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MEDIEVAL HISTORY OUTLINE: JAPAN, KOREA, AND THE MONGOLS

 

I. The Mongols Conquer China

-The Mongols were ______________ from the plains of _____________ ________________, north of __________. They were fierce ________________, said to “live in the _____________” because they ______________ so much time on ____________________.

-By the 1200s, they were a tough _________________ force. Under the leadership of ________________________, they began ______________ an empire that eventually included ________________ and ____________ in the east, stretched into __________________ and _________________ in the west, and extended to the _______________________ as far as the _______________________.

-Genghis Khan had _____________________ all of northern China by _____________. But the southern ______________ empire continued to ____________. It was left to Genghis Khan’s grandson ______________ _______________to complete the ____________________ of China and to ______________ it.

-Kublai Khan came to ______________ in ___________. Within _______ years, he had ____________________ the last _____________ emperor. From his capital at the present-day city of _______________, Kublai Khan ___________________ himself ______________ of ________________.

-He named his new dynasty ______________, which means “__________________,” because he intended that _________________ rule of China would ______________ for _____________________.

-The Mongols centralized _________________________ in China. They did not _________________ the old Chinese ________________class to govern. High government positions were _______________ for ______________ and were even given to ____________________ rather than to Chinese.

-The Mongols also ___________ their own ____________________ and _______________ rather than _______________ Chinese ___________. They did, however, ______________ the ___________________ of many _____________________.

-Visitors from all lands were ___________________ at Kublai Khan’s court. One of these was _____________________, an African ______________. Another was a _____________________ from Europe, _______________. He came from ____________________ in present-day Italy in _________.

-After returning to Europe, _____________ wrote about his ____________. He ________________ the ________________ of Kublai Khan’s ________________, China’s ______________________________, and its well-maintained ______________________.

-Marco Polo’s _________________ sparked increased ______________ between Europe and China. China ____________________ under Kublai Khan, but not under the _______________, or emperors, who followed him.

-In 1368, a Chinese _____________ led an ___________________ that ________________________ the foreign _____________________ and ended __________________________ rule of China.     

 

Section 2: Medieval Japan 

I.           Introduction 

-In A.D. 882 a ______________ of more than 100 ______________ sailed across the ___________ from China to ______________. They were from a kingdom in ______________________, north of China. They carried ___________ for the _______________________ emperor.

 -When the emperor heard the _______________, he was ____________. This visit would give the ________________ a chance to _____________ their achievements. The emperor’s name was Yozei. At the time, he was only 14 years old.

 

II.        A Country of Islands

-Japan is an ________________________, or _______________ of many ________________, in the Pacific Ocean off the _______________ of the Asian _____________. It is about ________ miles from the ___________ of ____________ but it is only _________ miles from ________________.

 -The islands of Japan were ______________ by ____________________, and ______________________ are __________________ in the region.

 -The islands of Japan are ______________________. The mountains make ___________________ by _________________ difficult. As a result, the ___________ became an important ______________________ for the Japanese.

 -On the other hand, for _______________ the ______________ helped to ________________ Japan from _____________________. Over time, this ______________________ also led the Japanese to _________________ a ___________________________ way of life. 

 

III.The Heian Empire

-The emperor _______________ ruled Japan during the ______________ period, which lasted from _________ to ___________. Before this time, Japan’s ____________—including its ___________________, __________, and _________________________—was similar to China’s.

-But during the 800s, ________________ began to ________________ its own traditions. In fact, official ________________ between the Japanese and __________________ governments _______________ in _________. The _______________ would ______________ for more than __________ years.

 -Heian emperors _____________ from a new capital, _______________. Modeled after _____________, the great city of ______________ China, it was a _______________________ of tree-lined ____________________.

-The ______________ period was a mostly ____________________ time, during which ___________________ culture ___________________. Fine _____________________, ________________________, and beautiful ___________________ all became a part of _______________ for the _________________________.

 -Life for most of the ___________________, however, was very different. Farmers, ___________________, ___________________, and _____________ were usually _________________ and spent their ____________ doing hard ___________________.

 -The nobles believed that the __________________ of their families and their _______________ within the ____________________ set them apart from others. But even among the __________________, people belonged to different _______________ or __________________.

 -In fact, noblemen __________ specially colored ___________ related to their _________________ in society. Noblewomen were _____________ _____________by such _____________ because they could not _______ official _____________________ in the government.

 

IV.   Feudalism in Japan

-During the 1000s, the Japanese _______________ began to lose ___________. He continued to ____________ the ________________, but he had less ______________________ over the _____________ of Japan.

 -At the same time, the nobles ______________ greater _______________ and _______________. They owned __________________, or large tracts of ______________, outside the capital. The work on these ____________ was done by _______________________.

 -This kind of __________________ system, in which ________________ people are legally ____________________ to work for _______________ landowners, is called _____________________________.

 -Rich _____________ owners became so ____________________ that they often ___________________ the emperor. They even ____________ private __________________. The nobles ______________________ these armies to _____________________ them, their ________________, and the ________________________ who worked for them.

 -The armies were made up of ___________________ called __________________.

-Samurai _____________ followed a _____________________ of rules for behavior, called ____________________. They _____________ an oath to ______________ these _____________________ without question.

 -According to _______________, honor meant more than _____________ or even __________ itself. The code said that a _________________ must never show _________________ or surrender to an _________________. The true _____________________ had no ______________ of death, and would rather _________ than ______________ himself.

 -Over time, the ________________ warriors grew in _________________ and ______________ their own __________________. Each __________ promised __________________ to a powerful ____________________, or _______________. The ________________ expected his samurai _________________ to be willing to _________________ their ___________ for him.

 -As the different warlords ____________ in _____________, small _____________ broke out among them. Eventually, the ____________________ clan became the most ____________________.

 -In 1192, the emperor gave the ______________ of ________________, or supreme military _____________________, to the leader of the ________________________ clan. Minamoto Yoritomo became the ____________________________ of all Japan. He set up the __________ shogunate, a series of military ______________________________.

 

V. Japan and the Outside World

-Within a ____________________ after shogun rule began, Japan was ____________________ by outsiders. One group came from _______________________, north of China. Under their _____________ and brilliant leader __________________________, the Mongols had already conquered ________________ and ____________________.

 -Kublai Khan tried to _________________ Japan twice, and ________________ both times. For nearly ______ years after the Mongols were ___________________ in the 1200s, few _____________________ came to Japan.

 -In 1543, several ____________________________ ships were blown off _________________ and ____________________ on Japan’s coast. The Japanese showed great _________________ in the __________________ —especially in their guns.

 -In the years that followed, a _____________ trade _________________ between _____________ and ________________. Many European traders and ____________________________ made the long ________________ to these ______________________ in the Pacific.

 -And thousands of _________________ converted to _________________. The European __________________ in Japan did not last ______________, however.

 -In 1603, ____________________________________ became shogun. ________________ was determined to bring __________________ to the country. To _______ the ________________ among _________________ samurai bands, ______________ divided _______________ into about _______ regions.

 -The ___________________ shogunate ruled Japan until ___________. It was a _______________ of _________________. Food was __________, the population __________________, trade ___________________ inside Japan, and a merchant class ____________________.

-A type of ________________ called __________ became popular in _______________. It emphasized ___________________, the practice of ___________________________, and reverence for ________________.

-Theater and ___________ also _____________ under the _______________________. Haiku—_______ line poems that express a ____________ or ______________ in only ____ syllables—were greatly admired.

-Plays featuring _______________________ were popular. So was the ________________ theater. Kabuki combines _____________, ____________, and _____________.

-At the same time, the _________________ shogunate was ________________ Japan from __________________ influences. Even _____________________ had worried that ______________________ might try to ___________________ Japan.

-He and the ______________ who __________ after him decided that ________________ should remain ________________ from Westerners. They __________________ Christianity and ______________ Europeans to __________________.

-By 1638, they had ________________ Japan’s ports, _______________ most foreign ___________ and ______________. The shoguns also ________________ the _______________ of large ________________ that could ______________ long distances. For more than _______ years, the Japanese would _____________________________ from the outside world.   

 

SECTION III: MEDIEVAL KOREA

 

  1. KOREA’S GEOGRAPHY

 

-Korea is located on a ___________________ in East Asia. While ______________ is not an _________________, it is _______________ on all ________________ by ____________________.



-To the northwest is the ______________ River, which ___________ down from Mount _______________. The Amnok River, which separates ______________ from ______________, travels ____________ miles southwest to the ________________. There, it empties into the __________________________ on Korea's western border.

 

-To the northeast, the _______________ River separates ____________ from _______________ and ________________. The Tumen River flows northeast to the Sea of ______________, which borders _____________ to the east.

 

-Mountains and _________________ almost completely _____________ Korea's _______________.

 

-However, there are _________________ along the ________________ and ________________ coasts. It is in the ____________________ where the country's _________________ and most of its ________________ are found. Even these coastal _______________ are not completely _______, though. They're covered with _________________________ and low __________________.

 

-A system of ______________ flows to the _____________ and south in the ___________________ part of Korea. These rivers include the ______, _____________, __________________, and __________________ rivers.

Because they make _________________________ easier, these rivers are ______________________ for business.

 

-Korea's  _________________to Japan has been both ________________ and _________________ to Korea.

 

-However, Korea’s ________________ neighbor, China, has had the most __________________ on Korea's _________________________.



  1. OLD CHOSON

 

-The earliest known Korean state was _________________. It was built in the ___________________________ basin, in northern Korea.

 

-The legend is that ___________________ was founded by ______________. His father was ___________________ to be the _________________________. His mother was said to be a ___________ in the form of a ____________________________.

 

-In _____ BCE, China's _______ Dynasty overthrew ________________. The Chinese then established ___________________ in _____________ making _______________ a part of the __________________________.

Over time, these ______________ colonies became separate __________ states and formed ________________________.

 

-One was Koguryo (GO-gur-yo), which actually had been ______________ before the Chinese _______________________. Koguryo had a mighty _____________________.

 

-The other two _____________________ were Paekche (BEK-chyeh) and _____________________ (SHIH-lah).

 

-They were in southern __________________ where the Chinese had less ____________________________.

 

-Silla (SHIH-lah) had a good __________________________ with several schools. It also had strong _________________ and ________________ groups.

 

-Paekche (BEK-chyeh) had a weak __________________ and _________, but its _____________ with China and Japan were ________________.

 

-In spite of their ________________, the three kingdoms had many things in ___________________________.

 

-They all adopted the same _____________________ based on idu, the __________________ system of ________________________.

 

-Over time, this became a __________________________ called hunmin chongum. The term means “___________________ sounds for instructing ___________________________.” 

 

-At first Koguryo was the most powerful __________________________.

 

-However, Silla joined forces with China's _________________________

 

-Together, they overthrew ______________ in 660 and _______________ in 668. 

 

-Eight years later, in 676, Silla _________________ out the ____________ and took ___________________ of the ______________________.

 

-Silla’s __________________, and its Chinese _____________________, would _________________ life in ______________ for hundreds of years.




  1. BUDDHISM IN SILLA’S KOREA

 

-The leaders of Silla _________________ Korea as an _______________

_________________________________.

 

-This is a ______________ of government in which the _______________, usually a _____________ or a _________________, has ______________ control.

-Monarch comes from two Greek words--”_________” meaning “________” and “___________” meaning “_______________”. 

 

-A monarch is a _________________________.  

 

-The nobles held ___________________________ in government and ____________________ some ________________________.

However, once they ______________ office, they ____________________ of the land. In this way, the real ___________________ remained with the _________________________.

 

-Buddhism was a key _____________ of _____________ in Korea under ______________________________.  The Chinese had brought _______________________ to Korea much ___________________.

 

-It became popular on the ___________________ between the ________ and the _________. Buddhism is a _________________ and a philosophy that ____________________ that life is _______________________.

 

-The only way to be ___________ from _______________ is to turn away from worldly _____________ such as ____________, ____________, and ______________________________.

 

-Buddhism affected almost every ______________ of Korean __________, including _________________ and ______________.


-To this day, beautiful Buddhist ________________ and _______________ from this ________________ can be ____________ throughout ________.

 

-Buddhism became very ___________________ to the Korean ________.

 

-In fact, over time, _________________________ leaders became more ________________ than __________________________ leaders.

 

-As political leaders lost ______________ and __________________ grew among the _________________, Silla’s ___________ on Korea began _________________________ by the 800s. 

 

-By 935, the ________________________ were once again becoming ______________________________________.

- However, this time ___________________,  now known as __________, was the most ________________________ of the three.

 

-The Western name _________________ developed from ______________.

 

-A statesman and ___________________ named __________________ founded _____________________.

 

-He brought the three ___________________ back under one ________ and _________________________ the Koryo dynasty. 

 

-The __________________________ did well over the next hundred years, in part ___________ to its _____________________________________.

 

-Following China’s example, Korea ___________________ the old _______________________ with a _______________________ system of __________________________________.

 

-It included _______________ service exams--tests that government _____________________ had to _________________ to get a _______.

 

-One product of the Koryo Dynasty that is still greatly _________________ today is its _________________ and _________________________.

 

-Celadon, which is _____________________________, is one example.

 

-Buddhism inspired this ________________________.

 

-Buddhist monks made beautiful ___________, ______________, and other _______________ for their ceremonies.

 

-Later, Korean artists ___________________ Chinese methods of copper ______________ to add ___________________________ to the celadon.

 

-This pottery became _________________ throughout Asia and was used to ___________________________________.




  1. KORYO

 

-Early Koryo _____________ was based on a ______________________. Much of the power _________________ in the _______________ classes.

 

-For example, rich ____________________________ made up most of the _________________.

 

-For this reason, family heritage (_____________, _______________, and _________________ passed on from family members) was an important ______________ of _________________.

 

-Members of the highest ___________________________ were awarded government positions.

 

-They did __________ need to pass _____________________________ that members of the _____________________ class took.

 

-The ______________, or common, class in Koryo ___________________ on the _________________. They paid __________________ to the ____________________, who __________________ them in return.

 

-This system led to an _____________________ in the _______________ and _________________________ of the ruling class.

 

-As more and more _________________ paid taxes to landowners, the government received ___________________________________.

 

-Meanwhile, the _______________ class was feeling ________________.

 

-Military ________________ were _____ allowed to ___________ beyond the ________________ of nine _________________________________.

 

-Because of this, they had __________ say in ___________________ the _______________.

 

-They also received smaller __________________ of _____________ than ____________________ who held the same _______________________.

 

-In 1170, the military ______________ and _______________________ the ruling _____________________.

 

-The confusion that _______________ from the military _______________ left Koryo _______________ to another _____________________.

 

-However, the next _____________ did not come from _______________.

 

-It came from the __________________.




ESSAY QUESTIONS

 

  1. Why did the Tokugawa Shogunate close off trade with the West and how did this period of isolation affect Japan?

 

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  1. How was the Japanese feudal system structured?

 

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