Are you smarter than a 9th Grader?

This map (below) contains the locations of places, persons, and events discussed during the semester. Can you match the icons on the map with the correct description provided in the list that follows? Give it a shot.

World History II Map Review

1. From Tenochtitlan, located in this area, did the Mexica (Aztec) rule over their empire.
2. This is the city from where the Emperor Justinian (Corpus Juris Civilis) and Alexius I (1st Crusade) ruled the Byzantine Empire.
3. This area encompasses much of the Mughal Empire.
4. The Grand Canal, the oldest man-made structure still used for it’s original purpose, is located here.
5. The location of Portugal and Spain since they became ‘nations’ during the Renaissance.
6. This became an Ottoman ‘lake’ after the decline of Venice in the 15th – 16th C.
7. The defeat of the Spanish Armada (1518) at the hands of Queen Elizabeth I’s English Navy occurred here. England was primed to challenge the Spanish Empire in the open seas.
8. Cahokia, the greatest ‘Mound Builder’s’ (Mississippian) city was here.
9. The great cities of Jenne, Timbuktu, and Gao reflected the wealth and political strength of the ‘trade’ empires that developed here.
10. It was to this island that the Mongols attempted to invade, but were repulsed, twice, by a force that came to be known as ‘Kamikaze’.

Pu03c_Early and Feudal Japan

Pu03c_Early and Feudal Japan

Latitudinal

6. A social, political, & economic system based on land ownership.
7. Japan’s 1st shogunate. Repelled Mongols that reached Japan.
11. ‘Human-like’ or ‘Man-like’, but not necessarily in form or physical appearance.
13. Marks the gateway to a Shinto Shrine. Often found near or in a body of water.
14. ~80% of Japan is covered by this.
17. A literary (poetic) form marked by a 5-7-5 syllabic structure. Reached it’s height during the Heian Period (8th-12th C.).
18. The title of one who is entrusted with the responsibility of acting as a ‘conduit’ between the natural and supernatural worlds.
20. “Divine Wind”. Protector of Japan and mortal enemy of the Mongols.
22. One expression of Japan’s geologically active nature.
23. Families related to one another via a common ancestor.
24. A clan that has historically and traditionally been dedicated to a particular Kami. One responsibility for this type of clan is to maintain a shrine dedicated to that Kami. This tradition dates back to the prehistoric period in Japan (before 7th C).
25. The ethical code of the Samurai warrior.
26. In times of peace, the Samurai warrior becomes this for his Daimyo. It is an administrative role.
27. Capital city of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Longitudinal

1. Having originated, or occurring naturally, in a region or environment.
2. The watery result of an oceanic earthquake.
3. Japanese feudal warrior.
4. Capital city of modern Japan.
5. A Samurai (land-owning) lord.
8. A category of faiths that view the natural world as having a spiritual element.
Objects in nature are generally infused with a spiritual force.
9. Overall military commander of feudal Japan. Traditionally, appointed by the Emperor, but is the ‘actual’ day-to-day ruler of the state.
10. Images and/ or objects of religious reverence. Hint: Revisit the differences between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church during the Early Middle Ages.
12. A Samurai without a lord.
15. The “Divine Sun”. The top entity within Shinto’s pantheon of divine forces.
16. Japan’s indigenous religion.
17. Japan’s cultural golden age.
19. This form of Buddhism was imported from China ~6th C. It became central to the Samurai ethic for its dependence on meditation (focused thought) and self-discipline.
20. Japanese word literally translated as “divine” or “spirit”. They’re anthropomorphic forces within nature.
21. A group of islands.

R03c_Bushido, Warrior Code of Conduct

Bushido Origins
By Cheryl Matrasko

Bushido is the unwritten code of conduct of the Samurai. Literally, Bushido means “warrior – samurai – ways”. Bushi is a term for warrior, but directly infers a more prestigious or higher class warrior. The “ways” or “way” is a term used by most “do-martial arts” (such as: Judo, Kendo, Aikido, and Iaido), which means “the way to … “

Bushido is comprised of a system or standards of moral principles that became the soul of the Samurai, during the feudal periods of Japan. It developed over the centuries from the influences of Zen Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, and the expression of these affectations, had their medium in the visual and literary arts such as painting, poetry, and living the way of life (Bushido) they chose to take. Each of these gifts molded and shaped Bushido, as a moral standard of conduct to follow.

Influencing Bushido, Zen Buddhism lent to the Samurai a very Stoic disposition. This Stoicism was realized out of a genuine respect for life and also for death. Death, an inevitable eventuality of our own lives, is as much a part of nature as is life. It gives us an added level of thought and meaning to our existence. With the advent of death, there is the introduction of life. There are strong human emotions of anger, remorse, and detachment, etc., that are associated with death that complicate its understanding. However we are gifted by these very same feelings, that allow us to appreciate life and the things we enjoy and love. We most notably appreciate the things we take for granted once they are gone forever. The Samurai trust and faith in nature was because of the great admiration and respect for both life and death.

In tune with this level of consciousness, Shintoism also influenced the Bushido of the Samurai. To seek honor by first looking inside the soul and confront the intimate fears that we hide from ourselves, and that plague our psyche in everyday life. This is the purification of one’s soul — “… to know thyself “. In addition, Shintoism brought a sense of filial piety and loyalty to the family and homeland. When you “… know yourself, you know your weaknesses and strengths, and most of all – you know where you belong.” This sense of belonging has been attributed to the patriotic and nationalistic culture of Japaneven to this day.

Another factor in the backbone of the code of Bushido was Confucianism. It bonded community and family relationships. These relationships had several different moral priorities or qualities to them. In feudal Japan, the samurai served various different lords and their loyalty was given to them. This association was that of servant and master. The samurai himself was the head of his family. The safety and well-being depended upon him. His role was that of head of the house, husband, father, brother, or son.

The Bushido of the samurai had very deep roots in the philosophies of Zen Buddhism, Confucianism and Shintoism. With such historical origins, it is understandable why Bushido was not just a mere belief, but a culture that became the hallmark of the samurai for centuries. And this lifestyle was not forced on the samurai, but was chosen of free will. It was a serious choice to be sure, and one that they were very proud to follow.

© 1999, C. A. Matrasko. All rights reserved.

Author Sources:
– J. Sasamori, G.Warner. This is Kendo, the Art of the Japanese, 1989
– I. Nitobe. Bushido: The Warrior’s Code. 1979.
– T. Deshimaru. The Zen Wayto the Martial Arts. 1982.
– M. Musashi. The Book of Five Rings.
– I. Takahashi. Class sessions and private talks about the Samurai and Bushido. 1965 – 1971

About the Author:

Cheryl Matrasko started Aikido in 1965, studying under Isao Takahashi as her first instructor. She enjoyed working out under many well known Aikido instructors during her tenure with Takahashi Sensei and thereafter following his death in 1971. Cheryl has dedicated time with instructors in Northern Shaolin Long-Fist, Seven Stars Praying Mantis, and Daito-Ryu Aikijujitsu. Currently, she is instructing Aikido at NorthwesternUniversity’s Chicago Campus, Associate Instructor at NorthShore Aikido in Skokie, and supporting Aikido World Journal.

Teacher Note:
This text was edited for brevity and clarity for classroom use by Mr.V.

Source:
http://www.aikido-world.com/articles/Bushido-Code%20of%20the%20Warrior-Origins%20of%20Bushido.htm accessed for classroom use by Mr. V on 29 April 2004.

Ponder:

1. What has contributed to the development of the Bushido Code?
2. Which principle or value did each contribute to this code?
3. Why would “knowing oneself” be an important part of a warrior’s training?

FilmQ07_Ch.25: WWII and the Homefront

FilmQ07_Ch.25: WWII and The Homefront.

How to Use Video as a Source

Step #1: Familiarize yourself with film questions prior to viewing the film. By reading the questions and understanding the vocabulary contained within, you allow yourself the luxury of viewing the film without having to look at the questions continuously.

Step #2: View and Listen Attentively. Unlike a book, a video provides information via visual images and audio. Both forms of data are ‘more valuable together’ than separately. For example, turn the volume off on your TV during your favorite program. Then, raise the volume while ‘blacking out’ the image. Under which conditions was the data most richly delivered? Always make sure that you have unobstructed viewing of a film and that the sound is audible.

As you view the video, pay attention to visual and/ or audio cues that reflect the issues raised by the questions below. Your responses should refer to video content as well as your current knowledge and understanding of history.

Step #3: Organize Your Thoughts. Unlike a book, the data from a video is often delivered at a constant rate. With a book, you can slow your reading speed when you encounter a particular segment that is complicated. You can also turn back to a previous page to review information. A film is a bit different in that you may not always have the option to use ‘slow motion’ or ‘rewind’. Therefore, maintaining focus on the imagery and sound is important. Targeted Notes will reduce the amount of time you’re looking away from the film. By writing quick and simple phrases of a few words each, you maintain greater attention to film events.

Targeted notes use key words/ phrases that will ignite a thought or idea when you read them later. There is no concern for grammar or spelling while doing this. After the film has ended, you look at your targeted notes and manipulate the data to compile responses in complete sentences.

Organizational Tip: Vertically divide your sheet of paper (where you’ll write your responses). On the ‘left’ half, take targeted notes for each question given. After viewing the video, use the targeted notes to compose complete responses to each question (on the ‘right’ half of the sheet).

Source: “Homefront”. The Century: America’s Time. A Video Series at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC8D9DC28C3EC5223 [~14 min per episode (3 parts), ~42 min. Total.]

When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, America was a country steeped in isolationist policies and ill prepared for war. Within a matter of weeks, the country made an amazing turnover from a peacetime nation suffering the final throes of a depression to the most efficient and productive “arsenal for democracy” that the world had ever seen. This was accomplished by the unity and sheer willpower of the American people, who backed the war effort almost unanimously. This episode examines the American homefront during World War II, how it came together in a unified effort, and the ways in which the war changed the lives of those left behind, especially the women whose contributions to the war effort helped to win the war.

CCSS/ NYSS…

Students will analyze the effects of the twentieth century on American life, political institutions, economics, foreign policy and culture. They will also investigate how events in the twentieth century influenced America’s position as a world leader, and how global and domestic events created change, and sometimes turmoil, in America itself.

Context: United States, 1941 – 1945, WWII

1. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Why did Japan bomb Pearl Harbor?
2. How did the American people react to the bombing of Pearl Harbor?
3. What is a citizen soldier? Why does the United States have a particular history of citizen soldiers?
4. Discuss the transition from a peacetime economy to wartime economy that occurred in the United States during World War II.
5. Women workers increased dramatically during the war. Why was there resistance at first to women working in war plants?
6. Why were women accepted in the defense industries after some initial reservations and resistance?
7. World War II was not fought on American soil. Nevertheless, the impact of the war was tremendous. How did World War II alter the American homefront?
8. How did the United States use propaganda to unify the American people behind the war effort?
9. Why were Japanese-Americans banished to internment camps? Why weren’t German-Americans or Italian-Americans interned? Why is this one of the greatest civil rights violations in American history?
10. Discuss the impact of Frank Sinatra on American culture during World War II.
11. Discuss the impact of D-Day on the course of the war.
12. Discuss the impact of FDR’s death.

FilmQ03c_Ch.12-The Mongols

FilmQ03c_Ch.12: The Mongols

CCSS/ NYSS…

How to Use Video as a Source
         Step #1: Familiarize yourself with film questions prior to viewing the film. By reading the questions and understanding the vocabulary contained within, you allow yourself the luxury of viewing the film without having to look at the questions continuously.
         Step #2: View and Listen Attentively. Unlike a book, a video provides information via visual images and audio. Both forms of data are ‘more valuable together’ than separately. For example, turn the volume off on your TV during your favorite program. Then, raise the volume while ‘blacking out’ the image. Under which conditions was the data most richly delivered? Always make sure that you have unobstructed viewing of a film and that the sound is audible.
         As you view the video, pay attention to visual and/ or audio cues that reflect the issues raised by the questions below. Your responses should refer to video content as well as your current knowledge and understanding of history.
         Step #3: Organize Your Thoughts. Unlike a book, the data from a video is often delivered at a constant rate. With a book, you can slow your reading speed when you encounter a particular segment that is complicated. You can also turn back to a previous page to review information. A film is a bit different in that you may not always have the option to use ‘slow motion’ or ‘rewind’. Therefore, maintaining focus on the imagery and sound is important. Targeted Notes will reduce the amount of time you’re looking away from the film. By writing quick and simple phrases of a few words each, you maintain greater attention to film events. Targeted notes use key words/ phrases that will ignite a thought or idea when you read them later. There is no concern for grammar or spelling while doing this. After the film has ended, you look at your targeted notes and manipulate the data to compile responses in complete sentences.
         Organizational Tip: Vertically divide your sheet of paper (where you’ll write your responses). On the ‘left’ half, take targeted notes for each question given. After viewing the video, use the targeted notes to compose complete responses to each question (on the ‘right’ half of the sheet).

Your responses to these film questions will form the foundation of, or supplement, your notes for these lessons. While the focus of the film clips is the Mongol conquest and rule, pay attention to the forces of human interaction that can turn conquerors into the conquered. Here too one can see that oft repeated phenomena reminiscent of Hindu wisdom- “from the ashes of destruction comes a rebirth”.

SOURCE: CNN’s Millennium Video Series: The 13th Century: Century of the stirrup, narrated by Ben Kingsley. CNN Productions, Inc. ©1999 [3 clips for a total of ~36 min.]

Context: Mongols and other steppe Nomads of East and Central Asia (North and West of the Great Wall);
Cities of Karakorum, Beijing, and Samarkand (Modern Mongolia, China, and Uzbekistan);
c. 12th – 14th C.

Video Clip #1: Unity and Conquest

1. What elements of Mongol life (even today) do you believe proved beneficial in their 12th – 14th C. conquests?
2. Throughout history, ruthlessness and cruelty has been a weapon of conquering armies. Despite this view, how do modern-day Mongols view leaders like Chinggis Khan?*
3. The Mongols were never numerous. How did they compensate for this during or before battles?
4. How did the Mongols take advantage of the advancements and scholarship of those they conquered?

Video Clip #2, Part I: Pax Mongolica
5. Identify one distinct contribution of the Pax Mongolica\* in the following areas:
-Travel/ Communication
-Commerce
-Religious Toleration

Video Clip #2, Part II: Assimilation and Fragmentation of the Empire

6a. How did the Mongol nomadic lifestyle change by the time of Kublai Khan’s Yuan dynasty in China? (Provide at least 2 examples of change)

6b. In the long term, were these changes a positive or negative for the Mongol rulers of Eurasia?

Ponder (Video Clips 1 and 2)

7. Matthew Paris (English clergyman), William of Rubruk (a French Franciscan Friar), Marco Polo, Persian and Ming historians were all chroniclers of this period.
-Why should we group these people together?
-Why should we NOT group them together?
-Why should we be critical of their accounts of the Mongol conquest and rule?

Video Clip #3: Timur (the lame)*

When answering this question, don’t fail to consider: the environment, battle tactics, impact as rulers, historical impact, etc…

8. What similarities existed between Timur and…
-the Mongols of Chinggis Khan?
-the Mongols of Kublai Khan?

* Vocabulary
Chinggis Khan: In Western textbooks, the name has been corrupted to Genghis Khan

Pax Mongolica: Mongol Peace

Timur (the lame): In Western textbooks, the name has been corrupted to Tamerlane.

AN03c3_Ch.12-Feudal Japan

AN03c3_Ch.12- Feudal Powers in Japan

Timeline: ~12th – 19th C.
FS: Japan’s uniqueness is reflected in its brand of Feudalism.

Main Idea: The political development of Japan, impacted by the Chinese model, contributed to a consolidation of power. That being a difficult task, given the topographical conditions, it wasn’t until the feudal period that true political unity was achieved. Japanese feudal society blended its unique geography, religion, and Chinese influence to form its own brand of feudalism. Stability, as in Europe, was a critically important trait of this social system. But, unlike Europe, the Japanese society remained in the grip of powerful local landowners for a longer period. In both cases, the collapse of the feudal system followed extensive contact with the cultures, products, and military might of foreign peoples.

CCSS…

I. Japan’s Classical Period (8th – Late 12th C. CE)
    This period witnessed unprecedented peace and security under the rule of the Heian imperial dynasty. Japanese culture during this period flourished as it never had before. For this reason, Nara and Heian represent “Classical” Japan.
A. Height of Japanese Cultural Development
1. Nara Period (~710 – 794 CE.)
2. Heian Period (~794 – 1192 CE.=\> *Period of Peace and Tranquility*)

The Heian period was one of the longest periods of uninterrupted peace in early Japan; the period gets its name from the capital city, Heian-kyo (now Kyoto). The Heian government solidified the reforms of the Nara period. At the top of the official hierarchy was the Tenno, or “Divine Emperor.” The Emperor was both Confucian and Shinto; he ruled by virtue of legitimate descent from the Shinto Sun Goddess, Amaterasu. This has contributed to an unbroken imperial line of descent that stretches from before the Nara period.
3. Cultural Innovations
a. Haiku Writing
b. Noh Drama
4. Literature
a. *Tale of the Heike* tells the story of the Taira clan and its conflict with the emperor and Minamoto clan.
b. *Tale of the Genji* tells the story of the Minamoto clan and its conflict with the Taira clan.

B. Rise of Powerful Clans
1. Fujiwara Clan
The imperial advisors during the Japanese Classical Period. The Nara period was marked by struggles over the throne and which clans would “control” that throne. In order to quiet these disturbances, the capital was moved in 795 to Heian-kyo (Kyoto).
    The Fujiwara began to exert greater influence on the Emperor. From 856 – 1086, the Fujiwara were the government of Japan. In 1155, however, the succession to the throne fell vacant, and the naming of Go-Shirakawa as Emperor set off a small revolution, called the *Hogen Disturbance*, which was quelled by the clans of the Taira and the Minamoto.
    This was a turning point in Japanese history, for the power to determine the affairs of the state had clearly passed to the warrior clans and their massive private armies.

2. “Land Owning” Clans and Military Defense
    In the earliest periods of Japanese history, warfare was largely confined to battles between separate clans; there was no separate class of soldiers. At the emergence of the Yamato state, new techniques of larger scale warfare seem to have been adopted including new technologies such as swords and armor.
    The Nara government, faced with a country of sixty-six provinces of competing clans, tried to change the Japanese military system by conscripting soldiers. By the end of the Nara period, in 792, the idea was given up as a failure. Instead, the Heian government established a military system based on local militias composed of mounted horsemen. These professional soldiers were spread throughout the country and owed their loyalty to the emperor.
    An important change occurred, however, in the middle of the Heian period. The samurai had evolved into private armies attached to the local aristocracy. From the middle Heian period onwards, for almost a thousand years, the Japanese military would consist of professional soldiers in numberless private armies owing their loyalty to local aristocracy and warlords. The result was growth in the power of the two greatest warrior clans, the Taira (or *Heike*) and the Minamoto (or *Genji*). The Genji controlled most of eastern Japan; the Heike had power in both eastern and western Japan.

C. Civil Strife Grips Japanese Society
   After the accession of Go-Shirakawa, and later by his successor, a lord of the Taira began to slowly accrue massive power for himself in the Emperor’s court. It became apparent to the Emperor that the power of the Taira had to be diminished in some way, so he attempted to lay a military trap for the Taira lord with the aid of a minor Minamoto lord. The plot failed and opened an irreparable breach between the Taira and the retired Emperor, as well as the Minamoto. In 1179, the head of the Taira died and was replaced by his brother, a poor strategist. The Emperor, seeing he now had an advantage, began to dismiss the Taira in the capital, but the Taira began to fire court officials and marched on the capital, forcing the newly ascended Emperor off the throne. The dethroned Emperor enlisted the aid of the Minamoto and the great civil war began, ushering in the feudal age of Japan.
   Minamoto Yoritomo began to build up strength. In 1185, he overran the Taira and forced them out of the capital. This war, and its aftermath, deeply affected the course of Japanese history. Minamoto Yoritomo then set up an alternative government in Kamakura; he called his alternative government, *bakufu*, or “tent government,” in contrast to the civil government of the Emperor located in Kyoto. This was a military government; it had two branches, one that administered the warriors or samurai , and the other that judged legal suits. The Kamakura military leader ruled as a shogun, or “supreme general.” Ostensibly, the job of the bakufu was simply military administration; in reality, the shoguns and their government eventually came to run the country. The relationship of provincial generals and lords to the shogun was roughly equivalent to the relationship of vassals to a lord, without the feudal European fief. The individual provinces were more or less independent; their lords, or *daimyo*, took oaths of allegiance to the shogun.

II. Japan’s Feudal Period: The Shogunates
A. Kamakura (~1185-1333/ Kamakura, Japan)
1. Mongol Invasion Repelled (The Kamikaze Legend)
    In the 13th century, Kublai Khan, grandson of Chinggis Khan and Mongol Emperor (Yuan Shi-zu) of the Yuan Dynasty of China, envisioned a plan to conquer Japan. He wanted to make Japan a tributary state of the Mongol Empire. In 1274 and 1281 armies were despatched from the Korean peninsula and China to land in north Kyushu.
    It was recorded that a thunderstorm harassed northern Kyushu in 1274 while in 1281 a typhoon hit northern Kyushu island. In both instances the Yuan armies suffered severe casualties from these natural calamities and the invasions were aborted. These “divine” winds have come to be known as *Kamikaze *which, especially during the war periods of pre-1945, have nurtured a belief in Japan’s sacredness.
2. Major Characteristics (Becomes Model for All Shogunates)
a. Rigid class/ social structure (China’s Neo-Confucianist Influence)
b. Zen Buddhism and the Warrior Ethic (China & Korea’s Influence)
c. Bushido Code or ‘Way of the Warrior’
d. A code of ethics for Japan’s feudal warrior class. A rough equivalent to Europe’s Chivalry (minus the romantic allusions).
e. Shinto, Buddhist, & Confucian influenced
f. “Saving Face” (The avoidance or elimination of shame)
g. Seppuku (Ritual Suicide)

B. Ashikaga (~1336-1573/ Kyoto, Japan)
Portuguese Arrive & Nanban Trade begins (~1543)
C. Tokugawa (~1603-1863/ Edo, Japan)
Most culturally influential and socially rigid of the three shogunates.

III. Summary Activity: Why it matters now.
An openness to adapting innovations from other cultures is still a hallmark of Japanese society.

Resources:
– World History: Patterns of Interaction
– Tale of the 47 Ronin
– Asia for Educators. Ed. Carol Gluck. Fourth edition, revised. Contemporary Japan: A Teaching Workbook, East Asia Curriculum Project/Columbia University. 12 May 2001.

AN03c4_Ch.12-The Mongols

AN03c4_Ch12: The Mongol Empire- Collapse and Legacy

Timeline: 14th – 16th Century
FQ: Where did all the Mongol Conquerors Go?

Main Idea: The unique circumstances of the birth and growth of the Mongol Empire did not preclude it from suffering age-old afflictions. Local Mongol leaders increasingly reflected the culture and values of the peoples they ruled. Therefore, distinctions between Mongol controlled regions contributed to divisions within the empire. Like the Greco-Macedonian and Roman Empires, the Mongol Empire suffered from political intrigue, corruption and challenges to its central authority. Like its predecessors, the Mongol Empire shattered into smaller, independent Khanates.

CCSS…

I. Why didn’t the Empire Last Long?
A. Political bonds were personal and not legalistic/ bureaucratic. Loyalty was aimed at one charismatic leader. Where ever that leader went or whatever that leader did, he was followed by soldiers who swore loyalty to him [refer to the reading ‘Temujin becomes Ghengis Khan’].
B. No orderly transition of power. There were conflicting traditions of inheritance. At various times and under certain conditions- Youngest son, brother, or fittest may inherit. In any case, there was always a division of property among inheritors [Case Study: 10th C. Western Europe- Charlemagne’s grandchildren]. In addition, the traditional Khuriltai (grand council) that selected the next Grand Khan created a chaotic condition especially upon the death of the Grand Khan. Field commanders would return with the bulk of their forces to the Khuriltai leaving behind a small force that may embolden the conquered to rebel.
C. Khanates
1. Local Mongol leaders were given the title as Khan, but were subject to the overall authority of the Grand (Supreme) Khan. By the Mid to late 13th C., the mantle of Grand Khan fell upon the shoulders of Chinggis Khan’s grandson- Kubilai. He becomes the 5th Grand Khan (1260-1294), but ruled from the Mongol capital founded on the site of current day Beijing, China. He epitomized the Mongol transformation from a nomadic to a sedentary lifestyle. Culturally, politically and socially he and his subordinate khans were reflecting the values of the local population.

2. Kubilai’s failure to conquer Japan on two occasions weakened him militarily and tarnished his reputation in the eyes of his subordinates. Traditionally, leaders who lose many men in combat are disgraced. Remember, there were never many Mongol soldiers to begin with. It became increasingly difficult to keep the Khans in the farthest reaches of the empire from acting independently. Often, these independent-minded Khans (all relatives of Kubilai and descended from Chinggis) would embroil themselves in conflicting alliances with Europeans. Crusading Europeans become the ‘pawns’ in the Mongol power struggle.

3. Several Khanates became economically and politically powerful enough to exert their independence.(1) Two of these were the Golden Horde Khanate of Central Asia (Russia) (2) and the Persian Khanate.

Later (14th -16th C.), Timur the Lame (3) expands the area formerly known as the Persian Khanate into Saudi Arabia and the Indian subcontinent. The capital city of his growing empire becomes Samarkand. Later still, and after the collapse of Timur’s Central Asian empire, Babur (4) reintroduces Mongol rule to the Indian subcontinent- this time his descendent’s will become the Mughals (5) of India.

II. Mongol Impact (6)
A. Global in breadth; ‘Ushered in global history’.
B. East met West with a lasting impact socially, economically, politically on both sides. Knowledge spanning the sciences, philosophy, and technology traversed the empire.

III. Summary: Why it matters today.
From the violence of the invasions to the stability of the Pax Mongolica, the Mongols contribute mightily to a new era of achievement in Asia and Europe.

Footnotes:
1. Trade route activity, plunder, and political alliances contributed to this.
2. Largely what is now Russia. Note that Mongol assimilation on a biological level paralleled the cultural. There may have been a genetic legacy left by the Mongols in the populations of Russia and Eastern Europe=\> the Absence of an alcohol metabolizing gene.
3. Europeans corrupt this to Tamerlane
4. Another Mongol descendant.
5. Corruption of the name
6. The impact stretches into the field of biology. Genetic impact => Absence of alcohol metabolizing gene in Mongols and their offspring in conquered areas (Ex. Portions of Russian and Eastern European populations carry this genetic mark).

Resources:
– Map of Eurasia
– World History: Patterns of Interaction
– Film: CNN’s Millennium Series- The 13th C.: Century of the Stirrup
– Lecture by Prof. Morris Rossabi, Columbia Univ. 28 Sept. ’00 (Stuyvesant H.S.), Author of _Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times_

AN03c_Ch.12- Japan’s Uniqueness

AN03_Ch12: Empires in East Asia- Ancient and Feudal Japan

Timeline: ~6000 – 300 BCE
FS: Japan’s Uniqueness is Defined by it’s Geography.

Main Idea: Shintoism is an indigenous faith of Japan that is representative of Japan’s unique geographic and cultural qualities. The diversity and majesty of Japan’s geography can’t be ignored by native or visitor. The influence of Japan’s natural condition on its ‘world view’ is evident in the Shinto faith.

CCSS…

I. Geography: Refer to the maps on the course website.
A. Archipelago
1. Over 1000 islands.
2. Four Main Islands (Refer to map exercise completed in class)
B. Mountainous
1. ~80 % covered by mountains
a. Terrace Farming
b. Political Fracturing
2. Geologically Active
a. Volcanic Activity
b. Hot Springs
c. Earthquakes/ Tremors (if occurring under water there is chance of a tsunami)
C. History of Asian Mainland Influence
1. Avenue for Cultural Diffusion
a. Through Korean Peninsula
b. Across Korea Strait
2. Indigenous & Migratory Cultures Clash and Combine
a. Jomon Culture (Indigenous- Pre 3rd C. BCE)
b. Yayoi Culture (Product of migration from Korean Peninsula. Thrived 300 BCE – 300 CE)
c. The Yamato State (Product of migration from Korean Peninsula. Possible origin of warrior-clans)

II. Vocabulary
Refer to Crossword Puzzle

III. Shintoism
A. Indigenous to Japan with the earliest traces dating to the Yayoi period. Its development is fueled and guided by Japan’s environment and the people’s interaction with it.
B. No single person is credited with starting the faith.
C. Important components include…
1. Uji (and its associated Kami)
2. Priest and Shamans
Priests are often responsible for conducting the day-to-day rituals at a Shinto shrine. Shamans have the distinction of acting as intermediaries between the natural world (physical) and the supernatural world (non-physical or spiritual). The shaman’s services may be sought by members of the faithful who wish to have supernatural entities (Kami) assist them in some effort. Or, the Shaman can be an investigator who looks for explanations in the supernatural world for things that occur in the natural world. (2)
3. Icons (Phallic Symbols = fecundity, water = Purity)
These are physical representations of natural or supernatural forces. Iconography is a common part of many faiths. (3) These icons serve a multitude of uses in Shinto, to include fertility. (4)
4. Animism ( Kami + Anthropomorphism)
Shinto is a faith that accepts the existence of a Life force that’s in nature. The supernatural elements that represent the life in all natural things are called Kami. Kami are anthropomorphic and thus are subject to the same swings of emotions as humans are. The role of the shaman is increasingly important in light of this phenomena.
5. Shinto Shrine
In the Shinto shrine you will find elements of each of the items mentioned above. The shrine will often have a Torii mark the location or gateway of the building. There are times when the Torii will be in or near a body of water (pool or pond) and surrounded by a natural setting (woods, park, garden, etc.). (5) The most famous of all Shinto shrines in Japan is the shrine at Ise. This shrine is dedicated to the Kami Amaterasu and is the shrine traditionally associated with the Yamato uji (the family of all of Japan’s emperors). (6)

IV. Mythological Origin
A. Chronology Though the mythological origin of the archipelago and its people dates back to pre-historic times, text alluding to this past is dated late in the 1st Millennium CE (after Prince Shotoku- 6th C. CE). (7)
B. Creation Myths (Role of Amaterasu) The islands were a product of a divine birth. Creation myths describe the origin of the islands and its people- the future Japanese. (8)
C. Yamato Clan Myths created a cultural foundation from which developed the historical view of the imperial dynasty. The dynasty is traditionally accepted as having a special relationship to the Sun goddess (Kami Amaterasu). It is the ‘Sun’ that appears on Japan’s national flag today. To this day, Japan is called “Land of the Rising Sun”.

V. Summary Activity: Why it matters now.
An openness to adapting innovations from other cultures is a hallmark of many societies, especially those that have been subject to significant ‘historical forces’.

Notes:
(1) Korea Strait is ~120 mi. wide.
(2) Other cultures of the world have individuals who play similar roles as the shamans of Shintoism. For instance, some Native American cultures employ the services of individuals who interact with and use the forces/ spirits present in nature. These people were erroneously called ‘Medicine Men’ in American folklore and popular culture.
(3) Refer to the icon controversy between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches of the High Middle Ages.
(4) Fertility symbols, sometimes referred to as Phallic symbols, can be icons whose physical appearance resemble the male reproductive organ.
(5) To see a Torii in our area (NYC), placed in a setting that befits the symbol, you may visit The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. The structure was last seen there by me in 2004.
(6) According to Ms. Helinski, Japanese teacher at Stuyvesant HS & a native of Japan, the funds to maintain the Ise shrine are raised from donations by the faithful. The shrine is rebuilt every twenty years so that it appears ‘brand new’ despite its centuries of existence. In addition, the construction of the shrine is based on a technique that does not use nails or mortar.
(7) Earliest Chinese record of Japan dates to 1st C. CE
(8) Refer to the readings on Japanese myth and Amaterasu.

Resources: 
– Handout Map
– World History: Patterns of Interaction
– Presentation

AN03c2_Japan Adopts and Adapts

AN03_Ch.12- Empires in East Asia: Feudal Powers in Japan

Timeline: ~11th – 19th C.
FQ: To what extent did the Japanese Adopt & Adapt ideas from its Neighbors?

Main Idea: The Japanese adopted elements of Chinese culture via their commercial and political contacts. These adopted cultural elements were adapted to suit the unique conditions of the people of the Japanese archipelago and developed alongside (or fused with) native traditions. The ‘offspring’ of this process is a unique culture that changes when necessary without abandoning time-honored traditions.

CCSS…

I. Chronology of Diffusion
A. History of Asian Mainland Influence
1. Prehistoric Contact: Series of migrations to the archipelago via Korea Strait prior to the Yayoi Period.
2. Political/ Commercial contact between societies begins in Japan’s Yayoi Period (300 BCE – 300 CE).
3. First Chinese record of Japan (as a tribute-bearing nation) dates to 2nd C. CE.

B. Political Impact
1. Missions to China
2. Taika Reform (“Great Change”) in 645
a. Modeled after Chinese Confucian State- a centralized bureaucratic state. This concentrated power within the imperial throne. (1)
b. Attempt to nationalize all land
c. Divide land equally among peasants, but not nobles

II. Japan Adopts & Adapts
A. Technological and Artistic Impact
1. Writing System
2. Architecture

B. Philosophical/ Religious Impact
1. Buddhism and Shinto
2. Neo-Confucianism

III. The Efforts of Prince Shotoku

Adopt – Adapt Table

IV. Japan’s Warrior Clans (2)
A. Migrations from Korea Peninsula ~400 CE
B. Burial Mounds
C. Burial Objects

V. Summary Activity: Why it matters now.
An openness to adapting innovations from other cultures is a hallmark of many societies, especially those that have been subject to significant ‘historical forces’.

Notes:
(1) The Unitary State tradition is a political tradition of China since the Qin dynasty.
(2) Warrior clans developed after migrations caused cultural changes in the Japanese population.

Resources:
– World History: Patterns of Interaction
– (Human Record text) Read pages 305 – 307 “Zen Buddhism in Japan” source 75 “Dogen, On Life and Death”

R03c_Tale of the 47 Ronin

R03c_The Tale of the 47 Ronin

Every year, the Emperor would send a message of peace to the Shogun. The Shogun selected a Daimyo to greet the Emperor’s messenger. In 1701, the Shogun selected a Daimyo named Takumi to greet the messengers. Takumi did not know the proper way to greet them. The Shogun’s secretary, Lord Kotsuke, was chosen to teach Takumi how it was to be done. Kotsuke was a greedy, mean and jealous man. He would not give instruction without pay. Takumi refused to pay. He felt it was Kotsuke’s duty to honor the order of the Shogun and teach him without expecting a reward.

Kotsuke became very angry. He refused to teach Takumi anything and took every opportunity to insult him. One day, Kotsuke ordered Takumi to tie the laces on Kotsuke’s sandals. Takumi resented the order, but he bent down and tied the laces. Then, Kotsuke turned to the other nobles who were present and, with a sneer and a laugh, said, “Look at that. This serf cannot even tie a sandal correctly.”

With this insult, Takumi lost his temper and self-control. He drew his sword and attacked Kotsuke. Kotsuke was not seriously injured, but Takumi had committed two crimes: he had drawn his sword in the palace of the Shogun and he had wounded an official of the Shogun. In addition, he had violated Bushido by showing emotion and allowing them to control him. For these crimes Takumi knew he must die. That night, in a shrine in a moonlit garden, he performed Seppuku. All of his loyal Samurai watched.

Takumi’s land and possessions were seized. Some of those possessions were given to Kotsuke in payment for the wounds he had received. Takumi’s loyal Samurai now became Ronin.

Among the Samurai of the dead Takumi was his councilor, a man named Kuranosuke. He and forty-six other Samurai formed a league, The League of the Loyal Warriors, to avenge the death of their lord. These Ronin felt that Kotsuke was at fault because he had insulted their lord. They believed Kotsuke had murdered Takumi just as if he had actually stabbed him. The league vowed to seek revenge.

Kotsuke suspected that these Ronin would plot against him. He sent spies to watch the Ronin and he hired more Samurai to guard his home and family.

Kuranosuke, however, was determined to fool the secretary into a false sense of security. So, for almost two years, the Ronin led wild and drunken lives. They seemed to have forgotten their dead lord and Bushido. When Kotsuke’s spies reported this to him, he was very relieved and began to relax his guard. It is then that the Ronin struck. Dressed in the black silk costume of the ninja, they slipped over the walls of Kotsuke’s palace. After a bloody battle, the Ronin killed all of Kotsuke’s guards. They found Kotsuke hiding in a shed behind some bags of charcoal and firewood. With great respect, they offered to allow Kotsuke to perform Seppuku and die an honorable death. But, Kotsuke was a coward. He begged them to spare his life and promised them large rewards if they did so.

Kuranosuke, seeing that it was useless to urge Kotsuke to die the death of a Daimyo, forced him down and cut off his head with the same short sword with which Lord Takumi had killed himself. The Ronin then placed the head of the dead Kotsuke in a bucket to be taken to the tomb of Lord Takumi.

The forty-seven Ronin had proven themselves loyal to their lord and master. Everyone praised their courage and faithfulness. Even so, they knew what they must do now. They had killed one of the Shogun’s high officials. They had shown that they were not completely loyal to the Shogun. For that crime, Bushido demands death. Every one of the forty-seven Ronin performed Seppuku. Their bodies were buried in front of Takumi’s tomb. When news of their deeds spread, people from all over the kingdom of Japan came to pray at the graves of these faithful and brave men.

Questions:
1. What character qualities are exhibited by these 47 Ronin?
2. Explain how the killing of Kotsuke by the Ronin was a product of the same Bushido Code that required them to perform seppuku at the end of the tale. Isn’t this a contradiction?