1. Chapter 12: Empires in East Asia
Extended Response Questions

2. Question #1
How did the Mongols affect life in Asia during the time period studied in the chapter?
Think about:
Interaction of cultures
War and peace
Spread of trade
Possible answers:
Under Genghis Khan’s rule, the Mongols used cruelty as a weapon, defeating much of Asia, thus making the largest unified empire in world history.
Under Kublai Khan’s rule, they successfully took control of China.
Pax Mongolica was a time trade was encouraged; & allowed exchanges of ideas & inventions between cultures.

3. Question #2
Why was Tang and Song China the most advanced civilization of its time?
Think about:
Science and technology
Agriculture
The arts
Possible answers:
Movable type revolutionized printing; gunpowder led to creation of explosive weapons; magnetic compass increased sea power.
Fast-ripening rice imported from Vietnam allowed farmers to harvest 2 crops a year instead of 1.
Spread of wealth, education, & urban culture led to production of great poetry and Daoist artistry.

4. Question #3
How was the Heian period similar to and different from the period of feudalism in Japan?
Think about:
The aristocratic lifestyle
The methods of governing
Who held power
Possible answers:
Similarity: Wealthy people ruled each period; aristocrats ruled Heian period, wealthy landowners ruled feudal Japan.
Difference: Heian aristocrats’ life revolved around a highly refined court society; warlords (wealthy landowners) surrounded themselves with samurai.
Emperor ruled Heian period; Shoguns ruled using emperor as a puppet in feudal Japan

5. Question #4 What led to the rise and fall of the Yuan Dynasty?
Think about:
The Mongol conquest of China
The leadership of Kublai Khan
Problems of the Mongol rule
Possible answers:
Kublai continued & completed goal set by his grandfather. It increased foreign interaction.
Top government positions were given to Mongols & foreigners; Chinese held lowest positions.
Kublai overspent on fruitless wars, luxuries, & public works; Chinese were overtaxed, so they rebelled.
The Ming Dynasty overthrew the Yuan Dynasty