
http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/throwing_off_asia_01/t
oa_essay03.html
26
The Meiji emperor realized the best way to end Western

19. influence was to modernize
Japan sent diplomats to Europe & America to study Western
ways & adapt them to their own country
Japan admired Germany’s government & used it as a model to
create a new constitution and parliament
Japanese leaders eagerly supported industrialization & began
building modern factories…
Title
…railroads, steamships, & steel bridges
Japan built a modern military by modeling their army after the
Germans & their navy after the British
Title
Text

20. Japanese officials reformed education using models from
German, America, & French public schools
32
Western fashions became popular in Japan
End of the
feudal system
Land
Redistribution
Human Rights
& Religious
Freedom
Build a
Modern Navy
(Britain)
Public schools
(Germany, USA,
& France)
Modernize
the Army
(Germany)
Emperor
Worship
Intensified

21. Written
Constitution
(Germany)
Modern
banking system
Meiji Reforms
Modernization in the Meiji era transformed Japan into the most
industrial & militarized nation in Asia
By 1900, Japan had 7,000 miles of railroad track; thousands of
factories; profitable tea, silk, shipbuilding industries; & an
modern army & navy
Critical Thinking Decision #3:
Japanese reforms & industrialization
Japan’s Response:
D
The Meiji reforms gave Japan power & respect; Japanese
nationalism led to the end to Western extraterritorial rights &
unequal trade treaties
34
By the 1890s, Japan saw itself as a modern nation that needed
raw materials

22. Like other industrialized nations, Japan began to imperialize in
Asia
Japan looked to take Korea, but China always had a claim to the
land
The dispute with China over Korea resulted
in the Sino-Japanese War from 1894 to 1895
In a short time, Japan defeated the Chinese army & destroyed
their navy
For their victory, Japan gained Taiwan & spheres
of influence in China
36
Title
Text
This woodblock print is an almost perfect example of how the
Japanese (left) saw themselves as totally different from the
Chinese and fundamentally similar to the Westerners, seen here
in the figures of Western advisors (right) standing behind the
Chinese

23. After Japan’s victory over China, a rivalry developed between
Japan & Russia
From 1904 to 1905
Russo-Japanese War began over control of Port Arthur &
Manchuria
During the war, Japan shocked the world by defeating a western
power
In 1905, U.S President Teddy Roosevelt helped draft the treaty
that Korea to Japan & removed Russia from Manchuria
“In the world’s eye”
39
Title
Japan’s victories over China & Russia transformed Japan into
the dominant force in Asia
Western nations relied on Japan to keep order in Asia
Unfortunately, Japanese imperialism surged again in the 1930s
& 1940s which became a focal point of World War II
Closure Activity
Compare and contrast Chinese & Japanese reactions to
imperialism:
How were each impacted by the arrival of Europeans?
How did each respond to imperialism?
Why was Japan’s reaction to imperialism more “successful”

24. than China’s?
A TIMELINE OF JAPAN
c. 8,000 BC People in Japan begin making pottery. They live by
hunting, fishing and collecting shellfish.
c. 300 BC - 300 AD The Yayoi period in Japan. The Japanese
begin growing rice, weaving cloth and using bronze and iron.
300 - 710 AD The Kofun Period. Japan is gradually united.
Writing is introduced from China. Buddhism is introduced from
Korea.
646 From this date all land in Japan belonged to the emperor.
Peasants were made to pay taxes in goods or labour.
710 The city of Nara is built
1000 Lady Murasaki Shikibu writes the worlds first novel, The
Tale of Genji
1180 Civil war breaks out between rival families in Japan
1192 Yoritomo becomes Shogun
1274 The Mongols attempt to conquer Japan but fail
1281 The Mongols try again but their fleet is scattered by a
typhoon
c. 1300 Trade flourishes in Japan and merchants grow wealthy
1333-1573 The Muromachi Period in Japan. Noh theatre
develops.
1467-1477 The Onin War, a civil war is fought
A TIMELINE OF JAPAN
1542 The Portuguese arrive in Japan. The Japanese learn to
make guns. The Portuguese also bring sweet potatoes and
tobacco as well as clocks.
1549 Jesuits led by Francis Xavier arrive in Japan
1571 Nagasaki is founded
1575 A warlord called Oda Nobunaga wins a victory at
Nagashino

25. 1582 Oda Nobunaga wins is assassinated but his general
Toytomi Hideyoshi continues his work
1600 A Dutch ship reaches Japan. On board is an Englishman
William Adams.
1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu makes himself shogun
1612 Christianity is banned in Japan
1633-39 Laws forbid the Japanese to travel aboard of built
ocean-going ships.
1641 Dutch merchants are restricted to Nagasaki Harbor
1853 American ships sail into Japanese water and demand
trading rights
1854-56 Japan is forced to allow the USA and certain European
countries to trade
1868 The emperor is restored to power (after being a figurehead
for centuries) and a program of modernization begins
1870 A telegraph is laid between Tokyo and Yokohama
1872 A railway is laid between Tokyo and Yokohama.
Compulsory education is introduced in Japan.
1889 The emperor grants a constitution based on the German
one
A TIMELINE OF JAPAN
1894-95 Japan fights a successful war with China
1902 Japan signs a treaty with Britain
1904-05 Japan fights a successful war with Russia
1910 Japan annexes Korea
1923 Tokyo is devastated by an earthquake
1926 Hirohito becomes emperor of Japan
1931 Japan occupies Manchuria
1937 Japan invades the rest of China
1941 Japan attacks the US fleet at Pearl Harbor
1942 Japan captures Singapore and the Philippines but they are
defeated at Midway Island

26. 1944 Japan is defeated at Leyte Gulf
1945 The USA drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1946 The Americans draw up a new constitution for Japan
1955 The Liberal Democratic Party takes power
1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s Japan experiences rapid economic
growth and living standards rise enormously
1990s Japan is in economic doldrums
2006 The Democratic Party of Japan wins a majority in the
lower house of parliament
2011 Japan suffers a severe earthquake and tsunami but soon
recovers
Imperial China
The Qin Dynasty And The First Emperor
The Qin Dynasty emerged as the dominating state after a period
of infighting between six eastern Chinese states
To maintain control over their empire the Qin Kings centralized
their power
The first Qin King called himself the First Emperor
Centralization, the process of decision making and control are
concentrated to a specific group
The Qin Dynasty And The First Emperor
Government rules of operations and legal codes applied to all
parts of empire
Introduced standardized money, writing and measurement

27. system
Government controlled education and thought
Teachers and the educated who dissented with Qin rule were put
to death or banished
Censorship was enacted towards Confucian scholars and
teachings
Censorship is when a government suppresses speech or the
written word it finds critical or objectionable
The Qin Dynasty And The First Emperor
The Great Wall was built to stop invasions of nomadic people
who were raiding frontier of Qin empire
Great Wall is a combinations of four wall systems of various
construction quality
Was built by forced labor and oppressive taxes
Wall is 3,754 miles long and housed soldiers who fought
invaders from towers and fortresses
The Qin Dynasty And Legalism
Under Legalism the law was the supreme authority and all
people were equal under the eyes of the law
Positions in government had power, power did not lie in people
and it was government’s duty to rule not people
No true creator to legalism but was influenced by writings of
supporters of a strong government

28. The Han Dynasty: Daily Life
1 out 10 lived in walled cities that had planned streets and
blocks
Government buildings and trade centers were incorporated into
city design
Poor lived in shanty homes, young men joined gangs and wore
identifying clothes and terrorized people
The rich lived in lavish large decorated homes in secluded
areas of the city
Wealthy wore the nicest and most comfortable clothes
The Han Dynasty: The Merchants and The Craftsmen
Merchant a successful occupation and rank but it was despised
Rich and poor despised them because they were they were not
born rich and did not farm the land
Laws were passed to ban the merchant class from own chariots
and horses
The Han Dynasty: Education
Public schools introduced because believed educated were key
to good government
Wealthy went to private schools and taught math, sciences,
literature, religion and arts
Jobs were given to educated people who received pay for their
work

29. The Silk Road
Silk Road, was a major trade route which sold China’s secret
commodity (silk)
Chinese Silk Road connected China to the Roman Empire
Silk Road was protected by Great Wall
Employed mandatory military service to maintain empire
Confucianism
Confucius born 551 B.C. to wealthy family who eventual
became poor
Passionate about learning believed to be most educated in China
and sought out as teacher
Confucianism stresses the need to develop responsibility and
moral behavior through rigid rules of behavior
It stressed a way of behaving, so you’ll do the right things
Taoism
Taoism is a philosophy, a way of looking at life and a way of
thinking about things
Taoists believe if you look at life and think about things in the
right way, you'll be much happier
Taoists believe it's very important to discover who we are

30. Early Contacts with Europeans
16th century – Portuguese traded for silk and tea
Portuguese followed by the Dutch and English
Chinese History
1644 – conquered by Manchus
Qing dynasty
Chinese forced to wear pigtails (sign of subservient status)
18th century
Manchus began restricting Europeans – missionaries and traders
First Opium War
(1839-1842)
British brought opium from India to Canton
Many Chinese became addicts
Chinese emperor forbade opium imports
War between British and Chinese
Treaty of Nanking (1842)
Four additional British ports in China
Amoy, Ningpo, Foochow, Shanghai
British control over Hong Kong
China had to pay an indemnity
China limited to 5% tariff

31. Other Westerners in China
Belgium, France, Holland (Netherlands), Portugal, Prussia
(Germany), United States
Spheres of influence
Exclusive trading areas
Extraterritoriality
Tried in their own courts and under their own laws
Second Opium War
(1856-1860)
Also known as the Arrow War
Results
More Chinese ports opened up to European trade
Opium traffic legalized
Protection of Christian missionaries
All foreign vessels could navigate the Yangtze River
U.S. and Russia also participated in peace process
Russia’s border extended to Amur River
Maritime Provinces – Pacific area without permafrost
Founded Vladivostok in 1860
More Foreign Control of China
Annam, etc.
Merged into French Indo-China (1883)
Burma (Myanmar)
Annexed by British (1886)
Formosa
Attacked and taken by Japanese (1895)

32. Korea
Annexed by Japanese (1910)
Liaotung Peninsula (Manchuria)
Concessions to Japanese (1910)
Manchuria
Imperial powers (particularly Japan and Russia) vied for control
of the Manchurian Railway
France, Germany, and Russia coerced Japan to return the
Liaotung Peninsula to China
New Scramble for China
France
Kwangchow – 99-year lease
Germany
Shantung Peninsula – sphere of influence
Great Britain
Wei-hai-wei – naval base
Yangtze valley – sphere of influence
Russia
Liaotung Peninsula – lease
Manchuria – economic concessions
Open Door Policy
Proposed by U.S. Secretary of State John Hay (1899)
Fear that China would be carved up between imperialist powers

33. Left China’s independence and territory intact
All nations could trade equally in China
Endorsed internationally
But not always strictly followed
Boxer Rebellion (1900)
Chinese people resented foreign influence and power
Order of the Patriotic Harmonious Fists
Called “Boxers” by Westerners
Demanded that foreigners leave China
Killed circa 300 and vandalized foreign property
European imperialists, Americans, and Japanese put down the
rebellion
China paid $333,000,000 in damages and had to permit military
forces in Peking (Beijing) and Tientsin
Fall of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty
Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908)
De facto Chinese monarch (1861-1908)
“Make me unhappy for a day and I will make you unhappy for a
lifetime.”
Conservative and anti-foreign
Blamed by many Chinese for foreign imperialist power in China
Fall of the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty
Emperor Puyi – the “Last Emperor”
Lived 1906-1967

34. Ruled China 1908-1912, and as a puppet for 12 days in 1917
Puppet emperor of Manchukuo (Japanese-ruled Manchuria),
1932-1945
Spent ten years in a Soviet prison after WWII
Lived a quiet life as a regular citizen in communist China
Died of disease during the Cultural Revolution (1967)
Republican Revolution
Sun Yat-sen (Sun Yixian)
Founded Kuomintang (Nationalist party)
Overthrew Manchu (Qing) dynasty
Established a republic
President of Chinese Republic who succeeded him – Yuan Shih-
k’ai
Kuomintang symbol
Republic of China: Weaknesses
Disunity
Local warlords fought Kuomintang for control
Wars raged between 1912 and 1928
Foreign imperialists
Americans, Europeans, and Japanese
Poor transportation
1914 – only 6,000 miles of railroad track
225,000 miles in the smaller United States
Few decent roads

35. Foreign Imperialists
Twenty-One Demands (1915)
Japan attempted to make China a Japanese protectorate
Action condemned and stopped by other leading world powers
World War I and the Treaty of Versailles
China attempted to abolish concessions and extraterritoriality
Attempt failed
China did not sign the Treaty of Versailles
Japan gained mandate over most of Germany’s Asian
possessions and rights
Three Principles of the People
Book published by Sun Yat-sen before his death in 1925
Principle of Mínquán
Democracy – the people are sovereign
Principle of Mínzú
Nationalism – an end to foreign imperialism
Principle of Mínshēng
Livelihood – economic development, industrialization, land
reform, and social welfare – elements of progressivism and
socialism
Growth of Communism
Sun Yat-sen appealed for Russian (Soviet) aid following the
Versailles Conference
1921-1925 – China received advisors, arms, communist
propaganda, and loans
Russia revoked its imperialist rights in China

36. Chinese flag, 1912-1928
The Kuomintang is Split
Right wing
Business people
Politicians
Left wing
Communists
Intellectuals
Radicals
Students
Nationalist Revolution
Sun Yat-sen succeeded by Chiang Kai-shek
Communists expelled by Kuomintang
1926-1928 – war to control the warlords
Capital moved from Peiping (a.k.a. Peking, today’s Beijing) to
Nanking (Nanjing)
Presidential Palace under Kuomintang Government in Nanjing
Possible anecdote: The Kuomintang changed the name of
Peking/Beijing to Peiping (or Beiping) in 1928.
33
Civil War in China
1927-1932 and 1933-1937 – war between Communists and
Nationalists
Communists – Mao Tse-tung (Mao Zedong)

37. Nationalists – Chiang Kai-shek
War halted 1932-1933 and 1937-1945 to fight Japanese
aggression
Communists were victorious in 1949
Nationalists retreated to Formosa (Taiwan)
End of imperialism in China
Hong Kong returned to China in 1997
Brief History of China
Introduction
city-states along the Yellow River Valley
in the Neolithic era
0 years since Yellow

38. Emperor during the period of the Three
Sovereigns and Five Emperors; the
written history of China begins with
Shang Dynasty 3600 years ago when
turtle shells with ancient Chinese writing
were carbon dated in 1500BC
Prehistory
– China was inhabited by Homo erectus more than 1 million
years ago
– The archaeological site of Xihoudu site in Shanxi Province is
the earliest recorded of use of fire by Homo erectus 1.27
million years ago
– The excavations at Yuanmou and later Lantian show early
habitation
– The most specimen of Homo erectus found in China is the
so-called Peking Man discovered in 1965

39. Peking Man
Prehistory (cont.)
– The Neolithic age traced back to 10,000 BC
– Early evidence for proto-Chinese millet agriculture is carbon-
dated to
about 7,000 BC
– Population was increased due to agriculture, the ability to
store and
redistribute crops and to support specialist craftsmen and
administrators
– In late Neolithic times, the Yellow River valley began to
establish itself
as a culture center, and the first villages were founded
– Early history of China is complicated by the lack of a written
language
during this period
– At Damaidi site in Ningxia, 3172 cliff carvings dating to
6000-5000 BC
have been discovered “featuring 8453 individual characters such
as
the sun, moon, stars, gods and scenes of hunting or grazing”;
these
pictographs are reputed to be similar to the earliest characters
confirmed to be written Chinese

40. Stone Tools
Mythical Era
– Sometimes known as the Three August Ones, were said to be
god-kings or
demigods
– Used their magical powers to improve the lives of their people
– In Records of the Grand Historian, it states that they were
“the Heavenly
Sovereign”, “the Earthly Sovereign” and “the Human
Sovereign”
– In Chunqiu Yundou Shu and Chunqiu Yuanming Bao, they
were identified as
“Fuxi”, “Nuwa” and “Shennong”
– They were legendary, morally perfect sage-kings
– According to Records of the Grand Historian, they were “the
Yellow Emperor”,
“Zhuanxu”, “Emperor Ku”, “Emperor Yao”, and “Emperor
Shun”

41. – The Songs of Chu identifies the Five Emperors as “Shaohao
(east)”, “Zhuanxu
(north)”, “Yellow Emperor (center)”, “Shennong (west)” and
“Fuxi (south)”
Nuwa (goddness) Yellow Emperor
Ancient Era
– 1600 BC)
– The first dynasty to be described in ancient historical records
such
as Records of the Grand Historian and Bamboo Annals
– The Bamboo Annals date the founding of the Xia Dynasty to
4200
years ago
– Founded when Shun abdicated the throne in favor of his
minister Yu,
whom Shun viewed as the perfect civil servant
– Yu was greatly praised by his people for eliminating flooding
by
organizing the building of canals in all the major rivers
– Most archaeologists connect the Xia to excavations at Erlitou
in
central Henan provice, where a broze smelter from around 2000
BC
was unearthed

42. – Early markings from this period found on pottery and shells
are
thought to be ancestors of modern Chinese characters with few
clear records matching the Shang oracle bones or the Zhou
bronze
vessel writings
– The Xia era remains poorly understood.
Ancient Era
– 1046 BC)
– The earliest discovered written record of China‟s past dates,
takes
the form of inscriptions of divination records on the bones or
shells of
animals, called oracle bones
– Shang Dynasty is divided into two sets
r Shang period (1600-1300 BC),
comes from
sources at Erligang, Zhengzhou and Shangcheng
of a large
body of oracle bone writings
– Fully developed system of writing as attested on bronze
inscriptions,
oracle bones, and a small number of other writings on pottery,
jade

43. and other stones, horn, etc
– Bronze casting and pottery also advanced in Shang Culture
– Shang Zhou, the last Shang king, committed suicide after his
army
was defeated by the Zhou people
Bronze
Ancient Era
– 221 BC, Western Zhou and Eastern
Zhou Dynasties)
– Longest dynasty in Chinese history
– By the end of the 2nd millennium BC, the Zhou Dynasty
began to
emerge in the Yellow River valley, overrunning the Shang
– The Zhou appeared to have begun their rule under a semi-
feudal
system
– The ruler of the Zhou, King Wu, with the assistance of his
brother, the
Duke of Zhou, as regent managed to defeat the Shang at the
Battle of
Muye
– The king of Zhou at this time invoked the concept of the
Mandate of

44. Heaven to legitimize his rule, a concept that would be
influential for
almost every successive dynasty
– Initially moved the capital west to an area near modern Xi‟an,
near the
Yellow River, but they would preside over a series of
expansions into
Yangtze River valley
– First of many population migrations from north to south in
Chinese
history
Western
Zhou
Dynasty
musical
bronze bell
Ancient Era
Autumn Period (from the second half of the 8th
century BC to the first half of the 5th century BC)
– First half of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty
– Local military leaders used by the Zhou began to assert their
power
and vie for hegemony, which marks the second large phase of

45. the
Zhou Dynasty: the Eastern Zhou
– In each of the hundreds of states that eventually arose, local
strongmen held most of the political power and continued their
subservience to the Zhou kings in name only. Local leaders
started
using royal titles for themselves
– The Hundred Schools of Thought of Chinese philosophy
blossomed
during this period
– Influential intellectual movements as Confucianism, Taoism,
Legalism and Mohism were founded, partly in response to the
changing political world
– This period is marked by a falling apart of the central Zhou
power.
China now consists of hundreds of states, some only as large as
a
village with a fort
Chinese pu
vessel with
interlaced
dragon
design
Confucius

46. Ancient Era
Warring States Period (from 5th century BC to 221 BC)
– After further political consolidation following the Spring and
Autumn Period, seven prominent states remained by the end of
5th century BC
– The years in which these few states battled each other are
known as the Warring States Period
– Zhou king remained nominal until 256 BC, he was largely a
figurehead and held little real power
– As neighboring territories of these warring states were
annexed,
they were governed under the new local administrative system
of commandery and prefecture
– The final expansion in this period began during the reign of
Ying
Zheng, the king of Qin
Imperial Era
– 206 BC)
– The unification of China in 221 BC under the First Emperor
Qin Shi Huang marked the beginning of Imperial China
– Though the unified reign of the Qin Emperor lasted only 12
years, he managed to subdue great parts of what constitutes
the core of the Han Chinese homeland and unite them under

47. a tightly centralized legalist government seated at Xianyang
(close to modern Xi‟an)
– The doctrine of legalism that guided the Qin emphasized strict
adherence of a legal code and the absolute power of the
emperor
– A lavish tomb for the emperor, complete with a Terracotta
Army, was built near the capital Xianyang (picture above)
The Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang
Imperial Era
– The Qin presided over the brutal silencing of political
opposition, including the event known as the burning and
burying the scholars
– Well known for beginning the Great Wall of China, which was
later augmented and enhanced during the Ming Dynasty
– A number of public works projects, including canals and
bridges, were also undertaken to consolidate and strengthen
imperial rule
– The other major contributions of the Qin include the concept
of a centralized government, the unification of the legal code,
written language, measurement and currency of China after
the tribulations of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States
Periods
The Great Wall

48. Imperial Era
-220 AD, Western Han, Xin and
Eastern
Han Dynasties)
– The first dynasty to embrace the philosophy of Confucianism,
which
became the ideological underpinning of all regimes until the end
of
imperial China
– China made great advances in many areas of the arts and
sciences
– Emperor Wu consolidated and extended the Chinese empire by
pushing back the Huns into the steppes of modern Inner
Mongolia.
This enabled the first opening of trading connections between
China
and the West, the Silk Road
– In 9 AD, the usurper Wang Mang founded the short-lived Xin
Dynasty
and started an extensive program of land and economic reforms.
However, the programs were never supported by the land-
holding
families. The instability brought chaos and uprisings
Silk
Road

49. Imperial Era
– Emperor Guangu reinstated the Han Dynasty with the support
of
land holding and merchant families. This new era is Eastern
Han
Dynasty
– One of the greatest Chinese inventions, paper, dates from the
Han Dynasty, largely attributed to the court eunuch Cai Lun
– Han power declined again amidst land acquisitions, invasions
and feuding between consort clans and eunuchs
– The Yellow Turban Rebellion broke out in 184, ushering in an
era
of warlords
– In the ensuing turmoil, three states tried to gain predominance
in
the period of the Three Kingdoms. This time period has been
greatly romanticized in works such as Romance of the Three
Kingdoms
Paper making
Imperial Era
– 280)
– The three kingdoms were Wei, Shu and Wu

50. – CaoCao died and in the tenth month his son Cao Pi forced
Emperor Xian
to abdicate, thus ending the Han Dynasty. He named his state
Wei and
made himself emperor at Luoyang
– In 221, Liu Bei named himself Emperor of Han, in a bid to
restore the
fallen Han Dynasty
– Wei bestowed on Sun Quan the title of King of Wu
– Dominion of the north completely belonged to Wei, whilst
Shu occupied
the southwest and Wu the central south and east
– The capital Chengdu of Shu fell due to the strategic invasion
of Wei, the
emperor Liu Shan thus surrenderred
– Wei Dynasty was overthrown by Sima Yan and then Jin
Dynasty was
then established
– Sima Yan launched five simultaneous offensives along the
yanzi River.
Under the strain of such an enormous attach, the Wu forces
collapsed in
280
Map of the
Three
Kingdoms

51. Imperial Era
– 420)
– 316)
– Founded by the Sima family
– Could not contain the invasion and uprising of nomadic
people after the
devastating War of the Eight Princes
– Capital was Luoyang until 311 when Emperor Huai was
captured by the
forces of Han Zhao
– 420)
– Militaristic authorities and crises plagued the Eastern Jin
– Survived the rebellions of Wang Dun and Su Jun
– Battle of Fei turned out to be a victory under a short-lived
cooperation of
Huan Chong usurped and changed the name of the Dynasty to
Chu
– Abdication of Emperor Gong in 420 ushered in the Liu Song
Dynasty and
the Southern Dynasties
– Meanwhile North China was ruled by the Sixteen Kingdoms,
many of
which founded by the Wu Hu, the non-Han Chinese ethnicities.
The

52. conquest of the Northern Liang in 439 ushered in the Northern
Dynasties
Jar of the
Western
Jin with
Buddhist
figures
Imperial Era
– 589)
– Signaled by the collapse of East Jin Dynasty in 420,
China entered the era of the Southern and Northern
Dynasties
– The Han people managed to survive the military attacks
from nomadic tribes of the north and their civilization
continued to thrive
– In Southern China, fierce debates about whether
Buddhism should be allowed to exist were held
frequently by the royal court and nobles

53. – Near the end of the Southern and Northern Dynasties
era, both Buddhist and Taoist followers compromised
and became more tolerant of each other
– Sui annexed the last Southern Dynasty in 589
A limestone
statue of the
Bodhisattva
from Northern
Qi Dynasty in
570
Imperial Era
– 618)
– Managed to reunite the country in 589 after nearly four
centuries of
political fragmentation
– Brought China together again and set up many institutions
that were to
be adopted by their successors, the Tang
– Like the Qin, however, the Sui overused their resources and

54. collapsed
– The Sui Dynasty‟s early demise was attributed to the
government‟s
tyrannical demands on the people, who bore the crushing burden
of
taxes and compulsory labor
– There resources were overstrained in the completion of the
Grand Canal,
a monumental engineering feat
– Undertaking of other construction projects, including
reconstruction of
the Great Wall
– Weakened by costly and disastrous military campaigns against
Goguryeo which ended with defeat of Sui, the dynasty
disintegrated
through a combination of popular revolts, disloyalty and
assassination
The Grand Canal
Imperial Era
– 907)
– A new age of prosperity and innovations in arts and
technology
– Buddhism had gradually been established in China and
became the
predominant religion, which was adopted by the imperial family
and

55. many of the common people
– Capital Chang‟an is thought to have been the world‟s largest
city at the
time
– Referred to as the most prosperous periods of Chinese history
– Kept the trade routes open to the west and south and there was
extensive trade with distant foreign countries and many foreign
merchants settled in China
– Lucrative trade routes along the Silk Road
– Maintained a civil service system by drafting officials through
standardized examinations and recommendations to office
– Greatest age for Chinese poetry; two of China‟s most famous
historical
poets, Du Fu and Li Bai, belonged to this age
A rounded
ceramic plate with
“three colors”
glaze design in
the 8th century
Imperial Era

56. – Introduced a new system into the Chinese government, called
“Equal
Field System” giving families land grants from the Emperor
based on
their needs, not their wealth
– The Dynasty was interrupted briefly by the second Zhou
Dynasty when
Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne, becoming the first and
only
Chinese empress regnant ruling in her own right
– From about 860, the Tang Dynasty began to decline due to a
series of
rebellions within China including An Shi Rebellion
– One of the warlords, Huang Chao, captured Guangzhou in
879, killing
most of the 200,000 inhabitants
– In late 880 Luoyang surrendered to him and on January 5, 881
he
conquered Chang‟an
– Emperor Xizhong fled to Chengdu and Huang established a
new
temporary regime, which was eventually destroyed by Tang
forces.
However, another time of political chaos followed
Empress
Wu Zetian

57. Imperial Era
– 960)
– Political disunity between the Tang and the Song
– In the end of they Tang Dynasty, the imperial government
granted increased powers to the jiedushi, the regional military
governors. The Huang Chao Rebellion weakened imperial
government‟s authority.
– By the early 10th century the jiedushi, who commanded de
facto
independence, were not subject to the authority of the imperial
government. Thus the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms ensued
– China was in all respects a multi-state system, five regimes
succeeded one another rapidly in control of the old Imperial
heartland in northern China
– Ten more stable regimes occupied sections of southern and
western China
Imperial Era
– 1279)
– 1127)
– Established its capital in Kaifeng, starting a period of
economic
prosperity

58. – Considered to be classical China‟s high point in science and
technology
– The spread of literature and knowledge was enhanced by the
earlier
innovation of the woodblock printing and the 11th century
innovation of
movable type printing
– Court intrigue with the political rivals of the Reformers and
Conservatives,
led by the chancellors Wang Anshi and Sima Guang,
respectively
– The Jurchen, a subject tribe within the Liao empire, broke the
alliance
with the Song and launched an invasion into Song territory in
1125 and
captured the capital Kaifeng; the remaining Song forces fled
south of the
Yangtze River and established the Song Dynasty‟s new capital
at Lin‟an
Printing
Imperial Era
-1279)

59. – Court retreated south of the Yangtze River and established
their capital
at Lin‟an (now Hangzhou)
– Contained 60 percent of China‟s population and the most
productive
agricultural land
– Bolstered naval strength to defend its water and land borders
and to
conduct maritime missions abroad
– Developed revolutionary new military technology augmented
by the use
of gunpowder
– The Song government confiscated portions of land owned by
the landed
gentry in order to raise revenue for naval projects, an act which
caused
dissension and loss of loyalty amongst leading members of the
Song
society
– In the Battle of Yanmen on the Pearl River Delta in 1279, the
Yuan army
crushed the Song resistance
A trebuchet
used to launch
the earliest type
of explosive

60. bombs
Imperial Era
– 1368)
– A ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan,
who ruled
most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its
surrounding
areas, lasting officially from1271 to 1368
– First non-Han dynasty with capital in Dadu, “Great Capital”
(now Beijing)
– Kublai Khan tried to seek support from the populace; many
reforms were
made during his reign
– He began to serve as a true emperor, reforming much of China
and its
institutions, a process that would take decades to complete. He
consolidated his fule by centralizing the government making
himself an
absolute monarch
– He issued paper banknotes know as Chao in 1273; the Yuan
bureaucrats made paper bills from the mulberry bark paper.
First dynasty
used paper currency as the predominant circulating medium
– Succession was a problem for the Yuan Dynasty, later causing
much

61. strife and internal struggle
Kublai
Khan
Imperial Era
– 1644)
– Throughout a short-lived Yuan Dynasty, there was strong
sentiment,
among the populace, against the rule of the foreigners, which
finally led
to peasant revolts
– The Mongolians were pushed back to the steppes and replaced
by the
Ming Dynasty
– Urbanization increased as the population grew and as the
division of
labor grew more complex
– Despite the xenophobia and intellectual introspection
characteristic of
the increasingly popular new school of neo-Confucianism,
China under
the early Ming Dynasty was not isolated.
– Foreign trade and other contracts with the outside world,
particularly
Japan, increased considerably

62. – Chinese merchants explored all of the Indian Ocean, reaching
East
Africa with the voyages of Zheng He
– Perhaps because of the Emperor‟s background as a peasant,
the Ming
economic system emphasized agriculture
The Forbidden City,
the official imperial
household of the
Ming and Qing
dynasties
Imperial Era
– Last construction on the Great Wall was undertaken to protect
China
from foreign invasions
– Land estates were confiscated by the government, fragmented,
and
rented out
– Private slavery was forbidden; consequently, independent
peasant
landholders predominated in Chinese

63. – The dynasty had a strong and complex central government that
unified
and controlled the empire
– The emperor‟s role became more autocratic although Emperor
Zhu
Yuanzhang necessarily continued to use what he called the
“Grand
Secretaries” to assist with the immense paperwork of the
bureaucracy.
– It was this same bureaucracy that later prevented the Ming
government
from being able to adapt to changes in society and eventually
led to its
decline.
Imperial Era
– China became involved in a new global trade known as the
Columbian
Exchange
– Trade with European powers and the Japanese brought in
massive
amounts of silver, which then replaced copper and paper
banknotes
– During last decades of the Ming, the flow of silver into China
was greatly
diminished, thereby undermining state revenues and indeed the
entire

64. Ming economy
– The damage of the economy was compounded by the effects
on
agriculture of the incipient Little Ice Age, natural calamities,
crop failure
and sudden epidemics
– The financial drain of the Imjin War in Korea against the
Japanese
caused fiscal problem during Wanli Emperor
– The ensuing breakdown of authority and people‟s livelihoods
allowed
rebel leaders to challenge Ming authority
– In 1638, the Manchu defeated and conquered Ming China‟s
traditional
ally Joseon with an army of 100,000 troops
Wanli Emperor
(1572 – 1620)
Imperial Era
ynasty (1644 -1911)
– Founded after the defeat of the Ming, the last Han Chinese
dynasty, by the Manchus
– The Manchus enforced a „queue order‟ forcing the Han
Chinese
to adopt the Manchu queue hairstyle and clothing

65. – Set up the “Eight Banners” system in an attempt to avoid
being
assimilated into Chinese society; the “Eight Banners” were
military institutions
– Banner membership was to be based on traditional Manchu
skills
such as archery, horsemanship and frugality. Bannermen were
given economic and legal privileges in Chinese cities
– Over the next half century, the Qing consolidated control of
some
areas originally under the Ming; they also stretched their sphere
of influence over Xinjiang, Tibet and Mongolia
Emperor
Imperial Era
Dynasty (cont.)
– In the nineteenth century, Qing control weakened
– Britain‟s desire to continue its opium trade with China
collided with
imperial edicts prohibiting the addictive drug
– First Opium War erupted in 1840
– Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842 under the Treaty of
Nanjing
– A large rebellion, the Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864) involved

66. around a
third of China falling under control of the Taiping Tianguo, a
quasi-
Christian religious movement. Taipings finally crushed after 14
years by
the Third Battle of Nanking in 1864
– More costly rebellions in terms of human lives and economics
followed
with the Punti-Hakka Clan Wars, Nien Rebellion, Muslim
Rebellion,
Panthay Rebellion and the Boxer Rebellion
– In many ways, the rebellions and the unequal treaties the Qing
was
forced to sign with the imperialist powers are symptomatic of
the Qing‟s
inability to deal with the new challenges of the 19th century
Taiping Rebellion
Imperial Era
– By the 1860s, the Qing Dynasty had put down the rebellions
at
enormous cost and loss of life
– This undermined the credibility of the Qing regime and
spearheaded by
local initiatives by provincial leaders and entry, contributed to
the rise of
warlordism

67. – The Qing Dynasty under the Emperor Guangxu proceeded to
deal with
the problem of modernization through the Self-Strengthening
Movement
– The Empress Dowager, with the help of the conservatives,
initiated a
military coup, effectively removed the young Emperor from
power, and
overturned most of the more radical reforms
– Official corruption, cynicism, and imperial family quarrels
made most of
the military reforms useless
– The Qing‟s “New Armies” were soundly defeated in the Sino-
French War
(1883-1885) and the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)
Empress
Dowager
Cixi
Imperial Era
– The Boxer Rebellion threatened northern China. This was a
conservative
anti-imperialist movement that sought to return China to old
ways

68. – The Eight-Nation Alliance invaded China
– Mass civil disorder had begun and continuously grown
– Both the Empress Dowager Cixi and the Guangxu emperor
died in 1908,
leaving a relatively powerless and unstable central authority
– Zaifeng created the “Imperial Family Cabinet”, a ruling
council of the
Imperial Government in 1911, which brought a wide range of
negative
opinions from senior officials
– The Wuchang Uprising succeeded in October 10, 1911 and
was followed
by a proclamation of a separate central government, the
Republic of
China
– The Wing government brought an unwilling Yuan Shikai back
to military
power, taking control of his Beiyang Army with initial goal of
crushing the
revolutionaries
Famous
French political
cartoon from
the late 1890

69. Imperial Era
– After taking the position of Prime Minister and creating his
own
cabinet, Yuan went to ask for removal of Zaifeng from the
regency
– Yuan Shikai then dominated Qing politics
– Sun Yat-sen‟s government wanted a Republican constitutional
reform
– With a goal of forming a republic, Sun Yat-sen allowed Yuan
to
step into the position of President of the Republic. In 1912,
after
rounds of negotiations, Empress Dowager issued the Imperial
Edict bringing about the abdication of the child emperor
– The collapse of the Qing Dynasty in 1912 brought an end to
over
2,000 years of imperial China and began an extended period of
instability of warlard factionalism
Sun Yat-sen
Modern Era
– 1949)
– Slavery in China was abolished in 1910

70. – In 1919, the May Fourth Movement began as a response to the
insult imposed on China by the Treaty of Versailles ending
World
War I
– In the 1920, Sun Yat-Sen established a revolutionary base in
south China and set out to unite the fragmented nation
– With Soviet assistance, he entered into an alliance with the
fledgling Communist Party of China (CPC)
– The CPC forces embarked on the Long March across China‟s
most desolate terrain to the northwest
– During the Long March, the communists reorganized under a
new
leader, Mao Zedong
Long March
Modern Era
– Chiang Kai-shek seized control of the Kuaomingtang
(Nationalist

71. Party or KMT)
– The bitter struggle between the KMT and the CPC continued,
openly or clandestinely, through the 14-year long Japanese
invaders in 1937, during the Sino-Japanese War (1937 – 1945)
portion of World War II
– The war between the two parties resumed following the
Japanese
defeat in 1945
– In 1949, the CPC occupied most of the country
– Also in 1949, Chiang Kai-shek fled with the remnants of his
government to Taiwan
Mao Zedong
Modern Era
– present)
– Founded since October 1, 1949 after a near complete victory
by the
Communist Party of China in the Chinese Civil War
– Mao Zedong proclaimed the People‟s Republic of China from
atop
Tiananmen

72. – 1976)
– Mao laid heavy emphasis on class struggle and theoretical
work
– In 1953 began various campaigns to suppress former landlords
and
capitalists. Foreign investment was largely wiped out
– Mao believed that socialism would eventually triumph over all
other
ideologies
– Mao began the Cultural Revolution in May 1966. Red Guards
terrorized
the streets as many ordinary citizens were deemed counter-
revolutionaries. Education and public transportation came to a
nearly
complete halt
Modern Era
– 1989)
– At the 3rd Plenum of the 11th CPC Congress, Deng embarked
China on
the road to Economic Reforms and Openness, policies that
began with
the de-collectivization of the countryside, followed with
industrial reforms

73. aimed at decentralizing government controls in the industrial
sector
– Deng championed the idea of Special Economic Zones, areas
where
foreign investment would be allowed to pour in without strict
government
restraint and regulations
– Supporters of the economic reforms point to the rapid
development of
the consumer and export sectors of the economy
– Creation of an urban middle class that now constitutes 15% of
the
population, higher living standards and a much wider ranger of
personal
rights and freedoms for average Chinese as evidence of the
success of
the reforms
Deng Xiaoping
Modern Era
(1989-2002)

74. – After Deng Xiaoping retired from public view, the third
generation of leadership led by Jiang Zemin, who was
hailed as its “core”
– Jiang‟s macroeconomic reforms furthered Deng‟s vision for
“Socialism with Chinese Characteristics”
– The Three Gorges Dam was built, attracting supporters and
widespread criticism
– Two foreign colonies returned to China; Hong Kong from
Britain in 1997, and Macau from Portugal in 1999
Modern Era
– present
– The first major crisis faced by China in the 21st century as a
new
generation of leaders led by Hu Jintao after assuming power was
the public health crisis involving SARS
– The political status and future of Taiwan remain uncertain
– The assertion of the Scientific Perspective to create a

75. Harmonious Society is the focus of the Hu-Wen administration
– The continued economic growth of the country as well as its
sporting power status has gained China the right to host the
2008
Summer Olympics
– In May 2008, a massive earthquake registering 8.0 on the
Richter
scale hit Sichuan province of China
GEO 215: Rise of Industrialism in East Asia
Research paper 1
NAME OF STUDENT _________________
Write a comprehensive research paper (3 to 5 pages) on the rise
of industrialism in East Asia (covering economic, social and
political events and issues). Also it should cover the importance
of East Asia to the world today, and how their industrialization
formed this importance.