Summary AP World History Unit 1.1 Notes - Development in East Asia () | Complete Study Guide

AP World History Unit 1.1: Developments in East Asia ( c1200-1450)



Big Picture

 China during this period=most advanced, wealthy and influential
empire
 Song dynasty (960-1279) dominates east Asia
 Innovations in government, economy and culture spread throughout
East Asia and beyond
 Other societies borrowed from China but also adapted Chinese
traditions in their own ways.



Government and Politics

 Imperial Bureaucracy: Large system of officials running daily
government.
 Officials chosen by civil service exam based on cofunction texts
created a meritocracy
 Mandate of heaven: Rulers legitimacy lied to heaven’s approval
 Strengths: Organized stable government
 Weakness: Bureaucracy became to big expensive strain on
resource



Confucianism and Culture

 Confucianism shaped social hierarchy and gender roles
 Example: Filial piety (respect for parents/ancestors)
 Neo- Confucianism: Blended Confucian moral value with Buddhism and
Daoism
 Foot-Binding: Considered a mark of beauty, wealth and high status.


Religion and Belief System

 Buddhism spread from India into china
 Blended with Daoism created Chan/Zen Buddhism
 Tang and Song dynasties sometimes resisted Buddhism
saw it as a threat to Confucian values