The+Asian+World

**400A.D-1500A.D** By: Austin & Cole ** "I am the punishment of God...If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you." ** ** [|Genghis Khan] **

**The Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties are what restored peace back in China during this time. First of all, the Sui dynasty started in 581 AD and ended in 618 AD. This dynasty didn't last very long, but it had unified China once again which was a good thing. One great project of this dynasty was the Grand Canal, which was built to link the two greatest rivers in China, the Huang He and the Chang Jiang. The Grand Canal was built by Emperor Sui Yangdi, who was a cruel ruler, which led to his death and the end of the dynasty. Secondly, the Tang dynasty started up in 618 AD, right after the Sui dynasty ended, and ended in 907 AD. Some key elements of this dynasty is that they restored civil service, distributed land to peasants, controlled Tibet, and started to trade with Southeast Asia. Lastly, the Song dynasty started in 960AD, after a series of civil war, and ended in 1279AD. During this dynasty, China lost control of Tibet and formed an alliance with the Mongols.**

**Another Empire from around this time was Japan. First, a key part of Japans society was its vast geography. Japan is consisted of four main islands, and all of that land together basically adds up to the size of Montana. Japan is very mountainous, with some of the mountains being volcanic. Approximately 11 percent of Japan is able to be farmed. Second, their geography also contributed to their belief that they have a destiny separate from the people that live on the Asian continent. Finally, a new class of military servants arrived during this time in Japan called the samurai. Samurai are warriors who fought on horseback and carried a cross and a bow.**

**The Mongols were masters of warfare. Initially, they would beat their enemy with all kinds of different tactics. They were extremely smart about how they attacked their enemy, and with that, they rose to power in Asia very quickly. Next, Genghis Khan was one of the most famous rulers of the Mongols. His armies dominated pretty much all of what got in their way. Some of his armies even conquered lands as far as Central Europe. Lastly, Marco Polo was a key part during this time period. He travelled all the way from Europe to China, and then back. By traveling there, he let all of the people of Europe know about what is "out there" in the world, but most people didn't believe him at the time.**



__**Five Famous People during this time:**__
 * ** Genghis Khan: ** Known as "Strong ruler", he unified the Mongols and created the largest land empire in history. About 1/10th of the people in the world are descendants of him.
 * ** Kublai Khan: ** Genghis Khan's grandson who completed the conquest of song and established a new Chinese dynasty called the Yuan dynasty.
 * ** Sui Yangdi: ** Second emperor of the Sui dynasty who was a cruel leader and used forced labor to help build the Grand Canal. His death marked the end of the dynasty.
 * **Marco Polo:** Italian merchant who traveled all across Asia and back to tell the people of Europe about what is out there. Most people didn't believe him and was called the prince of liars.
 * ** Wu Zhao: ** She was one of the few Chinese women that had any power. She was known as a ruthless leader but was also a good leader in the fact that she formed an alliance with Korea and lowered taxes.

__The Asian World Timeline.__

 * 589AD-** The Sui Dynasty begins.
 * 618AD-** The Tang Dynasty begins.
 * 868AD-** The Diamond Sutra became the first pinted book.
 * 960AD-** Song Dynasty begins.
 * 1206AD-** Genghis Khan becomes the first Mongol Emperor.
 * 1271AD-** Kublai Khan founds the Yuan Dynasty.
 * 1271AD-** Marco Polo visits China and writes The Travels of Marco Polo.
 * 1281AD-** A Kamikaze saved Japan from Mongol Invasion by Kublai Khan.
 * 1368AD-** The Ming Dynasty begins.
 * 1433AD-** China isolates itself from the world.

__**Five Terms for The Asian World:**__
 * 1) ** Samurai: ** Called "those who serve" and were the warriors of Ancient Japan. They fought on horseback and attacked using a sword with a bow and arrow. They lived by a strict code known as Bushido, which means "the way of the warrior".
 * 2) ** Dowry: ** Money, goods, or property that a girl's parents were expected to present to the husband when they are married. Sign of respect.
 * 3) ** Khanates: ** These were created after the death of Genghis Khan, they are separate territories of his vast kingdom that were split up between his sons.
 * 4) ** Firelance: ** Invented during the Tang dynasty, it was the flamethrower of their generation. Using gunpowder, it shot a mixture of fire and projectiles up to 40 yards.
 * 5) ** Grand Canal: ** Completed by Sui Yangdi during the Sui dynasty, it was built to link the Huang He and Chang Jiang rivers and made it easier to ship rice from the south to the north.

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__**Five Links for The Asian World:**__ 1.)Ancient Chinese Architecture Here is some great information about Chinese architecture. It has info about different designs of building like screen walls, ancient arches, and the fancy designs on doors. 2.)Ancient Chinese Weapons This has all you need to know about ancient Chinese weapons. From samurai swords to the armour that they wear, its got it all. 3.)Ancient Asian Religions This website has tons of info on all of the different religions of ancient Asia. Some examples of them are Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. 4.)Ancient Chinese Dynasties Here is some information on all of the dynasties of ancient china. 5.)Ancient Chinese Culture In this site there is lots of information on ancient Chinese culture. It will show you what is polite to do when you are visiting there and also what is very impolite.
 * 1) [[image:worldhistorycbad/asiamap.gif width="659" height="530" align="center" caption="Whole map of Asia"]]

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