1. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The Tang and Song Dynasties

2. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The Tang dynasty was forged in China in 618. Li Yuan crushed rivals with his son, Li Shimin, and became the first Tang emperor. Eight years later, Li Shimin took the throne as Tang Taizong. Tang Taizong became China’s most admired emperor. He was a brilliant general, a government reformer, a historian, and a master of calligraphy.

3. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The Tang dynasty united China for the first time in 400 years. Tang rulers built a sizable empire, forcing neighboring lands such as Korea, Vietnam, and Tibet to become tributary states. Empress Wu Zhao and other Tang rulers restored uniform government throughout the empire. They revived civil service examinations and set up schools to prepare students for the exams.

4. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. They broke up large land holdings and redistributed tracts to peasants. This policy increased government revenues, since independent peasant farmers could afford to pay taxes. Tang rulers instituted land reform to strengthen the central government and weaken large landholders.

5. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. A rebel general overthrew the last Tang emperor in 907. In 960, the Song dynasty was founded. It was forged by a general named Zhao Kuangyin. The Song dynasty lasted for 319 years, but controlled less territory than the Tang. It was a time of great wealth and cultural achievement for China.

6. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The economy grew under the Song dynasty for many reasons. Its emperors had an open border policy that encouraged foreign trade and imports. Chinese cities prospered as centers of trade. Farming methods improved and farmers produced two crops a year, creating a surplus. Thousands of tons of grain were shipped along the Grand Canal linking the Huang and Chang rivers.

7. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. China was a very ordered society under both the Tang and the Song dynasties. The two main social classes were the gentry, or landholders, and the peasants. The gentry valued learning and studied to pass the civil service exam. The peasants worked the land and produced handicraft items.

8. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. This was because of Confucian tradition. However, they had lower social status than peasants did. Some merchants became wealthy in the market towns of China.

9. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Women often managed the servants and finances of the household, but they could not keep their dowry. The custom of foot binding emerged during the Song dynasty. This painful process stunted the size of a girl’s feet and greatly limited a woman’s ability to leave the home. Families in China valued boys more than girls, and women had a subordinate position in society.

10. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Tang and Song artists created a rich tradition in painting, porcelain, and architecture. The gentry developed skills in painting and calligraphy. Art stressed balance and harmony with nature. In architecture, the pagoda evolved. Sculptors expressed Buddhist themes.

11. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Tang and Song writers produced prose and poetry as well as works on philosophy and history. Poetry was the most respected form of literature among the gentry. Tang and Song poets often dealt with Buddhist themes or social issues. The greatest Tang poet was Li Bo. He wrote 2,000 poems lamenting the passage of time and celebrating harmony with nature.

12. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Under the Tang and Song, China introduced important technological innovations. Mechanical clock, 700s Block printing, 700s Gunpowder, 850s Spinning wheel, 1000s Movable type, 1040s The Chinese invented the magnetic compass sometime between 700 and 1100.

13. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Mongol Empire and Ming Dynasty

14. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. In the early 1200s, Genghis Khan united warring Mongol tribes. The Mongols went on to conquer a vast empire across Asia into Eastern Europe.

15. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The Mongols conquered the steppes first with a force of skilled horsemen. To attack walled cities in China, they used cannons. Though Genghis Khan did not finish the conquest of China, his heirs expanded the Mongol empire and dominated Asia for 150 years.

16. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Khan respected scholars and listened to the ideas of Confucians, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, and Muslims. During the 1200s and 1300s, Mongols maintained order, a period now called the Pax Mongolica by historians. Political stability led to economic growth and flourishing trade. Trade flourished along the ancient Silk Road. Cultures mixed as ideas, tools, inventions, and foods spread. Once Mongols conquered a territory, they ruled tolerantly and established peace and order.

17. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Genghis Khan’s grandson Kublai Khan completed the task of conquering China. He toppled the Song dynasty in 1279. He ruled China, Korea, and Tibet from his capital at Khanbaliq, modern Beijing. He decreed that only Mongols could serve in the military. He adopted the Chinese name Yuan for his dynasty.

18. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. One of the visitors to China at this time was the Italian merchant Marco Polo. He left Venice in 1271 and spent 17 years in the service of Kublai Kahn. Polo returned to Italy and wrote of his time in China, describing its wealth and efficient mail system. His writing sparked European interest in Asia. Contact between China and Europe continued throughout the Yuan dynasty.

19. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. A peasant leader, Zhu Yuanzhang, created a rebel army and toppled the Mongols. There were frequent uprisings due to corruption and heavy taxes. When Kublai Kahn died in 1294, the Yuan dynasty declined.

20. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Ming rulers worked to restore Chinese greatness. They revived the civil service exam, restored the primacy of Confucianism, and rooted out corruption. Under the Ming, the economy once again grew, thanks to improved farming methods and trade. Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming dynasty in 1368.

21. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Ming China fostered a revival of the arts. Ming blue and white porcelain vases became the most valuable Chinese products exported to the West. A new form of popular literature, the novel, emerged. One example, The Water Margin, told of an outlaw gang that fought injustice by corrupt officials. Ming writers also wrote the first detective stories.

22. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Zheng He traveled as far as East Africa. One notable voyage included 262 vessels and 28,000 sailors. The goals of these expeditions were to promote trade, collect tribute, and show local rulers the power of the Chinese. Ming emperors sent fleets of Chinese ships to distant places.

23. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. In 1435, the Ming emperor banned the building of seagoing ships. Historians think he may have done so because fleets were expensive or because Confucian scholars wanted to preserve ancient Chinese culture without outside interaction. Fewer than 60 years after this decision, Christopher Columbus sailed and made Spain a major power.

24. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Korean History and Culture

25. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Korea is located on a peninsula that juts out from Asia south of China. As a result of location, China has long had both cultural and political influence in Korea. During the Han dynasty, Chinese emperor Wudi set up a military colony in Korea. Confucian traditions and Chinese ideas about government spread to Korea.

26. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Local rulers in Korea set up three kingdoms between 100 B.C. and A.D. 676. Koguryo was located in the north, Paekche in the southwest, and Silla in the southeast. Though they shared a common language, these three kingdoms were often at war.

27. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. During this time, Korea flourished and its civilization was very advanced. The Silla dynasty lasted until 935. The Silla kingdom defeated Paekche and Koguryo in 676 with the help of the Chinese Tang emperor.

28. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The Silla capital of Kyongju was an important center of culture during this time. Many temples were built as Buddhism became a powerful force. Korea traded with China and was influenced by its neighbor’s written language and culture. Kyongju was considered the “city of gold” due to its advances in many fields, including medicine, metal casting, and astronomy.

29. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. A new capital city was built at Songak. Both Confucianism and Buddhism flourished during this dynasty. Korean inventors created movable metal type for printing texts. Conflict between peasants and aristocrats led to the overthrow of the Silla dynasty. It was replaced in 918 by the Koryo dynasty.

30. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Another advance made by Koreans during the Koryo dynasty was perfecting the process for making celadon. Celadon vases and jars became prized trade items throughout Asia. The secret of making celadon was lost when the Mongols overran Korea.

31. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Many years after the Mongols invaded Korea in 1231, the general Yi Song-gye overthrew them. He founded the Choson dynasty in 1392. General Yi set up a government based on Confucian ideals. This was Korea’s longest-lived and last dynasty.

32. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Use of hangul quickly spread, leading to a high literacy rate. King Sejong, Korea’s most honored ruler, replaced the Chinese system of writing in 1443. He had experts create hangul, the Korean phonetic alphabet.

33. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Japan invaded China through Korea in the 1590s. Japanese armies burned and looted the peninsula. The Korean Admiral Yi Sun-shin used armored ships called “turtle ships” to sail into the Japanese fleet. The Japanese withdrew from Korea after six years, but carried off many Korean artisans who brought their skills to Japan.

34. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Japanese History and Culture

35. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Japan’s unique geography shaped its culture. The country is located on an archipelago that includes four main islands. Most people live in valleys or on the coasts. Japan was close enough to the mainland to learn from China and Korea, but far enough away to escape being conquered by China.

36. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The Japanese people had great respect for nature—its resources as well as its power. The Inland Sea was a link between the nation’s islands. The ocean provided food as well as trade routes. However, Japan lies in the Ring of Fire, a chain of volcanoes, and has been subject to terrible tsunamis.

37. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The earliest Japanese people migrated from the Asian mainland over 2,000 years ago. They divided society into uji, or clans. Some clan leaders were women. The Yamato clan formed Japan’s first and only dynasty by A.D. 500. They claimed descent from the sun goddess. The current emperor traces his roots to the Yamato clan.

38. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The traditional Japanese religion was Shinto, worship of the forces of nature. There are hundreds of Shinto shrines in Japan. Dedicated to special sites such as mountains or ancient trees, they are usually located in places of natural beauty.

39. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Japan and Korea were in constant contact with each other for centuries. The Japanese language is related to Korean. Korean artisans brought their skills and technology to Japan. Korean missionaries introduced Buddhism to Japan in the 500s, along with knowledge of Chinese culture.

40. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Between the early 600s and early 800s, many Japanese nobles, students, and traders visited the Tang court in China. When the visitors returned, they spread Chinese technology, arts, and ideas about government. Many Chinese customs, such as the tea ceremony, became popular and influential in Japan.

41. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Eventually, the thirst for everything Chinese slowed. The Japanese used selective borrowing, choosing which Chinese ways they wanted to keep. In this way, Japan preserved its own culture. The Japanese revised the Chinese system of writing, adding phonetic symbols known as kana. They also developed their own artistic styles.

42. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. From 794 to 1185, the Japanese imperial capital was in Heian. During the Heian period, an elegant culture emerged. Nobles lived in a fairy-tale setting and dressed in silk. Noblewomen shaped Heian court life and produced important works of Japanese literature.

43. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The novel tells about the life of a fictional prince and his son. The main event is a Chinese poetry contest, which Prince Genji wins. The tone of Heian writing is melancholy, lamenting the passage of all things. During the Heian period, Lady Murasaki wrote the world’s first full-length novel, The Tale of Genji.

44. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. During the 1400s, rival clans battled for control of the countryside. A feudal system arose. The emperor became powerless as the shogun, or military commander, held real power. The shogun gave land to daimyos, powerful warrior lords. Daimyos granted land to lesser warriors called samurai. These fighting aristocrats developed a code of values called bushido, the “way of the warrior.” It stressed honor, bravery, and absolute loyalty to one’s lord.

45. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Feudal society in Japan was very hierarchical. Noblewomen lost status and inheritance was limited to sons. Peasants, artisans, and merchants were at the bottom of the ladder, under the samurai.

46. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. During this period, Japan held off Mongol invaders twice. Both times the Japanese were aided by typhoons, which destroyed Mongol fleets. The fact that the Mongols failed to conquer Japan made the Japanese feel they enjoyed special protection from the gods.

47. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. To defend their castles, daimyo gave arms to peasants, which increased the violence. The general Toyotomi Hideyoshi united most of Japan by 1590. Ten years later, Tokugawa Ieyasu defeated rivals and established a shogunate that would last until 1868. The level of warfare increased in Japan after 1450.

48. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Tokugawa shoguns created an orderly society. They were determined to end feudal war. They created a strong central government and reinforced the social hierarchy. They required that the daimyo live every other year in the capital at Edo, present-day Tokyo. Daimyo could not marry or repair their castles without the shogun’s permission.

49. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. One peace was restored under the Tokugawa shogunate, the Japanese economy flourished. Agriculture improved and food surpluses supported a growing population. The capital at Edo grew, attracting traders and artisans. New roads linked castle towns to the capital. A wealthy merchant class arose in the cities.

50. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. A Buddhist sect called Zen became popular among the samurai during the feudal age. Zen Buddhists believed that people could seek enlightenment through meditation and through the precise performance of everyday tasks. Zen influenced Japanese culture. Landscape paintings express its reverence for nature, and the tea ceremony reflects the Zen value of peace.

51. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The arts changed as Japan began to embrace a more urban culture. In the 1300s, feudal culture had produced Noh drama, solemn plays produced on a bare stage. Noh plays gave way to Kabuki theater in the 1600s. It was more elaborate than Noh and included action and comedy. Colorful woodblock prints depicted the joys of town life. Kabuki mask

52. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Southeast Asian Cultures

53. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Southeast Asia is made up of two regions—the mainland and the islands. Mountains separate the mainland from most of Asia. The four main river valleys were home to early civilizations.

54. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Island Southeast Asia was at the crossroads of trade for centuries. Sea traders traveling between China and India passed through the Malacca or Sunda straits. Monsoons shaped trade patterns. Ships traveled northeast in summer and southwest in winter. A trade network linked China, Southeast Asia, and India to the Middle East and East Africa. The chief exports of the islands were spices.

55. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The people of Southeast Asia developed their own unique cultures long ago. In Thailand, archaeologists have found jars and bronze bracelets at least 5,000 years old. Many of the ancient societies were built around the nuclear family. Women had greater equality in Southeast Asia than in other parts of Asia. They could become traders and even rulers. Matrilineal descent was an accepted custom in Southeast Asia.

56. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. Traders and monks from India came to the region first, bringing Hinduism and Buddhism. In turn, people from Southeast Asia visited India. Later, Indians brought Islam to Southeast Asia. Indian culture spread to Southeast Asia, reaching its peak of influence between 500 and 1000.

57. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The kingdom of Pagan arose in 1044 in present-day Myanmar. King Anawrahta united the region and brought Buddhism to the Burman people. He had beautiful Buddhist stupas built all over his capital city. Pagan lasted over 200 years and the fell to the Mongols in 1287.

58. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The Khmer empire reached its peak in the region between 800 and 1350. Khmer rulers were Hindus and adapted Indian learning, while most ordinary people were Buddhists. At its height, it controlled much of present-day Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

59. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. In the 1100s, the Khmer king built the magnificent temple at Angkor Wat.

60. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. The Srivijaya empire flourished in Indonesia from the 600s to the 1200s. It controlled the key trade route through the Strait of Malacca. Although both Buddhism and Hinduism reached the Srivijaya empire, the local people blended Indian beliefs with their own. Later, Islam spread to the islands, strengthening links with other Muslim trading centers around the Indian Ocean.

61. TEKS 8C: Calculate percent composition and empirical and molecular formulas. In Vietnam, the major influence was not India, but China. Vietnam emerged in the Red River delta, where fertile rice paddies fed the population. Han armies invaded in 111 B.C. Vietnam remained under Chinese control for over 1,000 years. The Vietnamese maintained a sense of their own identity. In A.D. 39, the Trung sisters led an unsuccessful revolt against China. Vietnam finally freed itself in 939, but remained a tributary state of China.