In AP World History: Modern, the role of Confucianism in East Asia needs to be understood on a few levels:

1.) maintenance of proper societal relationships

There are five relationships that Confucianism recognizes: ruler and subject, parent and child, husband and wife, older brother and younger brother, and friend to friend. The first four relationships are based on hierarchy. The older, wiser, more educated is to treat the younger, less experienced, less educated with kindness, gentility, humane consideration and benevolence. The response of the recipient is to show piety, humility, obedience, deference and loyalty. Confucious taught that when each person acts in accordance with his or her status and position in society, there will be social harmony.

2.) civil service examination systems

Beginning with the Han dynasty, social leaders were chosen through an examination system in which examinees had to demonstrate their education and abilities, including their understanding and practice of the Confucian teachings. The higher scoring participants were given positions of higher status. These exams were reintroduced during the Tang dynasty and were a continuity* in China into the beginning of the twentieth century (1905) when the Qing dynasty attempted to modernize China.

*The examination system was abolished by Yuan (Mongol) rulers after the the establishment of the Yuan dynasty in 1279 until 1315.

3.) rise of Neo-Confucianism

In response to Buddhisms rise to prominence during the Tang dynasty, Confucianism was revived as 'Neo-Confucianism'. This new revived form of Confucianism was infused with Buddhist and Daoist teaching and became the orthodox ideology until the beginning of the Republic of China in 1911. Some scholars view this as an example of syncretism and other view it as a replacement of a "foreign" religion by replacing known Buddhist concepts with Chinese ones.

4.) Diffusion of Neo-Confucianism to Vietnam, Korea, and Japan

The "tribute system" is often associated with a "Confucian world order", under which neighboring states complied and participated in the "tribute system" to secure guarantees of peace, investiture, and trading opportunities. In practice, the tribute system only became formalized during the early years of the Ming dynasty. The "tribute" entailed a foreign court sending envoys and exotic products to the Chinese emperor. The emperor then gave the envoys gifts in return and permitted them to trade in China. Presenting tribute involved theatrical subordination but usually not political subordination.

One of the most well known practices associated with this is the Kowtow. The Kowtow is a display of prostration, or kneeling and bowing as a sign of reverence.

I will provide some examples below of diffusion of Neo-Confucianism that resulted from this system.

5.) New Confucianism

During the early 1900s, Chinese intellectuals began blaming Confucianism for China's failure to modernize. They began looking for a new ideology which would help them catch up with the rest of the modern world. It was at this time that Mao introduced the communist ideology. His ideology was embraced and in 1949, the People's Replublic of China was founded. Confucianism was seen as counter-revolutionary. Confucianism faced its most serious challenge during the 1960s with the Cultural Revolution.

Beginning in the 1980s there was a new trend toward reflecting on traditional Chinese values. In the early 1990's, Confucianism was reaffirmed. Confucianism today is being used as a way to project China's "soft power" by creating a global network of Confucian Institutes at western universities.

Contextualization: From the time of the Han dynasty until the end of the Tang dynasty (111 BCE-938 CE), northern Vietnam was under direct Chinese control. This resulted in:

• An intellectual elite developed

• the principles of obedience and respect for education and authority were instilled throughout society

• Confucian values influencing the family structure and creating a tightly defined social hierarchy.

Neo-Confucian diffusion:

• Many Chinese migrated south following the conquest of what is today northern Vietnam during the Han dynasty, bringing Confucianism, culture, the civil service examination system, and administrative systems.

• Sinicization (bringing people who are not of Chinese descent under the influence of Chinese culture ) of the elite:

  • This prolonged contact thoroughly sinicized the elite. The Vietnamese elite lived as part of the greater Chinese world and were a cultural distinct from the lower classes.

• Independent tribute state in 939 C.E.

  • While independence was won from a fierce rebellion, the new Vietnamese state became a tribute state of China and used Chinese systems and symbols in its statecraft.

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• In Hanoi in 1070, the establishment of the Van Mieu (Temple of Literature), a temple of learning dedicated to Confucius, marked the emergence of Confucianism as a cult. Like China, it reached a peak during the 15th century – the ‘golden age’ of King Le Thanh Tong

Neo-Confucian Rejection:

• the lower classes were part of a greater Southeast Asian world, enjoying cockfighting, the betel nut, and greater freedoms for women.

• women had a greater role in social and economic life

Neo-Confucianism in the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)

Neo-Confucian diffusion:

• In Goryeo period (918-1392), King Gwangjong (949–975) had created the national civil-service examination (but it never rose to the level of prominence it had in China and Korea's aristocratic class was able to maintain a monopoly on bureaucratic offices

• Neo-Confucianism was adopted as the primary belief system among scholars and administrators during the Joseon, pushing out Buddhism.

• The Joseon Korean state did agree to be a tribute state and sent many students to China to study the Confucian classics.

• Later, Confucian schools were developed in Korea. A very orthodox interpretation of Confucianism led to serious restrictions on Korean women.

• Korean Confucian schools were firmly established by the early 1400s; most with foreign educated scholars, large libraries, patronage of artisans and artists, and a curriculum of 13 to 15 major Confucian works.

Neo-Confucian Rejection:

• While there was a strong Sinitic influence on the Korean elite, little of this made its way down to the poor Korean peasants, living in serf-like conditions.

• The elite also maintained their language and culture, even developing an alphabet called hangul rather than using Chinese characters.

• women allowed "free choice" marriages

• women allowed to practice public singing and dancing

• Korean women generally gave birth and went to their parents home (joined by husband). This was discouraged for Confucian orthodoxy since a married women belonged to her husband's family

• Neo-Confucian critics simply continued to criticize the system of Temples and the excesses of the clergy.

Neo-Confucian diffusion:

• Japanese adopted the Chinese calendar, taxation system, and government ministries

• Capital cities of Kyoto and Nara modeled on the Chinese capital Chang'am

Neo-Confucian Rejection:

• political power was decentralized

• samurai warrior class developed a distinct set of beliefs known as BUSHIDO in contrast to Confucian values

• Japan focused on KAMI, which later became known as Shinto.

• Japanese women until the 12th century could:

  • inherit property

  • married couples lived apart

  • marriages were made and broken easily