1. Chapter 11 – Civilizations of East Asia
Lesson 2: The Mongols
and
Chinese culture
Chapter 11 – Civilizations of East Asia

2. Reminder about Chinese Dynasties
"The Dynasties Song"
This "dynasties song," sung to the tune of "Frère Jacques," can help students remember the major Chinese dynasties in chronological order.
Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han
Sui, Tang, Song Sui, Tang, Song
Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic
Mao Zedong Mao Zedong
For 3000 years China was under Dynastic Rule. At times it took centuries for a new Dynasty to claim the Mandate of Heaven & reunite the Chinese Empire… but from 3000 BC to 1950 AD China was ruled in essentially the same way…by a Dynastic Emperor.

3. The Mongols & Chinese Culture
The Mongols were farmers from Northwest Asia who were organized into clans (a group of close-knit interrelated families); their rise to power in Asia was fast.
1160’s – Temujin is born into a Mongol clan;
1206 – the Clans unite & elect him as leader or “Genghis Khan” – meaning strong ruler - & he immediately starts conquering lands to build an empire.
1227 –Genghis Khan’s army of 130,000 brings much of the Eurasian (Europe & Asia) landmass under his control creating the largest land empire in history. That same year Genghis Khan dies & his empire is divided among his sons, according to Mongol custom. Each separate territory is called a khanate. The conquering continues…
1231 Persia falls to the Mongols
1258 Muslim Empires in Baghdad fall
1260’s attacks begin on China and continue until…
1279 – and the Mongols set up their OWN dynasty – the YUAN – under Genghis Khan’s grandson Kublai Khan and for the first time in Chinese history they are under foreign rule. The Yuan Dynasty of the Mongols would try to expand China by conquering Vietnam and Japan; & would open China up to foreign trade; would adapt the Chinese political system & bring stability to the empire. They ruled until corruption & overspending led to the emergence of a new native ruling family who claimed the Mandate & set up the Ming Dynasty.

4. Religion & Government in China
Confucianism – for many centuries it was the basis for Chinese government…until…
Buddhism was brought to China by merchants & missionaries from India in the first century AD. Buddhism enjoyed a period of popularity but ultimately it was rejected by most because it clashed with Confucian values of devotion to family & hard work.

5. China’s Golden Age
Between the Tang & Ming dynasties China experienced a golden age (2) of art, literature & cultural growth that greatly intrigued the European traders who traveled there under the Yuan Dynasty.
Share your WRITING ACTIVITY paragraph with a partner. What kinds of things were described by your partner as the highlights of China?

6. Golden Age 2 images & music…
Golden Age History & Music

7. What you need from 11-4…
In the early 8th century Islam became popular in parts of the Indian subcontinent& had a major impact on Indian civilization;
This can still be seen in the division today between mostly Hindu India and the 2 Islamic states of Bangladesh and Pakistan.
One reason Islam succeeded in India was because of the political disunity that happened after the fall of the Gupta Empire; India divided into 70 states that were always at war with each other. This made it easier for Muslim leaders to take over & set up governments.

8. More of Lesson 4
Most Muslim rulers realized that there were too many Hindus to convert them all so they accepted the need for religious tolerance; however the 2 religions are VERY different (we will look at that tomorrow more closely)
The spread of religion (& other cultural traits) has a name…it is called DIFFUSION… you will do a reading on that today.

9. More from Lesson 4…
The Vietnamese were one of the first peoples in Southeast Asia to develop their own state and culture;
Although China invaded there after centuries of trying to impose their gov. and culture on Vietnam the Vietnamese overthrew Chinese rule & set up their own government based on a centralized form of Confucian ideals.