Each civilization that you will study in this unit made important contributions to history. • The Chinese first produced gunpowder, the compass, and printed books. • Africans south of the Sahara developed new forms of music and dance. • The Japanese developed a constitution and new forms of art and poetry. • The Europeans took the first steps toward representative government. A.D. 300 A.D 450 A.D 600 A.D 750 A.D 900 A.D. 300 A.D 450 A.D 600 A.D 750 A.D 900 Middle Ages The C h a p t e r 1 2 C h a p t e r 1 3 C h a p t e r 1 4 Medieval Japan Medieval Japan C h a p t e r 1 5 Medieval Europe Medieval Europe Medieval manuscript Statue of Charlemagne on horseback Horyuji temple Chinese figurines A.D . 631 Prince Shotoku writes constitution c. A.D . 700 The Shona establish the Zimbabwe kingdom c. A.D . 590 Grand Canal links northern and southern China A.D . 683 Empress Wu begins rule c. A.D. 900s Islam spreads in Africa A.D . 330 Axum’s king Ezana accepts Christianity Medieval Africa Medieval Africa c. A.D . 400 Yamato clan controls Japan A.D . 800 Pope crowns Charlemagne emperor A.D . 496 King Clovis becomes a Catholic China in the Middle Ages China in the Middle Ages 400 (tl)The British Museum/Topham-HIP/The Image Works, (c)Angelo Hornak/CORBIS, (bl)Ronald Sheridan/Ancient Art & Architecture Collection, (br)Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY
Transcript
Each civilization that you will study in this unit made importantcontributions to history.
• The Chinese first produced gunpowder, the compass, and printed books.• Africans south of the Sahara developed new forms of music and dance.• The Japanese developed a constitution and new forms of art and poetry.• The Europeans took the first steps toward representative government.
(t to b)Tom Wagner/Odyssey Productions, Greg Gawlowski/Lonley Planet Images, Jim Zuckerman/CORBIS, (l to r)Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, USA, Robert Lee Memorial Collection, gift of Sarah C.Blaffer/Bridgeman Art Library, Courtesy Museum of Maritimo (Barcelona); Ramon Manent/CORBIS, ChinaStock, Christie’s Images/CORBIS
400-403 UO4-824133 3/31/04 4:32 PM Page 403
Imperial Palace at the Forbidden City
China Middle Ages
A.D. 581Wendi founds Suidynasty
A.D. 868Chinese print world’sfirst book
1206Genghis Khanunites theMongols
1405Zheng He be-gins overseas voyage
A.D. 600 A.D. 900 1200 1500
in the
A.D. 600 A.D. 900 1200 1500
404–
405
CO
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Chapter PreviewLike the Arabs, the Chinese were interested in science
and technology. Read this chapter to learn about Chineseinventions and how they influence your life today.
View the Chapter 12 video in the World History:Journey Across Time Video Program.
China ReunitesDuring the Middle Ages, Chinese rulers brought peace, order,and growth to China. Buddhism became a major religion inChina, but the Chinese government supported Confucian ideas.
Chinese SocietyFarming and trade brought wealth to China. The Chinese devel-oped new technology and enjoyed a golden age of art and writing.
The Mongols in ChinaLed by Genghis Khan, the Mongols built a vast empire. Underhis son, Kublai Khan, they went on to conquer China as well.
The Ming DynastyChina’s Ming rulers strengthened government and brought peace and prosperity. They supported trading voyages to other parts of Asia and to East Africa.
Chapter Overview Visitjat.glencoe.com for a previewof Chapter 12.
Categorizing Information Make this foldable to help you organize your notesabout China in the Middle Ages.
Reading and WritingAs you read the chapter,identify the main ideas inthe chapter. Write theseunder the appropriatetab.
Step 1 Fold a sheet of paper inhalf from side to side, leaving—12
— inch tab along the side.
Step 2 Turn the paper and fold it into fourths.
Step 3 Unfoldand cut alongthe top threefold lines.
Reading Between the LinesTo infer means to evaluate information and arrive at a conclusion.
When you make inferences, you “read between the lines,” or draw conclu-sions that are not stated directly in the text. We naturally make inferencesabout things we read, see, and hear every day.
Read this paragraph from Section 3.
GenGenghis Khan gathered an army of more than 100,000 warriors. He placed his soldiers into well-trained groups.Commanding them were officers chosen for their abilities,not for their family ties. These changes made the Mongolsthe most skilled fighting force in the world at that time.
—from page 425
Use this Think-Through chart to help you make inferences.
Inferences
Sometimes you make
inferences by asking
yourself questions or
making predictions
about what is going to
come next.
Genghis Khan
Text
The army had 100,000 warriors
Officers not chosen for family ties
Who was he? A powerful leader?
Why did he needso many warriors?
To take over another country or to defend his own?
Why did Genghis Khan want officers without strong family ties?
So they would not worry about their families to better concentrate on battle?
Mongols Who were they? Genghis Khan’s countrymen?People from Mongolia?
InferenceQuestion
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Making InferencesRead the next paragraph, also about Genghis Khan’s
warriors, and pay attention to highlighted words as youmake inferences.
Read the text under theheading Scholar-Officials in Section 1,page 414. Pay attentionto the paragraph abouthow important it wasfor students to passtests. Write about anyexperiences with testsyou have had to helpyou understand thefears and hopes ofChinese students duringthe Middle Ages.
Read to Write
Create your own Think-Through Chart to help you makefurther inferences about Genghis Khan’s army. You mightwant to use the highlighted words in your first column andlabel it Text. Your second and third columns can be labeledQuestions and Inference. Read the rest of page 426 to seeif your inferences were correct.
Genghis Khan began buildinghis empire by conquering otherpeople on the steppes. These vic-tories brought him wealth andnew soldiers to fill the army. Soonthe Mongols were strong enoughto attack major civilizations. In1211 Mongol forces turned eastand invaded China. Within threeyears, they had taken all of north-ern China. They then moved westand struck at the cities and king-doms that controlled parts of theSilk Road.
—from pages 425–426
We also make inferences about othertypes of text, such as poetry. Readthe poems on pages 420–421, andcreate a Think-Through chart tohelp understand the poems.
407
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China Reunites
What’s the Connection?Earlier you read that the Han
dynasty of China collapsed and Chinaplunged into civil war. As you will read,China eventually reunited.The newdynasties took Chinese civilization to even higher levels.
Focusing on the • The Sui and Tang dynasties reunited
and rebuilt China after years of war.(page 409)
• Buddhism became popular in Chinaand spread to Korea and Japan.(page 412)
• The Tang dynasty returned to theideas of Confucius and created a newclass of scholar-officials. (page 413)
Locating PlacesKorea (kuh•REE•uh)Japan (juh•PAN)
Meeting PeopleWendi (WHEHN•DEE)Empress Wu (WOO)
Building Your Vocabularywarlord
economy (ih•KAH•nuh•mee)reform
monastery (MAH•nuh•STEHR•ee)
Reading StrategyCategorizing Information Completea table like the one below to show thetime periods, the most important rulers,and the reasons for the decline of theSui and Tang dynasties.
A.D. 581Wendi founds Sui dynasty
A.D. 907Tang dynasty falls
1279Mongols endSong rule
Changan
Hangzhou
A.D. 500 A.D. 900 1300A.D. 500 A.D. 900 1300
408 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages
Time Period
Sui Tang
Important Rulers
Reasons for Decline
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Rebuilding China’s EmpireThe Sui and Tang dynasties reunited
and rebuilt China after years of war.Reading Focus Have you ever thought about how theeconomy in your town or city works? How do goods get toyour local stores? Who makes sure roads are paved? Readto learn how China dealt with these issues.
Earlier you read that China’s Hanempire ended in A.D. 220. For the next 300years, China had no central government. Itbroke into 17 kingdoms. War and povertywere everywhere. Chinese warlords—mili-tary leaders who run a government—fought with each other while nomadsconquered parts of northern China.
While China was absorbed in its ownproblems, it lost control of some of thegroups it had conquered. One of thesegroups was the people of Korea (kuh •REE •uh). They lived on the Korean Peninsula tothe northeast of China. The Koreansdecided to end Chinese rule of their coun-try. They broke away and built their ownseparate civilization.
The Sui Dynasty Reunites China Chinafinally reunited in A.D. 581. In that year, ageneral who called himself Wendi (WHEHN•DEE) declared himself emperor. Wendi wonbattle after battle and finally reunitedChina. He then founded a new dynastycalled the Sui (SWEE).
1,000 km
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0Two-Point Equidistant projection
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60°E 80°E 100°E 120°E
G O B I
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PACIFICOCEAN
INDIANOCEAN
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Ganges R.
Indu
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TIBET
INDIA
MONGOLIA
CHINA
KOREANPENINSULA JAPAN
Beijing
Changan LuoyangHangzhou
Guangzhou
Tang Dynasty China c. A.D. 700
Dynasties of ChinaDynasties of China
Sui A.D. 581–618
TangA.D. 618–907
Civil WarA.D. 907–960
SongA.D. 960–1279
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Tang dynastyGrand Canal
KEY
The Tang dynasty lasted almost 300 years.1. What two cities were connected by the
Grand Canal?2. What physical feature made up much of
the northern border of the Tang dynasty?Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps
After Wendi died, his son Yangdi(YAHNG • DEE) took the Chinese throne.Yangdi wanted to expand China’s territory.He sent an army to fight the neighboringKoreans, but the Chinese were badlydefeated. At home, Yangdi took on manyambitious building projects. For example,the Great Wall had fallen into ruins, andYangdi had it rebuilt.
Yangdi’s greatest effort went into build-ing the Grand Canal. This system of water-ways linked the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River)and Huang He (Yellow River). The Grand
Canal became an important route for ship-ping products between northern and south-ern China. It helped unite China’s economy.An economy (ih • KAH • nuh • mee) is anorganized way in which people produce,sell, and buy things.
In 1994 China began buildingthe Three Gorges Dam on the Chang
Jiang. The dam will control floodingand produce electricity. Building it,
however, requires many areas to beflooded. Millions of people have had to
move, and much farmland will be lost. Whathave construction projects changed in your state?
Grand Canal and Three Gorges Dam Project
Opening the Grand Canal boostedImperial China’s economy and made it muchcheaper and faster to ship food and goodsnorth and south. It also cost many laborerstheir lives. In addition, the canal systemoften flooded, drowning many people andanimals and destroying crops.
The Grand Canal
Web Activity Visit jat.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 12—Student Web Activity tolearn more about China.
410 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages
The Three Gorges Dam under construction
(l)The Art Archive/Bibliothèque Nationale Paris, (r)Christopher Liu/ChinaStock
Yangdi rebuilt China, but he did it by placing hardships on the Chinese people.Farmers were forced to work on the GreatWall and the Grand Canal. They alsohad to pay high taxes to the governmentfor these projects. Finally, the farmersbecame so angry that they revolted. Thearmy took control and killed Yangdi.With Yangdi gone, the Sui dynasty cameto an end.
The Tang Dynasty In A.D. 618 one ofYangdi’s generals took over China. Hemade himself emperor and set up a newdynasty called the Tang (TAHNG). Unlike theshort-lived Sui, the Tang dynasty was inpower for about 300 years—from A.D. 618 toA.D. 907. The Tang capital at Changanbecame a magnificent city, with about onemillion people living there.
Tang rulers worked to strengthenChina’s government. They carried out anumber of reforms, or changes that broughtimprovements. The most powerful Tangemperor was named Taizong (TY • ZAWNG).He restored the civil service exam system.Government officials were once again hiredbased on how well they did on examsrather than on their family connections.Taizong also gave land to farmers andbrought order to the countryside.
During the late A.D. 600s, a womannamed Wu ruled China as empress. Shewas the only woman in Chinese history torule the country on her own. A forcefulleader, Empress Wu (WOO) added moreofficials to the government. She alsostrengthened China’s military forces.
Under the Tang, China regained muchof its power in Asia and expanded the areasunder its control. Tang armies pushed westinto central Asia, invaded Tibet, and tookcontrol of the Silk Road. They marched intoKorea and forced the Korean kingdoms to
pay tribute, a special kind of tax that onecountry pays to another to be left alone. TheTang also moved south and took control ofnorthern Vietnam.
By the mid-A.D. 700s, however, the Tangdynasty began to have problems. A newgroup of nomads—the Turks that you readabout earlier—drove the Tang armies out ofcentral Asia and took control of the SilkRoad. This damaged China’s economy.Revolts in Tibet and among Chinese farm-ers at home further weakened the Tang. InA.D. 907 all of this disorder brought downthe Tang dynasty.
The Song Dynasty For about 50 years afterthe fall of the Tang, military leaders ruledChina. Then, in A.D. 960, one of the generalsdeclared himself emperor and set up theSong (SOONG) dynasty.
1,000 km
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0Two-Point Equidistant projection
N
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20°N
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Bay ofBengal
SouthChina Sea
EastChina
Sea
Hu
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Chang Jiang
MekongR
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CHINA
KOREANPENINSULABeijing
Changan LuoyangHangzhou
Guangzhou
Song China c. A.D. 1200
The Song dynasty moved thecapital city to Hangzhou.1. Use the map of the Tang dynasty
on page 409 to compare the areasof the Tang and Song dynasties.
2. About how far is Hangzhou fromthe northern border of the empire?
Song empireGrand Canal
KEY
408-415 Ch12 S1-824133 3/15/04 6:16 AM Page 411
The Song dy-nasty ruled fromA.D. 960 to 1279.This period was a time of prosper-ity and culturalachievement forChina. From thestart, however, theSong faced prob-lems that threat-ened their hold on China. Songrulers did nothave enough sol-diers to control their large empire. Tibetbroke away, and nomads took over much ofnorthern China. For safety, the Song movedtheir capital farther south to the city ofHangzhou (HAHNG • JOH). Hangzhou wason the coast near the Chang Jiang delta.
Explain How did Wendiunite China?
Buddhism Spreads to China Buddhism became popular in China and
spread to Korea and Japan.Reading Focus Where do you turn when you are hav-ing problems? Read to learn why many Chinese turnedto Buddhism when China was in trouble.
Earlier you learned that traders andmissionaries from India brought Buddhismto China in about A.D. 150. At the time, theHan dynasty was already weak. Soon after-ward, China collapsed into civil war. Peopleeverywhere were dying from war and alack of food and shelter. It was a time ofgreat suffering. Because Buddhism taughtthat people could escape their suffering,many Chinese seeking peace and comfortbecame Buddhists.
Chinese Buddhism Early Tang rulers werenot Buddhists, but they allowed Buddhismto be practiced in China. They even
Farmerssellinggoods
Civil serviceexaminations
Musicians and dancers
Print shop
Making pottery
Under the Tang, China grew and was prosperous. Tang cities couldbe large, with many activities occurring within the city’s walls. Acity contained many shops and temples. The homes of rich familiesoften had two or three floors. When did the Tang rule China?
City Life in Tang ChinaCity Life in Tang China
Statue of the Buddha,carved about A.D. 460in the Yun-Kang cavesin China.
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CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 413
supported the building of Buddhist tem-ples. Many Chinese Buddhists becamemonks and nuns. They lived in placescalled monasteries (MAH • nuh • STEHR • eez),where they meditated and worshiped.
Buddhist temples and monasteries pro-vided services for people. They ran schoolsand provided rooms and food for travelers.Buddhist monks served as bankers and pro-vided medical care.
Not all Chinese people liked Buddhism,however. Many thought that it was wrong forthe Buddhist temples and monasteries toaccept donations. Others believed that monksand nuns weakened respect for family lifebecause they were not allowed to marry.
In the early A.D. 800s, Tang officials feared Buddhism’s growing power. Theysaw Buddhism as an enemy of China’s tradi-tions. In A.D. 845 the Tang had many Budd-hist monasteries and temples destroyed.Buddhism in China never fully recovered.
Chinese Buddhism Spreads East As youread earlier, Korea broke free of China whenthe Han dynasty fell in A.D. 220. For severalhundred years after, Korea was divided intothree independent kingdoms.
In the A.D. 300s, Chinese Buddhistsbrought their religion to Korea. About A.D. 660, the Koreans united to form onecountry. After that, with government sup-port, Buddhism grew even stronger in Korea.
Buddhism later spread to the nearbyislands of Japan ( juh • PAN). According tolegend, one of Korea’s kings wrote toJapan’s emperor. The letter contained astatue of the Buddha and Buddhist writ-ings. “This religion is the most excellent ofall teachings,” the king wrote. As timepassed, Buddhism won many followers inJapan as well.
Explain Why did someChinese people dislike Buddhism?
New Confucian IdeasThe Tang dynasty returned to the
ideas of Confucius and created a new class ofscholar-officials.Reading Focus Have you ever seen someone get areward that he or she did not earn? Read to learn howChina’s rulers tried to avoid this problem when hiringgovernment officials.
You have already read about Confuciusand his teachings. Confucius and his fol-lowers believed that a good governmentdepended on having wise leaders. The civilservice examinations introduced by Han
DefendingConfucianism
Han Yü (A.D. 768 to A.D. 824) encouraged theChinese people to remain faithful toConfucianism.“What were the teach-ings of our ancient kings?Universal love is calledhumanity. To practice thisin the proper manner iscalled righteousness. Toproceed according tothese is called theWay. . . .They offered sacrifices toHeaven and the godscame to receive them. . . .What Way is this? I say:This is what I call theWay, and not what theTaoists [Daoists] and theBuddhists called the Way. . . .”
—Han Yü, “An Inquiry on The Way” (Tao)
Why does Han Yü think Confucianismshould be followed?
Han Yü
Bettmann/CORBIS
408-415 Ch12 S1-824133 7/16/04 9:04 PM Page 413
rulers were a product of Confucian ideas.They were supposed to recruit talentedgovernment officials.
After the fall of the Han dynasty, nonational government existed to give civilservice examinations. Confucianism lostmuch support, and Buddhism with its spiritual message won many followers.Tang and Song rulers, however, broughtConfucianism back into favor.
What Is Neo-Confucianism? The Tangdynasty gave its support to a new kind ofConfucianism called neo-Confucianism.This new Confucianism was created, inpart, to reduce Buddhism’s popularity. It
taught that life in this world was just asimportant as the afterlife. Followerswere expected to take part in life andhelp others.
Although it criticized Buddhistideas, this new form of Confucianismalso picked up some Buddhist andDaoist beliefs. For many Chinese,Confucianism became more than a sys-tem of rules for being good. It became areligion with beliefs about the spiritualworld. Confucian thinkers taught that ifpeople followed Confucius’s teachings,
they would find peace of mind and live inharmony with nature.
The Song dynasty, which followed theTang, also supported neo-Confucianism.The Song even adopted it as their officialphilosophy, or belief system.
Scholar-Officials Neo-Confucianism alsobecame a way to strengthen the govern-ment. Both Tang and Song rulers used civilservice examinations to hire officials. Indoing so, they based the bureaucracy on amerit system. Under a merit system, peo-ple are accepted for what they can do andnot on their riches or personal contacts.
Connecting to the Past1. How old were the Chinese when they took
the tests?
2. Why do you think taking the tests was sostressful for these men?
Civil Service Exams Proficiency testsand final exams today take a lot ofpreparation, but they are not as difficultas China’s civil service examinationsgiven during the Tang dynasty. Men ofalmost all ranks tried to pass the examsso they could hold government jobs andbecome wealthy. Thousands attemptedthe tests, but only a few hundred peoplequalified for the important positions.
Chinese boys began preparing forthe exams inprimary school.After many years oflearning to read andwrite more than400,000 words andsayings, the boys—now men in theirtwenties or earlythirties—would takethe first of threelevels of exams.Students traveled tohuge testing sites totake the tests. Foodand beds were notprovided, so they had to bring theirown. Many men became sick or insanebecause of the stress of the tests andthe poor conditions under which theywere tested.
Students taking civilservice exams
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Reading SummaryReview the • While the Sui dynasty was short-
lived, the Tang and Song dynas-ties lasted for hundreds of yearsand returned power and prosper-ity to China.
• Buddhism became popular inChina and also spread to Koreaand Japan.
• A new kind of Confucianismdeveloped in China during theTang and Song dynasties, and thegovernment used civil servicetests to improve itself.
1. What made Buddhism so popular in China?
2. How was neo-Confucianism a response to Buddhism’spopularity, and what did itteach?
Critical Thinking3. Compare and Contrast
Create a diagram to show howthe reigns of Wendi and Yangdiwere similar and how theywere different.
4. Cause and Effect Whatevents led to the fall of theTang dynasty?
5. Sequencing InformationDescribe the history of Budd-hism during the Tang dynasty.
6. Analyze Why had Confuci-anism fallen out of favor inChina before the Tang andSong dynasties?
7. Drawing Conclusions Doyou think China’s civil servicesystem truly brought the mosttalented individuals into thegovernment? How would youmake the system fairer?
What Did You Learn?
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CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 415
The examinations tested job seekers ontheir knowledge of Confucian writings. Topass, it was necessary to write with style aswell as understanding. The tests were sup-posed to be fair, but only men were allowedto take the tests. Also, only rich people hadthe money that was needed to help theirsons study for the tests.
Passing the tests was very difficult.However, parents did all they could to pre-pare their sons. At the age of four, boysstarted learning to write the characters ofthe Chinese language. Later, students hadto memorize all of Confucius’s writings. If astudent recited the passages poorly, hecould expect to be hit by his teacher.
After many years of study, the boys tooktheir examinations. Despite all the prepara-tion, only one in five passed. Those whofailed usually found jobs helping officials orteaching others. However, they wouldnever be given a government job.
Over the years, the examination systemcreated a new wealthy class in China. Thisgroup was made up of scholar-officials.Strict rules set the scholar-officials apartfrom society. One rule was that they couldnot do physical work. Students preparingfor the tests were taught never to use theirhands except for painting or writing.
What’s the Connection?In the last section, you learned
about the rise and fall of the Sui,Tang, and Song dynasties. Duringthose dynasties, China’s economybegan to grow again. Chineseinventors developed many newtechnologies, and Chinese artists and writers produced new works that are still admired today.
Focusing on the • The Tang dynasty strengthened
China’s economy by supportingfarming and trade. (page 417)
• The Chinese developed newtechnologies, such as steelmakingand printing. (page 418)
• During the Tang and the Songdynasties, China enjoyed a goldenage of art and literature. (page 420)
Locating PlacesChangan (CHAHNG•AHN)
Meeting PeopleLi Bo (LEE BOH)Du Fu (DOO FOO)
Building Your Vocabularyporcelain (POHR•suh• luhn)calligraphy (kuh•LIH•gruh• fee)
Reading Strategy Organizing Information Complete achart like the one below describing thenew technologies developed in Chinaduring the Middle Ages.
A.D. 618Tang dynastytakes power
A.D. 868Chinese printworld’s firstcomplete book
c. 1150Chinese sailorsare the first touse compass
Changan
Hangzhou
416 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages
A.D. 600 A.D. 900 1200A.D. 600 A.D. 900 1200
New Technologies
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CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 417
A Growing EconomyThe Tang dynasty strengthened China’s
economy by supporting farming and trade.Reading Focus Do you know anyone who drinks teaor wears silk clothing? Both of these goods were firstproduced in China. Read to learn how farming changedunder the Tang dynasty.
When the Han dynasty in China col-lapsed in the A.D. 200s, it was a disaster forChina’s economy. As fighting began, citieswere damaged and farms were burned.Artisans made fewer goods, farmers grewfewer crops, and merchants had less totrade. Under the Tang dynasty, these prob-lems were solved.
Why Did Farming Improve? When the Tangrulers took power in A.D. 618, they broughtpeace to the countryside and gave more landto farmers. As a result, farmers were able to make many advances. They improved
irrigation and introduced new ways ofgrowing their crops. Farmers also developednew kinds of rice, which grew well in poorsoil, produced more per acre, grew faster,and were resistant to disease.
These changes helped farmers growmore and more rice. China’s farmers alsobegan to grow tea, which became a popu-lar drink. They made improvements inother crops as well. With more food avail-able, the number of people in Chinagreatly increased. At the same time, morepeople moved southward, where ricegrew abundantly in the Chang Jiang valley. This led to the rise of new cities.
China’s Trade Grows Tang rulers also hadroads and waterways built. These changesmade travel within and outside of Chinamuch easier. Chinese merchants were ableto increase trade with people in other partsof Asia. The Silk Road, now under Tangcontrol, once again bustled with activity.
A worker holds a tray of silkworms eatingmulberry leaves.Eventually the wormswill spin cocoons.Workers then collectand unravel the cocoonsto make silk thread.Why do you think silk isstill expensive today?
Silk, shown here being harvested, remained an important trade itemfor the Chinese. How did Tang rulers help increase trade?
One of the items traded by the Chinese wassilk fabric. This product gave the road itsname and was popular in markets to thewest of China. In addition, China tradedtea, steel, paper, and porcelain. Porcelain(POHR • suh • luhn) is made of fine clay andbaked at high temperatures. In return, othercountries sent China products such as gold,silver, precious stones, and fine woods.
Other trade routes were also estab-lished. Roads linked China to central Asia,India, and southwest Asia. In addition, theTang opened new ports along China’s coastto boost trade.
Cause and Effect How didthe new kinds of rice developed in China help itspopulation grow?
New Technology The Chinese developed new technolo-
gies, such as steelmaking and printing. Reading Focus This book is made of paper with lettersprinted on the paper by a machine. Read to learn howprinting was first invented during the Tang dynasty.
During the Tang and Song dynasties,new inventions changed China’s society. Intime, these discoveries spread to other partsof the world.
China Discovers Coal and Steel For mostof China’s history, people burned wood toheat their homes and cook their food. Bythe time of the Tang dynasty, wood was
418418
The Tang capital city of Changan may have had a population of one millionpeople at its peak. The city had large blocks that included houses, businesses,and temples set along straight streets. Its layout inspired the design of manylater cities. The area containing the royal palace, shown below, was borderedby parklands. What improvements to agriculture allowed China’s populationto grow during the Tang dynasty?
Changan’s Royal PalaceChangan’s Royal Palace
416-422 Ch12 S2-875047 9/18/06 11:54 PM Page 418
Connecting to the Past1. Why do you think Pi Sheng used clay
to make his characters?
2. In what instance would woodblockprinting have been a better methodto use than movable type?
Printing When the Chinese inventedmovable type, they improved the artof printing. A Chinese authordescribed the work of Pi Sheng:
“He took sticky clay and cut in itcharacters as thin as the edge of acopper coin. Each character formed asit were a single type. He baked themin the fire to make them hard. He hadpreviously prepared an iron plate andhe had covered this plate with amixture of pine resin, wax, and paperashes. When he wished to print, hetook an iron frame and set it on theiron plate. In this he placed the type,set close together. When the framewas full, the whole made one solidblock of type.”
—Shên Kua, Dream Pool Jottings
Composing stick
Movable type block
The DiamondSutra is theearliest knownprinted book.
becoming scarce in China. However, theChinese had discovered that coal could beused to heat things, and soon a coal-miningindustry developed.
The Chinese used coal to heat furnaces tohigh temperatures, which led to another dis-covery. When iron was produced in hot fur-naces heated by coal, the molten iron mixedwith carbon from the coal. This created anew, stronger metal known today as steel.
The Chinese used steel to make manythings. They made armor, swords, and hel-mets for their army, but they also madestoves, farm tools, drills, steel chain, andeven steel nails and sewing needles.
The Printing Process Paper had beeninvented under the Han dynasty. Under theTang, the mass production of paper led toanother important Chinese innovation: amethod for printing books. Before printing,books were copied by hand and were veryexpensive. The Chinese began printing inthe A.D. 600s. They used blocks of wood onwhich they cut the characters of an entirepage. Ink was placed over the woodenblock. Then paper was laid on the block tomake a print. Cutting the block took a longtime, but the woodblocks could be usedagain and again to make many copies.
The Chinese soon began printingbooks. The earliest known printed bookdates from about A.D. 868. It is a Buddhistbook called the Diamond Sutra. The inven-tion of printing was very important. Ithelped to spread ideas more rapidly.
In the A.D. 1000s, a Chinese printernamed Pi Sheng (BEE SHUHNG) inventedmovable type for printing. With movabletype, each character is a separate piece. Thepieces can be moved around to make sen-tences and used again and again. Printingalso led to the invention of paper currency.In 1024, during the Song dynasty, the
Wer
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416-422 Ch12 S2-875047 9/19/06 12:57 AM Page 419
Chinese printed the world’s first papermoney as a way to help merchants. Papermoney helped the economy to expand andcities to grow.
Other Chinese Inventions The Chinesemade gunpowder for use in explosives. Oneweapon was the fire lance, an ancestor of thegun. It used gunpowder and helped makethe Chinese army a strong force. The Chinesealso used gunpowder to make fireworks. TheChinese also built large ships with ruddersand sails. About 1150, Chinese sailors beganusing the compass to help them find theirway. This let ships sail farther from land.
Analyze Why was theinvention of printing so important?
Art and Literature During the Tang and the Song dynasties,
China enjoyed a golden age of art and literature.Reading Focus If you were to choose one poem toread to the class, which poem would it be? Below, youwill read a poem that is a Chinese favorite.
The Tang and Song eras were a goldenage for Chinese culture. The invention ofprinting helped to spread Chinese ideasand artwork. Chinese rulers actively sup-ported art and literature, and invited artistsand poets to live and work in the capitalcity of Changan (CHAHNG •AHN).
What Was Tang Poetry Like? Chinesewriters best expressed themselves in poems.In fact, the Tang dynasty is viewed as thegreat age of poetry in China. Some Tangpoems celebrated the beauty of nature, thethrill of seasons changing, and the joy ofhaving a good friend. Other Tang poemsexpressed sadness for the shortness of lifeand mourned the cruelty of friends parting.
Li Bo (LEE BOH) was one of the mostpopular poets of the Tang era. His poemsoften centered on nature. The poem below byLi Bo is probably the best-known poem inChina. For centuries, Chinese schoolchildrenhave had to memorize it. Its title is “StillNight Thoughts.”
Moonlight in front of my bed—I took it for frost on the ground! I lift my eyes to watch the
mountain moon,lower them and dream of home.
—Li Bo,“Still Night Thoughts”
Another favorite poet of that time wasDu Fu (DOO FOO). He was a poor civil ser-vant who had a hard life. Civil war swept
Li BoIn the following poem, Li Bo writes aboutparting from a friend.“Green hills sloping from the northern wall,white water rounding the eastern city: onceparted from this place the lone weed tumbles ten thousand miles.Drifting clouds—a traveler’s thoughts;setting sun—an oldfriend’s heart.Wave hands and letus take leave now,hsiao-hsiao ourhesitant horsesneighing.”
—Li Bo,“Seeing a
Friend Off”
How are drifting clouds like a traveler’sthoughts?
Li Bo
420 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle AgesThe Art Archive/British Library
416-422 Ch12 S2-875047 9/18/06 11:55 PM Page 420
CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 421
China, and food was hard to find. Du Funearly died of starvation. His problemsopened his eyes to the sufferings of the com-mon people.
As a result, Du Fu’s poems often werevery serious. They frequently dealt withissues such as social injustice and the prob-lems of the poor. Du Fu wrote the poembelow after a rebellion left the capital city inruins. It is called “Spring Landscape.”
Rivers and mountains survivebroken countries.
Spring returns. The city grows lush again.
Blossoms scatter tears thinking ofus, and this
Separation in a bird’s cry startles the heart.
Beacon-fires have burned through three months.
By now, letters are worth ten thousand in gold.
. . . . . . . . . .
—Du Fu,“Spring Landscape”
Painting in Song China The painting oflandscapes became widespread during theSong dynasty. However, Chinese artistsdid not try to make exact pictures of thelandscapes they were painting. Instead,they wished to portray the “idea” of themountains, lakes, and other features oftheir landscapes. Also, empty spaces wereleft in the paintings on purpose. This isbecause of the Daoist belief that a per-son cannot know the whole truth aboutsomething.
Daoist beliefs also can be seen in theway people are portrayed. They are tiny fig-ures, fishing in small boats or wanderingup a hillside trail. In other words, the peo-ple are living in, but not controlling, nature.They are only a part of the harmony of thenatural setting.
Chinese painters often wrote poetry ontheir works. They used a brush and ink towrite beautiful characters called calligraphy(kuh •LIH •gruh • fee).
Chinese Porcelain During the Tang period,Chinese artisans perfected the making ofporcelain. Because porcelain later came from
Ink and watercolor drawing on silk
This Chinese landscape was painted inthe 1100s. How were Daoist beliefsdepicted in landscapes painted duringthe Song dynasty?
Chinese calligraphy
(l)The Art Archive/National Peace Museum Taiwan, (c)Naomi Duguid/Asia Access, (r)Private Collection/Bridgeman Art Library
416-422 Ch12 S2-875047 9/18/06 11:57 PM Page 421
Reading SummaryReview the • During the Tang dynasty, both
farming and trade flourished,and the empire grew much larger than ever before.
• Many important inventions were developed in China duringthe Tang and Song dynasties,including steel, printing, and gunpowder.
• Chinese literature and arts,including poetry, landscape painting, and porcelain making,reached new heights during theTang and Song dynasties.
1. What products were traded byChina along the Silk Road?
2. What were some of the subjectsof Tang poetry?
Critical Thinking3. Organizing Information Draw
a chart to describe the newtechnologies developed in China.
4. Summarize Describe thechanges to Chinese agricultureduring the Tang dynasty.
5. Contrast How do the twoforms of printing invented bythe Chinese differ?
6. Evaluate Which invention ofthe Tang and Song dynasties do you think has been mostimportant? Explain.
7. Creative Writing Read thepoem “Still Night Thoughts”by Li Bo again. Then write ashort, four-stanza poem similar to Li Bo’s about theview from your bedroom orkitchen window.
What Did You Learn?
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422 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages
Printing
Metalworking
Weapons
Sailing
These porcelain figures from the Tang dynasty show travelers on horseback. What is porcelain sometimes called today?
Ceramic figuresfrom Tangdynasty tomb
Tang dynastybottle
China to the West, people today sometimescall porcelain by the name “china.”
Porcelain can be made into plates, cups,figurines, and vases. In A.D. 851 an Arab trav-eler described the quality of Tang porcelain:“There is in China a very fine clay fromwhich are made vases. . . . Water in these
vases is visible through them, and yet theyare made of clay.”
The technology for making porcelainspread to other parts of the world. It finallyreached Europe in the 1700s.
Identify What did Du Fuoften write about?
(l)The British Museum/Topham-HIP/The Image Works, (c)Laurie Platt Winfrey, (r)Seattle Art Museum/CORBIS
Reading Strategy Organizing Information Use adiagram like the one below to showthe accomplishments of GenghisKhan’s reign.
Mongols in China
1206Genghis Khanunites Mongols
1368Yuan (Mongol)dynasty falls
1271Kublai Khan becomesChina’s emperor
Baghdad
Karakorum
Khanbaliq(Beijing)
1200 1300 1400
The
Accomplishments
1200 1300 1400
423-429 Ch12 S3-824133 3/15/04 7:13 AM Page 423
The Mongols Genghis Khan and his sons built the
Mongol Empire, which stretched from the PacificOcean to Eastern Europe.Reading Focus Have you ever had the chance to ridea horse? For thousands of years, the horse was the mostimportant form of transportation in the world. Read tolearn how one people used their skills as horse riders tobuild a vast empire.
The Mongols lived in an area north ofChina called Mongolia (mahn •GOH • lee •uh).They were made up of tribes, or groups ofrelated families, loosely joined together. TheMongols raised cattle, goats, sheep, and
horses. They followed their herds as the ani-mals grazed Mongolia’s great steppes(STEHPS). Steppes are wide, rolling, grassyplains that stretch from the Black Sea tonorthern China.
From an early period in their history, theMongols were known for two things. Onewas their ability to ride horses well.Mongols practically lived on horseback,learning to ride at age four or five.
The other skill for which the Mongolswere known was the ability to wage war.They could fire arrows at enemies from adistance while charging at them. Thenthey would attack with spears andswords.
1,000 km
1,000 mi.0
0Two-Point Equidistant projection
N
S
WE
40°N
60°N
20°N
60°E 100°E
14
H
I MA L A Y A
Location ofGenghis Khan’s death
1218
1219
1219
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1215
1211–15
1219–20
A S I A
YellowSea
LakeBaikal
AralSea
Ca
spia
nSe
a
Hu
an
g
He
Chang Jiang
MekongR.G
anges R.
In
dus R.
OnonR.Volga R.
TIBET
KARA-KHITAI
XI XIA
CHINA
Zhongdu(Beijing)
Ningxia
Liaoyang
Hangzhou
Karakorum Ulaanbaatar
SamarkandKashgar
Mongol Empire Under Genghis Khan 1227
Under the reign of Genghis Khan, theMongols conquered kingdoms acrosscentral Asia.1. In what direction from Mongolia did
Genghis Khan first strike? In what year?2. What physical features may have
prevented Genghis Khan fromcapturing more territory to the south?
Genghis Khan’s empire, 1227Mongol homelandCampaign under Genghis Khan
KEY
Mongol warrior
Mongoliannomadstoday
MotionIn
(t)N
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useu
m o
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(b)J
. B
ertr
and/
Pho
to R
esea
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rs
423-429 Ch12 S3-875047 9/19/06 2:15 AM Page 424
Who Was Genghis Khan? The man whowould unite the Mongols was born in the1160s. He was named Temujin (teh •MOO •juhn), which means “blacksmith.” Temujinshowed his leadership skills early. He wasstill a young man when he began to unitethe Mongol tribes.
In 1206 a meeting of Mongol leaderstook place somewhere in the Gobi (GOH •bee), a vast desert that covers parts ofMongolia and China. At that meeting,Temujin was elected Genghis Khan (GEHNG •guhs KAHN), which means “strong ruler.”Genghis Khan brought together Mongollaws in a new code. He also created a group
of tribal chiefs to help him plan militarycampaigns. From the time of his electionuntil the end of his life, Genghis Khan foughtto conquer the lands beyond Mongolia.
Genghis Khan gathered an army of morethan 100,000 warriors. He placed his soldiersinto well-trained groups. Commandingthem were officers chosen for their abilities,not for their family ties. These changes madethe Mongols the most skilled fighting forcein the world at that time.
Genghis Khan began building hisempire by conquering other people on thesteppes. These victories brought himwealth and new soldiers to fill the army.
Bronze plaque showing Genghis Khan
Two-Point Equidistant projection1,000 km
1,000 mi.0
0
N
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20°N
60°N40°E 80°E 120°E
0°EQUATOR
H I MA L A Y A
G O B I
Sumatra
Java
Borneo
INDIAN OCEAN
EastChina
Sea
SouthChina
SeaBay ofBengal
ArabianSea
Red
Sea
Mediterranean
Sea
PACIFICOCEAN
Black Sea
Cas
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Sea
AralSea
Dan
ub
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R .
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eR
.
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R.
Chang Jiang
H uangH
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MONGOLIA
TIBET
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ARABIA PERSIA
JAPAN
KievMoscow
Constantinople
Baghdad
Makkah
Samarkand
Karakorum
Khanbaliq(Beijing)
Hangzhou
Guangzhou
Mongol Empire 1294
CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 425
The Mongols created the largest landempire in the history of the world.1. What physical feature helped prevent
the Mongols from capturing India? 2. What is the present-day name for the
Mongols’ capital at Khanbaliq?
KEYThe Mongol Empireat its heightCampaign of the Yuan dynasty(under Kublai Khan)Great Wall
James L. Stanfield
423-429 Ch12 S3-824133 3/15/04 7:20 AM Page 425
Soon the Mongols were strong enough toattack major civilizations. In 1211 Mongolforces turned east and invaded China.Within three years, they had taken all ofnorthern China. They then moved west andstruck at the cities and kingdoms that con-trolled parts of the Silk Road.
Genghis Khan and his Mongol warriorsbecame known for their cruelty and use ofterror (TEHR • uhr). Terror refers to violentactions that are meant to scare people intosurrendering, or giving up. Mongol war-riors attacked, robbed, and burned cities.Within a short time, the Mongols becameknown for their fierce ways, and many peo-ple surrendered to them without fighting.
The Mongol Empire Genghis Khan diedin 1227. His large empire was divided amonghis four sons. Under their leadership, the
empire continued to expand. The Mongolsswept into parts of eastern and centralEurope. They also conquered much ofsouthwest Asia. In 1258 the famousMuslim city of Baghdad fell to theMongols. Mongol armies then pushedthrough Syria and Palestine to Egypt.They were finally stopped by the Muslimrulers of Egypt in 1260.
The Mongols united all of these differ-ent territories under their rule. Their empirereached from the Pacific Ocean in the eastto Eastern Europe in the west and fromSiberia in the north to the Himalaya in thesouth. It was the largest land empire theworld had ever known.
Despite widespread destruction, theMongols eventually brought peace to thelands they ruled. Peace encouraged trade,which helped the Mongols. Many ofAsia’s trade routes now lay in Mongolhands. The Mongols taxed the productstraded over these roads and, as a result,grew wealthy.
The Mongols felt great respect for theadvanced cultures they conquered.Sometimes they even adopted some of thebeliefs and customs they encountered. Forexample, the Mongols in southwest Asiaaccepted Islam and adopted Arab, Persian,and Turkish ways.
The Mongols also learned many thingsfrom the Chinese. As they battled Chinesetroops, they learned about gunpowder andits use as an explosive. They also saw theChinese use the fire lance, a weapon thatused gunpowder. Quickly, the Mongolsadopted both gunpowder and the fire lancefor use in battle. These new weapons madeMongol armies even more frightening totheir enemies.
Analyze What military andeconomic reasons explain why the Mongols wereable to build an empire so quickly?
426 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages
In the battle scene shown here, Mongol troopsstorm across the Chang Jiang on a bridge madeof boats. After conquering northern China,what areas did the Mongols attack?
Werner Forman Archive
423-429 Ch12 S3-824133 3/15/04 7:27 AM Page 426
GENGHIS KHANc. A.D. 1167–1227
Mongol LeaderWas Genghis Khan a ruthless warrior who enjoyed causing death
and destruction, or was he a skilled leader who improved the lives of
those in his empire, or both? Genghis Khan built a huge empire
across Asia using loyal, strong, and well-trained warriors. Although
the wars he and his sons fought were brutal and bloody, they
eventually brought peace and prosperity to most of Asia.
Genghis Khan was named Temujin by his father, the Mongol
chief Yisugei. Folklore says Temujin had a large blood clot in his
right hand, which meant he was destined to become a great
warrior. Temujin grew up in his father’s camp along the Onon
River in Mongolia.
Temujin’s father arranged a marriage for his nine-year-old son.
His wife came from another tribe, and the marriage helped bring
wealth to his family. Borte, his wife at age ten, was beautiful.
Temujin and Borte had four sons when they both became older.
Years later, when his father was killed by the Tartars and his
loyal warriors left the tribe, Temujin lost his wealth. His poverty
and the disloyalty of his father’s soldiers angered him so much
that he decided to become a great warrior. Over time, Temujin
became Ghengis Khan.
427
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan’s camp
In Mongolia today, Genghis Khan is considered
a national hero. What do you think? Was
Genghis Khan a villain or a hero?
“Life is short, I could not conquerthe world.”
—attributed to Genghis Khan
(t)Kadokawa/Ancient Art & Architecture Collection, (b)Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France/Bridgeman Art Library
423-429 Ch12 S3-875047 9/19/06 1:37 AM Page 427
Mongol Rule in China The Mongols conquered China and cre-
ated a new dynasty that tried to conquer Japan andbegan trading with the rest of Asia.Reading Focus What does it mean to be tolerant?Read to find out how the Mongols used tolerance to rulethe Chinese.
In 1260 the Mongols named GenghisKhan’s grandson, Kublai, to be the newkhan, or ruler. Kublai Khan (KOO • BLUH
KAHN) continued the Mongol conquest ofChina that his father had begun. In 1264Kublai moved his capital from Karakorum
in Mongolia to Khanbaliq in northernChina. Today the modern city of Beijing(BAY • JIHNG) stands on the site of theMongols’ Chinese capital.
What Did the Mongols Do in China? In1271 Kublai Khan decided to becomeChina’s next emperor. Within 10 years, theMongols had conquered southern Chinaand put an end to the Song dynasty. KublaiKhan started the Yuan (YOO •AHN) dynasty.Yuan means “beginning,” and its nameshowed that the Mongols wanted to ruleChina for a long time. But the Yuan dynastywould last only about 100 years. Kublaiwould rule for 30 of those years.
Kublai Khan gave Mongol leaders thetop jobs in China’s government, but heknew he needed Chinese scholar-officials torun the government. So he let many of theChinese keep their government jobs.
The Mongols were different from theChinese in many ways. They had their ownlanguage, laws, and customs. This keptthem separate from Chinese society. TheMongols were rulers at the top of Chinesesociety, but they did not mix with theChinese people.
Like many Chinese, the Mongols wereBuddhists. They were tolerant, however,of other religions. For example, KublaiKhan invited Christians, Muslims, andHindus from outside China to practicetheir faiths and to win converts.
Under Mongol rule, China reached theheight of its wealth and power. Its splendordrew foreigners who came to China overthe Silk Road. Khanbaliq, the capital,became known for its wide streets, beauti-ful palaces, and fine homes.
One of the most famous European travelers to reach China was Marco Polo(MAHR • koh POH • loh). He came from thecity of Venice in Italy. Kublai Khan was
428 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages
Kublai Khan’sPark
Marco Polo recorded a description of theluxury in which Kublai Khan lived.“[The palace wall] encloses and encircles fullysixteen miles of parkland well watered withsprings and streams . . . Into this park there is noentry except by wayof the palace. Herethe Great Khankeeps game animalsof all sorts . . . toprovide food for thegerfalcons [large,arctic falcons] andother falcons whichhe has in here in mew [an enclosure].”
—Marco Polo, “Kublai Khan’s Park, c. 1275”
Why did Kublai Khan keep gameanimals—ones hunted for sport or food—in his park?
Kublai Khan presentsgolden tablets toMarco Polo
The Bodleian Library, Oxford, Ms. Bodl. 264, fol.219R
423-429 Ch12 S3-824133 3/17/05 12:58 PM Page 428
Reading SummaryReview the • Under leaders such as Genghis
Khan and his sons, the MongolEmpire expanded until itstretched from the Pacific Oceanto Eastern Europe, and fromSiberia south to the Himalaya.
• Kublai Khan conquered China,which led to increased tradebetween China and other partsof the world.
1. Who was Marco Polo?
2. What areas did the Mongolsconquer?
Critical Thinking3. Sequencing Information
Draw a time line like the onebelow. Fill in details to showthe Mongols’ rise to power inChina.
4. Analyze How did theMongols use terror in theirconquests?
5. Summarize How did theMongols benefit from theircontact with the Chinese?
6. Descriptive Writing Imagineyou are Marco Polo visitingKublai Khan in Khanbaliq. Writea journal entry describing someof the things you are learningabout the Mongol Empireunder Kublai Khan.
What Did You Learn?
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CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 429
fascinated by Marco Polo’s stories about histravels. For about 16 years, Kublai sent Poloon many fact-finding trips. When Polofinally returned to Europe, he wrote a bookabout his adventures. His accounts of thewonders of China amazed Europeans.
Trade and Conquest The Mongols ruled alarge empire that stretched from China toeastern Europe. As a result, China pros-pered from increased trade with other areas.Goods such as silver, spices, carpets, andcotton flowed in from Europe and otherparts of Asia. In return, China shipped outtea, silk, and porcelain. Europeans andMuslims also brought Chinese discoveries,such as steel, gunpowder, and the compass,back to their homelands.
The Mongols enlarged China’s empireand conquered Vietnam and northern Korea.The rulers of Korea, called the Koryo,remained in power because they accepted
Mongol control. The Mongols forced thou-sands of Koreans to build warships. Theseships were used by the Mongols to invadeJapan. You will read about the Mongol inva-sions of Japan in a later chapter.
Identify Who founded theYuan dynasty?
c. 1167 Temujin born
1281 Mongols conquer China
This drawing from a historic map shows MarcoPolo’s journey along the Silk Road. From whatEuropean city did Marco Polo travel?
(JOO YOO•AHN• JAHNG)Yong Le (YUNG LEE)Zheng He (JUNG HUH)
Building Your Vocabularytreason (TREE•zuhn)census (SEHN•suhs)novel (NAH•vuhl)barbarian (bahr•BEHR•ee•uhn)
Reading Strategy Cause and Effect Use a chart like the one below to show cause-and-effect links in China’s early tradevoyages.
1405Zheng He beginsfirst overseasvoyage
1514Portugueseships arrivein China
1644Ming dynasty falls
Macao
Beijing
Nanjing
1400 1500 16001400 1500 1600
430 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages
The
Effects/Causes
Effect
Effect
CauseZheng He traveled to parts of
Asia and Africa.
430-436 Ch12 S4-824133 3/15/04 7:46 AM Page 430
The Rise of the MingMing rulers strengthened China’s gov-
ernment and brought back peace and prosperity.Reading Focus Think about all the different things thegovernment does for people. Imagine if you were runningthe government and had to rebuild the country after awar. What would you do? Read to learn how the Mingrulers in China rebuilt their country after the Mongols left.
Kublai Khan died in 1294. A series ofweak rulers followed him, and Mongolpower began to decline. During the 1300s,problems mounted for the Yuan dynasty.Mongol groups in Mongolia to the northbroke away. At the same time, manyChinese resented Mongol controls andwanted their own dynasty.
How Did the Ming Dynasty Begin? Aseries of rebellions finally drove out theMongols. In 1368 a rebel leader named Zhu Yuanzhang (JOO YOO • AHN • JAHNG)became emperor. Zhu reunited the countryand set up his capital at Nanjing (NAHN •JIHNG) in southern China. There, hefounded the Ming, or “Brilliant,” dynasty.
As emperor, Zhu took the name HongWu, or the “Military Emperor.” He broughtback order, but he also proved to be a cruelleader. Hong Wu trusted no one and killedofficials he suspected of treason (TREE •zuhn), or disloyalty to the government.Hong Wu ruled China for 30 years. When hedied in 1398, his son became emperor andtook the name of Yong Le (YUNG LEE).
Two-Point Equidistant projection500 km0
500 mi.0 N
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E
Great Wall
20°N
100°E110°E 120°E
YellowSea
Huang He (Yello
wR.)
Chang Jiang (Yangtze R.)
G O B I
CHINA
MONGOLIA
Guangzhou
Beijing
Nanjing
Quanzhou
Ming Dynasty China 1368–1644
During the Ming dynasty, theChinese capital moved to Beijing.1. What feature made up the
northern border of the Mingempire?
2. How far away was Guangzhoufrom Beijing?
Ming dynasty
Great Wall
KEY
A bronze Buddhafrom the Ming dynasty
Chr
istie
’s I
mag
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OR
BIS
430-436 Ch12 S4-824133 3/15/04 7:50 AM Page 431
Yong Le worked hard to show that hewas a powerful emperor. In 1421 he movedthe capital north to Beijing. There, he built alarge area of palaces and government build-ings known as the Imperial City. The verycenter of the Imperial City was known asthe Forbidden City. Only top officials couldenter the Forbidden City because it washome to China’s emperors.
The Forbidden City had beautiful gar-dens and many palaces with thousands ofrooms. The emperor and his court livedthere in luxury for more than 500 years. Thebuildings of the Forbidden City still exist.You can visit them if you travel to China.
How Did the Ming Reform China? Mingemperors made all the decisions, but theystill needed officials to carry out theirorders. They restored the civil serviceexaminations and made the tests even
harder. From time to time, Mingofficials carried out a census(SEHN • suhs), or a count of thenumber of people. This helpedthem collect taxes more accurately.
With the strong governmentof the early Ming emperors pro-viding peace and security,China’s economy began to grow.Hong Wu ordered many of thecanals and farms destroyed bythe Mongols to be rebuilt andordered people to move to thenew farms. He also ordered newforests to be planted and newroads to be paved.
Agriculture thrived as farm-ers worked on the new lands andgrew more crops. Ming rulersrepaired and expanded theGrand Canal so that rice and
other goods could again be shipped fromsouthern to northern China. They importednew types of rice from southeast Asia thatgrew faster. This helped feed the growingnumber of people living in cities. The Mingalso supported the silk industry andencouraged farmers to start growing cottonand weaving cloth. For the first time, cottonbecame the cloth worn by most Chinese.
Chinese Culture Chinese culture alsoadvanced under the Ming. As merchantsand artisans grew wealthier, they wanted tolearn more and be entertained. During theMing period, Chinese writers producedmany novels (NAH •vuhls), or long fictionalstories. The Chinese also enjoyed seeingdramas on stage. These works combinedspoken words and songs with dances, cos-tumes, and symbolic gestures.
Identify What was theForbidden City?
432 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages
This image, from a Ming dynasty vase, showsChinese farmworkers collecting tea.
SEF/Art Resource, NY
430-436 Ch12 S4-824133 3/15/04 7:53 AM Page 432
China Explores the World During the Ming dynasty, China sent a
fleet to explore Asia and East Africa.Reading Focus You probably have heard of ChristopherColumbus and his trip to America. Imagine if China hadsent ships to America first. Read to learn about Chineseexplorations of Asia and East Africa.
Early Ming emperors were curious aboutthe world outside of China. They alsowanted to increase China’s influence abroad.To reach these goals, Ming emperors built alarge fleet of ships. The new ships usuallytraveled along China’s coast. However, theycould also sail in the open sea.
Who Was Zheng He? From 1405 to 1431,Emperor Yong Le sent the fleet on sevenoverseas voyages. The emperor wanted totrade with other kingdoms, show offChina’s power, and demand that weakerkingdoms pay tribute to China.
The leader of these journeys was aChinese Muslim and court official namedZheng He (JUNG HUH). Zheng He’s voy-ages were quite impressive. His first fleethad 62 large ships, 250 smaller ships, andalmost 28,000 men. The largest ship wasover 440 feet (134 m) long. That made itmore than five times as long as the SantaMaría that Christopher Columbus sailedalmost 90 years later!
1,000 km0Mercator projection
1,000 mi.0N
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W E
30°E
60°E
120°E90°E
0°
30°N
EQUATORSumatra
Borneo
Java
Sri Lanka(Ceylon)
RedSea
PersianGulf
ArabianSea
Bay ofBengal
SouthChina
Sea
INDIANOCEAN
PACIFICOCEAN
CHINA
INDIA
ARABIA
AFRICA
Mombasa
Malindi
Mogadishu
Aden
JeddahMakkah
Hormuz
Calicut
Chittagong
Bangkok
Melaka
Quanzhou
Nanjing
Zheng He’s Voyages 1405–1433
CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 433
Exploration routes of Zheng He's fleetKEY
Zheng He’s voyages took him to farawaylands from which he brought back manyexotic items.1. What cities in Africa did Zheng He visit?2. About how far did Zheng He travel?Zheng He
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ZHENG HE1371–1433
Chinese NavigatorThe famous Chinese navigator Zheng He was
born in Kunyang in southwest China in 1371. His
birth name was Ma He, and he was from a poor
Chinese Muslim family. Scholars say that his father
and grandfather were honored hajjis—people who
successfully made the pilgrimage to Makkah in
Arabia. Little did Ma He know that his life would
also involve travel. His seven missions across the
oceans earned him heroic honors.
His father died when Ma He was little. As a
child, Ma He was taken prisoner by the Chinese
army. To overcome his sad life, Ma He turned
to education. He learned different languages,
including Arabic, and studied philosophy and
geography. With his language skills and know-
ledge of the outside world, 10-year-old Ma He
became a valuable imperial aide to Chinese
officials.
By age 12, he was an assistant to a young
prince named Zhu Di. Ma He accompanied the prince
on several military missions. The prince, who later
became the Emperor Yong Le, became a friend of
Ma He. The emperor changed Ma He’s name to the
honored surname Zheng. Soon after, Zheng He was assigned
to lead a fleet of Chinese ships across the Indian Ocean,
beginning the career that would make him famous. Zheng
He’s voyages to new lands opened
the door for trade among China,
India, and Africa. Many of the Chinese
moved abroad to sell Chinese goods.
Those who learned and spoke more
than one language, like Zheng He,
prospered.
Zheng He
What “Made in China” products do you use on
a daily basis? Do research to find out what
percentage of goods imported to the United
States are from China.
“We have set eyes on barbarian regions far away.”
—Zheng He, as quoted in Chinese Portraits
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CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 435
Where Did Zheng He Travel? Zheng Hetook his first fleet to southeast Asia. In latervoyages, he reached India, sailed up thePersian Gulf to Arabia, and even landed inEast Africa. In these areas, Zheng He tradedChinese goods, such as silk, paper, andporcelain. He brought back silver, spices,wood, and other goods. From Africa, ZhengHe returned home with giraffes and otheranimals for the emperor’s zoo.
As a result of Zheng He’s voyages,Chinese merchants settled in SoutheastAsia and India. There, they not only tradedgoods but also spread Chinese culture.Chinese merchants at home and abroadgrew rich from the trade of the voyages andadded to China’s wealth.
Despite these benefits, Chinese officialscomplained that the trips cost too much.They also said that trips were bad forChina’s way of life because they brought innew ideas from the outside world andhelped merchants become rich.
Confucius had taught that peopleshould place loyalty to society ahead oftheir own desires. To the officials, China’smerchants were disobeying this teaching byworking to gain money for themselves.
After Zheng He’s death, the Confucianofficials persuaded the emperor to stop thevoyages. The boats were dismantled, andno more ships capable of long distanceocean travel were allowed to be built. As aresult, China’s trade with other countriessharply declined. Within 50 years, the ship-building technology was forgotten.
The Europeans Arrive in China Chinese offi-cials were not able to cut off all of China’scontacts with the outside world. In 1514 afleet from the European country of Portugal(POHR • chih • guhl) arrived off the coast ofChina. It was the first time Europeans hadever sailed to China and the first direct
contact between China and Europe since thejourneys of Marco Polo.
The Portuguese wanted China to tradewith their country. They also wanted toconvince the Chinese to become Christians.At the time, the Ming government was notimpressed by the Portuguese. China was atthe height of its power and did not feelthreatened by outsiders. The Chinesethought the Europeans were barbarians(bahr •BEHR •ee •uhns), or uncivilized people.
At first, the Chinese refused to tradewith the Portuguese, but by 1600, they hadallowed Portugal to set up a trading post atthe port of Macao (muh • KOW) in southernChina. Goods were carried on Europeanships between Macao and Japan. Still, tradebetween China and Europe remained limited.
Despite restrictions, ideas from Europedid reach China. Christian missionariestraveled to China on European ships. Manyof these missionaries were Jesuits, a specialgroup of Roman Catholic priests. They
Italian missionary Matteo Ricci (left) was oneof the most famous Europeans to visit China.He helped in the development of math andscience in China during the late 1500s.
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Reading SummaryReview the • The Ming dynasty rebuilt
and reformed China after theMongols were driven out. Theirdynasty restored peace and prosperity to China.
• During the Ming dynasty, China’scontacts with the outside worldincreased as Zheng He led fleetsto faraway lands and Europeanships began arriving in China.
1. What was the purpose of theForbidden City and where wasit located?
2. How did the Chinese react tothe arrival of Portuguesetraders in 1514?
Critical Thinking3. Organizing Information
Draw a diagram like the onebelow. Fill in details about theachievements of the Mingdynasty.
4. Cause and Effect Why didMing rulers repair and expandthe Grand Canal?
5. Summarize Why did theEmperor Yong Le send Zheng Heon his voyages? How did ZhengHe’s voyages benefit China?
6. Persuasive Writing Imagineyou are living in China at thetime of Zheng He’s voyages.Write a newspaper editorialeither for or against the voy-ages. Describe why you thinkthe voyages are aiding or hurt-ing the country as a whole.
7. Predict What do you thinkhappened after China tried tolimit trade?
What Did You Learn?
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436 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages
were highly educated, and their scientificknowledge impressed the Chinese. To getChina to accept European ideas, the Jesuitsbrought with them clocks, eyeglasses, andscientific instruments. Although they tried,the Jesuits did not convert many Chinese toChristianity.
Why Did the Ming Dynasty Fall? After along era of prosperity and growth, the Mingdynasty began to decline. Ming emperorshad gathered too much power into theirown hands. With the emperor having somuch control, officials had little desire tomake improvements. As time passed, Mingrulers themselves became weak. Greedyofficials who lived in luxury took over thecountry. They placed heavy taxes on thepeasants, who began to revolt.
As law and order disappeared, a peoplecalled the Manchus attacked China’s north-ern border. The Manchus lived to the north-east of the Great Wall in an area knowntoday as Manchuria. The Manchus defeatedChinese armies and captured Beijing. In1644 they set up a new dynasty.
Cause and Effect Whatcaused the Ming dynasty to decline and fall?
Ming Dynasty Achievements
This porcelain bowl is from the Ming dynasty.Where in China did the Portuguese set up atrading post?
Inferences Reading Between the Lines21. Poet Du Fu’s poem “Spring Landscape,” on page 421, described what it was like in
the capital after a rebellion left the city in ruins. One of the lines from his poemappears here. What can you infer from this line of poetry?
“By now, letters are worth ten thousand in gold.”
To review this skill, see pages 406–407.
Section 2 • Chinese Society11. How did Tang rulers strengthen China’s
economy?12. What kind of technologies did the Chinese
develop?
Section 3 • The Mongols in China13. Why were the Mongols able to build a
huge empire? 14. How did the Mongols rule China?
Section 4 • The Ming Dynasty15. How did the Ming rulers affect China?16. Why did the Portuguese want to explore
Africa and Asia?
Critical Thinking17. Analyze How did civil service exams help
China develop a strong government?
18. Explain How did Confucianism changeduring the Tang dynasty?
19. Predict How do you think China would bedifferent today if Tang rulers had notcracked down on Buddhism in A.D. 845?
20. Hypothesize The Mongols conquered avast amount of land, but their Yuan dynastylasted only about 100 years. Create ahypothesis that might explain this situation.
Review VocabularyMatch the word in the first column with itsdefinition in the second column.___ 1. treason a. groups of related
families loosely joinedtogether
___ 2. warlord b. change that brings improvement
___ 3. terror c. disloyalty to the government
___ 4. economy d. military leader whoalso runs a government
___ 5. reform e. a count of the numberof people
___ 6. steppe f. violent actions meant to scare others
___ 7. tribe g. organized way to buy,sell, and produce
___ 8. census h. wide grassy plain
Review Main IdeasSection 1 • China Reunites
9. What did the Sui and Tang dynasties do toimprove China?
10. How did the Tang rulers change China?
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CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 439
AnalyzeJohn of Plano Carpini, a friar, explainedwhy the Mongols were such skilledwarriors. “Their children begin as soon as they aretwo or three years old to ride and managehorses and to gallop on them, and they aregiven bows to suit their stature [size] andare taught to shoot; they are extremelyagile [move quickly and easily] and alsointrepid [fearless].”
—John of Plano Carpini,History of the Mongols
29. Why did each Mongol warrior shoot so well with a bow and arrows?
30. What other qualities made the Mongols excellent warriors?
1,000 km
1,000 mi.0
0Two-Point Equidistant projection
N
S
W E
40°N
E 100°E 120°E
G O B I
H I M A L A Y A
A S I A
Bay ofBengal South
China Sea
EastChina
Sea
Hu
an
g
He
Chang Jiang
Mekong
R.
TIBET
MONGOLIA
CHINA
KOREANPENINSULA
Beijing
Changan LuoyangHangzhou
Guangzhou
Tang China
Geography SkillsStudy the map below and answer the follow-ing questions.22. Location What was the length of the
Grand Canal? 23. Human/Environment Interaction What
part of Asia did the Tang control thathelped China’s trade?
24. Region What geographic features do youthink helped the Tang dynasty expand?
Read to Write25. Persuasive Writing Imagine you are a
Portuguese merchant. You have just traveledto China to persuade the Chinese people totrade with your country. Work with a smallgroup to create a script detailing the dia-logue that would take place between thePortuguese merchant and a representative ofthe Chinese government. (Suppose someoneis acting as a translator, but do not incorpo-rate the translator into your dialogue.)
26. Using Your On your foldable,add details to the main headings in Section2. Think about how the changes and artsdescribed there might have had an impacton people’s lives. Then write three journal
entries that tell how these things haveaffected your family’s life in China in theMiddle Ages. Illustrate your entries.
Using Technology27. Building a Database Use the Internet to
gather more information about GenghisKhan. Use the information to create adatabase for your classmates. Include text,images, and perhaps a time line. Your data-base should contain information aboutGenghis Khan as a person and as a ruler.
Linking Past and Present28. Expository Writing Write a short report
that describes similarities and differencesbetween the Imperial City of the Mingdynasty and the United States capital,Washington, D.C.
Self-Check Quiz To help you prepare forthe Chapter Test, visit jat.glencoe.com
