Early History of East Asia March 9, 2015

China About 2000 B.C.E., Chinese people began forming kingdoms As civilization developed, people began organizing these kingdoms into large states Each state was ruled by an emperor – a ruler of a large empire An emperor was often a member of a dynasty – a ruling family that passes power from one generation to the next Most dynasties were large, with their territory including the Korean peninsula

The Qin Dynasty The Qin (pronounced Chin) Dynasty came to power about 221 B.C.E. Many historical artifacts exist from this period The first emperor was buried with thousands of life-sized clay warriors and horses The first emperor ordered the building of the Great Wall of China The wall, which is 4,000 miles long, was built to keep invaders out

The Han Dynasty Lasted from the 206 B.C.E. until 184 C.E. Expanded the Great Wall to protect the Silk Road The Silk Road is a network of trading posts that begins in Southwest Asia, crosses through South Asia, and ends in East Asia It is named after the silk trade that was popular along the route It is over 4,000 miles long Important inventions include the compass and better tools for agriculture Education became more important during this period

The Yuan Dynasty (The Mongols) 1279-1368 C.E.: First of only two times in history that all of China was ruled by foreigners (Mongols came from Mongolia) The conquering Mongol army was led by Genghis Khan Spending and trade restrictions weakened China’s economy The Mongol army weakened and eventually lost interest in China

The Ming Dynasty Began in 1368 and ended in 1644 C.E. Closed China to outsiders to focus on development of their own culture This is called isolationism Completed the Great Wall and repaired older sections Developed the novel, new dictionaries, and new encyclopedias

The Qing Dynasty (The Manchus) 1644-1911 C.E. Also favored the isolationist policy This hurt China economically Poetry and painting flourished European influence was felt for the first time Eventually, emperors were weakened, and the dynasty fell This was the last Chinese dynasty

Japan First inhabitants came from China about 35,000 years ago Rice farming was introduced about 300 B.C.E. This allowed for population increases More land was farmed Rulers increased their territory

The Shoguns The Shoganate period lasted from 1192-1867 CE In the 700s C.E., a political system began to develop A lord ruled over small domains of land Samurai: warriors who served the landlord Later, power shifted to the Shoguns A shogun is a highest rank for a warrior and means “great general” The Shoganate period lasted from 1192-1867 CE

Europeans arrive in Japan In the mid-1500s, Portuguese traders arrived, followed by Spanish missionaries Europeans were forced out in the 1850s, when Japan isolated themselves from the rest of the world The Empire of Japan was formed and lasted from 1867 until 1945.

Questions 1. When did Chinese people begin forming kingdoms? 2. What is a dynasty? 3. Which dynasty’s emperor ordered the building of the Great Wall of China? 4. Why was the Great Wall built? 5. What is the Silk Road? 6. Who was the leader of the Mongol Army that conquered China in 1279? 7. Why did the Ming Dynasty close China to outsiders? 8. What is isolationism?

More Questions 9. How did the isolationism of the Qing Dynasty hurt China? 10. When and where did the first inhabitants of Japan come from? 11. How did the introduction of rice farming help Japan? 12. What is a shogun? 13. How long did the Shogunate period of Japan last? 14. When did Europeans arrive in Japan?