Developments in East Asia

Reasoning Process

Continuity and Change

Suggested Skill

Identify and describe a historical context for a specific historical development or process.

THEMATIC FOCUS Governance GOV

A variety of internal and external factors contribute to state formation, expansion, and decline. Governments maintain order through a variety of administrative institutions, policies, and procedures, and governments obtain, retain, and exercise power in different ways and for different purposes.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Unit 1: Learning Objective A

Explain the systems of government employed by Chinese dynasties and how they developed over time.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS

KC-3.2.I.A Empires and states in Afro-Eurasia and the Americas demonstrated continuity, innovation, and diversity in the 13th century. This included the Song Dynasty of China, which utilized traditional methods of Confucianism and an imperial bureaucracy to maintain and justify its rule.

THEMATIC FOCUS Economics Systems ECN

As societies develop, they affect and are affected by the ways that they produce, exchange, and consume goods and services.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE Unit 1:

Learning Objective C Explain the effects of innovation on the Chinese economy over time.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS KC-3.3.III.A.i

The economy of Song China became increasingly commercialized while continuing to depend on free peasant and artisanal labor.

KC-3.1.I.D The economy of Song China flourished as a result of increased productive capacity, expanding trade networks, and innovations in agriculture and manufacturing.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES

Cultural traditions:

• Filial piety in East Asia
• Influence of Neo-Confucianism and Buddhism in East Asia
• Confucian traditions of both respect for and expected deference from women
• Chinese literary and scholarly traditions and their spread to Heian Japan and Korea

Branches of Buddhism:

• Theravada
• Mahayana
• Tibetan

Technological innovations:

• Champa rice
• Transportation innovations, like the Grand Canal expansion
• Steel and iron production
• Textiles and porcelains for export