The

Middle Ages
Each civilization that you will study in this unit made important
contributions to history.
•
The Chinese first produced gunpowder, the compass, and printed books.
•
Africans south of the Sahara developed new forms of music and dance.
•
The Japanese developed a constitution and new forms of art and poetry.
•
The Europeans took the first steps toward representative government.

A.D. 300 A.D 450 A.D 600 A.D 750 A.D 900
China in the c. A.D. 590 A.D. 683
Middle Ages Chinese
figurines Grand Empress Wu
Chapt er 12 Canal links begins rule
northern and
southern China

Medieval A.D. 330 c. A.D. 700 c. A.D. 900s

Africa Axum’s king The Shona establish Islam
Chapt er 13 Ezana accepts the Zimbabwe kingdom spreads in
Christianity Africa

Medieval c. A.D. 400 A.D. 631 Horyuji

Japan Yamato clan Prince Shotoku temple
Chapt er 14 controls writes constitution
Japan

Medieval A.D. 496 A.D. 800

Europe King Clovis Pope crowns
Chap ter 15 becomes a Charlemagne
Catholic emperor
Statue of Charlemagne
Medieval manuscript on horseback
400
(tl)The British Museum/Topham-HIP/The Image Works, (c)Angelo Hornak/CORBIS, (bl)Ronald Sheridan/Ancient Art & Architecture Collection, (br)Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY
(tl)Aldona Sabalis/Photo Researchers, (tc)National Museum of Taipei, (tr)Werner Forman/Art Resource, NY, (c)Ancient Art & Architecture Collection, (bl)Ron

120°E 180°E

Chapter Chapter
15 12 Chapter
60°N
14 0 1,000 mi.

0 1,000 km
Mercator projection
EUROPE Caspian Sea ASIA
Black Sea

e
N

H
ng
Hu a JAPAN
Tig
Eu Ind
ri s ates
hr R. Persian s CHINA W E
p

u
Gulf .

R
gJ
ha n ia ng
.
PACIFIC S
R

C
R.

South OCEAN
Nile

Arabian Bay of China

Red Sea Bengal Sea
AFRICA Sea

0°
Chapter EQUATOR

13 Chapter 12
Dahlquist/SuperStock, (br)akg-images

ATLANTIC Chapter 13
OCEAN INDIAN Chapter 14
OCEAN Chapter 15
0° 60°E

A.D 1050 A.D 1200 A.D 1350 A.D 1500

c. A.D. 1000s A.D. 1206 A.D. 1405
Chinese Genghis Khan Zheng He begins
invent becomes first of seven
movable Mongol leader overseas voyages
type
Mongol warrior

A.D. 1312 Bronze head of

queen, West Africa
Mansa Musa
becomes
Mali’s king
Mosque in Mali

c. A.D. 1000 A.D. 1281 c. A.D. 1450

Lady Murasaki Japanese temple in Kyoto Mongols Civil war
Shikibu com- attempt second divides Japan
poses The Tale invasion of
of Genji Japan Suit of armor worn
by samurai warrior

c. A.D. 1000 A.D. 1215 A.D. 1492

Vikings reach England’s King Ferdinand and Isabella
North America John signs of Spain defeat Moors
Magna Carta
Medieval woman
spinning wool
1 Buddha statue 4 EUROPE
5

See China in the Middle Ages

Chapter 12

2 Djenne mosque

AFRICA
2
See Medieval Africa
Chapter 13

Atlantic Ocean

A.D. 573–621 A.D. 742–814 c. A.D. 973–1025 c. A.D. 1167–1227

Japanese leader Frankish ruler Japanese writer Mongol conqueror
Chapter 14, p. 489 Chapter 15, p. 517 Chapter 14, p. 502 Chapter 12, p. 427

402
402–403 ©Worldsat International Inc. 2004, All Rights Reserved, (t)Stock Boston, (c)Peter Adams/Getty Images, (bl)Art Resource, NY, (bcl)Ali Meyer/CORBIS, (bcr)Mary Evans Picture Library, (br)Kadokawa/Ancient
 3 Todaiji temple

ASIA See Medieval Japan

Chapter 14

4 Caerphilly Castle

1 3
See Medieval Europe
Chapter 15

Pacific 5 Mont St. Michel

Ocean

See Medieval Europe

Chapter 15

A.D. 1225–1274 Ruled A.D. 1312–1337 A.D. 1371–1433 A.D. 1412–1431

Christian thinker King of Mali Chinese admiral French heroine
Chapter 15, p. 551 Chapter 13, p. 466 Chapter 12, p. 434 Chapter 15, p. 556

403
(t to b)Tom Wagner/Odyssey Productions, Greg Gawlowski/Lonley Planet Images, Jim Zuckerman/CORBIS, (l to r)Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, USA, Robert Lee Memorial Collection, gift of Sarah C.
Blaffer/Bridgeman Art Library, Courtesy Museum of Maritimo (Barcelona); Ramon Manent/CORBIS, ChinaStock, Christie’s Images/CORBIS
 404–405 CORBIS
China in the
Middle Ages
Imperial Palace at the Forbidden City

A.D. 600 A.D. 900 1200 1500

A.D. 581 A.D. 868 1206 1405
Wendi Chinese Genghis Khan Zheng He be-
founds Sui print world’s unites the gins overseas
dynasty first book Mongols voyage
Chapter Preview Chapter Overview Visit
jat.glencoe.com for a preview
Like the Arabs, the Chinese were interested in science of Chapter 12.
and technology. Read this chapter to learn about Chinese
inventions and how they influence your life today.
View the Chapter 12 video in the World History:
Journey Across Time Video Program.

China Reunites
During the Middle Ages, Chinese rulers brought peace, order,
and growth to China. Buddhism became a major religion in
China, but the Chinese government supported Confucian ideas.

Chinese Society
Farming and trade brought wealth to China. The Chinese devel-
oped new technology and enjoyed a golden age of art and writing.

The Mongols in China

Led by Genghis Khan, the Mongols built a vast empire. Under
his son, Kublai Khan, they went on to conquer China as well.

The Ming Dynasty

China’s Ming rulers strengthened government and brought
peace and prosperity. They supported trading voyages to
other parts of Asia and to East Africa.

Categorizing Information Make this foldable to help you organize your notes
about China in the Middle Ages.

Step 1 Fold a sheet of paper in Step 2 Turn the paper and fold
half from side to side, leaving it into fourths. Reading and Writing
1 As you read the chapter,
—— inch tab along the side.
2 identify the main ideas in
the chapter. Write these
Leave Fold in half,
1
inch tab under the appropriate
2 then fold in tab.
here. half again.

Step 3 Unfold Step 4 Label as shown.

and cut along This makes
the top three China Chinese The The
four tabs. Reunites Society Mongols Ming
fold lines. in China Dynasty
China in the Middle Ages

405
Inferences

Reading Between the Lines

To infer means to evaluate information and arrive at a conclusion.
When you make inferences, you “read between the lines,” or draw conclu-
sions that are not stated directly in the text. We naturally make inferences
about things we read, see, and hear every day.
Read this paragraph from Section 3.

Gen
Genghis Khan gathered an army of more than 100,000
warriors. He placed his soldiers into well-trained groups.
Commanding them were officers chosen for their abilities,
not for their family ties. These changes made the Mongols
the most skilled fighting force in the world at that time.
—from page 425

Use this Think-Through chart to help you

make inferences.

e
you mak
Text Question Inference
e t im e s
Som ing
r e n c e s by ask Genghis Khan Who was he? A powerful leader?
in f e or
s e lf q u estions The army had Why did he need To take over
your ons
predicti
100,000 warriors so many warriors? another country
a k i n g g to or to defend
m
u t w h a t is goin his own?
abo
xt.
come ne
Officers not Why did Genghis So they would
chosen for Khan want officers not worry about
family ties without strong their families to
family ties? better concentrate
on battle?
Mongols Who were they? Genghis Khan’s
countrymen?
People from
406 Unit Title Mongolia?
406
Kadokawa/Ancient Art & Architecture Collection

Making Inferences Read to Write

Read the text under the
Read the next paragraph, also about Genghis Khan’s heading Scholar-
warriors, and pay attention to highlighted words as you Officials in Section 1,
make inferences. page 414. Pay attention
to the paragraph about
how important it was
for students to pass
Genghis Khan began building tests. Write about any
experiences with tests
his empire by conquering other you have had to help
people on the steppes. These vic- you understand the
tories brought him wealth and fears and hopes of
Chinese students during
new soldiers to fill the army. Soon the Middle Ages.
the Mongols were strong enough
to attack major civilizations. In
1211 Mongol forces turned east
and invaded China. Within three
years, they had taken all of north-
ern China. They then moved west
and struck at the cities and king-
doms that controlled parts of the
Silk Road.
—from pages 425–426

Create your own Think-Through Chart to help you make

further inferences about Genghis Khan’s army. You might
want to use the highlighted words in your first column and
label it Text. Your second and third columns can be labeled
Questions and Inference. Read the rest of page 426 to see
if your inferences were correct.

We also make inferences about other

types of text, such as poetry. Read
the poems on pages 420–421, and
create a Think-Through chart to
help understand the poems.
407
 China Reunites
What’s the Connection? Meeting People
Earlier you read that the Han Wendi (WHEHN • DEE)
dynasty of China collapsed and China Empress Wu (WOO)
plunged into civil war. As you will read,
China eventually reunited. The new Building Your Vocabulary
dynasties took Chinese civilization warlord
to even higher levels. economy (ih • KAH • nuh • mee)
reform
Focusing on the monastery (MAH • nuh • STEHR • ee)
• The Sui and Tang dynasties reunited
and rebuilt China after years of war.
(page 409)
Reading Strategy
Categorizing Information Complete
• Buddhism became popular in China a table like the one below to show the
and spread to Korea and Japan. time periods, the most important rulers,
(page 412) and the reasons for the decline of the
• The Tang dynasty returned to the Sui and Tang dynasties.
ideas of Confucius and created a new Sui Tang
class of scholar-officials. (page 413)
Time Period
Locating Places Important Rulers
Korea (kuh • REE • uh) Reasons for Decline
Japan (juh • PAN)

A.D. 500 A.D. 900 1300

A.D. 581 A.D. 907 1279
Changan
Wendi founds Tang dynasty Mongols end
Sui dynasty falls Song rule
Hangzhou

408 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

Rebuilding China’s Empire While China was absorbed in its own
problems, it lost control of some of the
The Sui and Tang dynasties reunited groups it had conquered. One of these
and rebuilt China after years of war. groups was the people of Korea (kuh • REE •
Reading Focus Have you ever thought about how the uh). They lived on the Korean Peninsula to
economy in your town or city works? How do goods get to the northeast of China. The Koreans
your local stores? Who makes sure roads are paved? Read decided to end Chinese rule of their coun-
to learn how China dealt with these issues. try. They broke away and built their own
separate civilization.
Earlier you read that China’s Han
empire ended in A.D. 220. For the next 300 The Sui Dynasty Reunites China China
years, China had no central government. It finally reunited in A.D. 581. In that year, a
broke into 17 kingdoms. War and poverty general who called himself Wendi (WHEHN •
were everywhere. Chinese warlords—mili- DEE) declared himself emperor. Wendi won
tary leaders who run a government— battle after battle and finally reunited
fought with each other while nomads China. He then founded a new dynasty
conquered parts of northern China. called the Sui (SWEE).

Tang Dynasty China c. A.D. 700

60°E N 80°E 100°E 120°E
0 1,000 mi.
W
E
0 1,000 km
Two-Point Equidistant projection MONGOLIA
S
N
40°
ASIA GOBI
Beijing KOREAN
KEY PENINSULA JAPAN
Hu a n g

Tang dynasty
He East
Grand Canal
China
Changan Luoyang Sea
.
sR

H gJ
iang Hangzhou
Indu

M
TIBET an
CHINA N
I

Ch

AL 20°
AYA
Ga

es
ng

R. Guangzhou
Arabian PACIFIC
Sea INDIA OCEAN
Bay of South
M

Bengal China Sea

ek
on
gR

Dynasties of China
.

50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 INDIAN

13
00 The Tang dynasty lasted almost 300 years.
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OCEAN
1. What two cities were connected by the
Grand Canal?
Sui Civil War 2. What physical feature made up much of
A.D. 581–618 A.D. 907–960 the northern border of the Tang dynasty?
Tang Song Find NGS online map resources @
A.D. 618–907 A.D. 960–1279 www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 409

 After Wendi died, his son Yangdi
(YAHNG • DEE) took the Chinese throne.
Yangdi wanted to expand China’s territory. Web Activity Visit jat.glencoe.com and
He sent an army to fight the neighboring click on Chapter 12—Student Web Activity to
Koreans, but the Chinese were badly learn more about China.
defeated. At home, Yangdi took on many
ambitious building projects. For example,
the Great Wall had fallen into ruins, and Canal became an important route for ship-
Yangdi had it rebuilt. ping products between northern and south-
Yangdi’s greatest effort went into build- ern China. It helped unite China’s economy.
ing the Grand Canal. This system of water- An economy (ih • KAH • nuh • mee) is an
ways linked the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) organized way in which people produce,
and Huang He (Yellow River). The Grand sell, and buy things.

The Three Gorges

Grand Canal and Three Gorges Dam Project Dam under
construction
Opening the Grand Canal boosted
Imperial China’s economy and made it much
cheaper and faster to ship food and goods
north and south. It also cost many laborers
their lives. In addition, the canal system
often flooded, drowning many people and
animals and destroying crops.

In 1994 China began building

the Three Gorges Dam on the Chang
Jiang. The dam will control flooding
and produce electricity. Building it,
however, requires many areas to be
flooded. Millions of people have had to
move, and much farmland will be lost. What
have construction projects changed in your state?
The Grand Canal

410 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

(l)The Art Archive/Bibliothèque Nationale Paris, (r)Christopher Liu/ChinaStock
 Yangdi rebuilt China, but he did it Song China c. A.D. 1200
by placing hardships on the Chinese people. 0 1,000 mi.
°N
40
Farmers were forced to work on the Great 0 1,000 km
Two-Point Equidistant projection KOREAN
Wall and the Grand Canal. They also GOBI Beijing PENINSULA
had to pay high taxes to the government

Hu a n g
for these projects. Finally, the farmers He East
became so angry that they revolted. The China
Changan Luoyang Sea
army took control and killed Yangdi. gJ
iang Hangzhou
an N
With Yangdi gone, the Sui dynasty came CHINA

Ch
E
to an end. KEY W
Song empire Guangzhou S
The Tang Dynasty In A.D. 618 one of Grand Canal
M
Yangdi’s generals took over China. He ek
o South
20°N China Sea

ng
made himself emperor and set up a new

R.
Bay of
dynasty called the Tang (TAHNG). Unlike the Bengal
short-lived Sui, the Tang dynasty was in
power for about 300 years—from A.D. 618 to 100°E 120°E

A.D. 907. The Tang capital at Changan The Song dynasty moved the 0°
capital city to Hangzhou.
became a magnificent city, with about one 1. Use the map of the Tang dynasty
million people living there. on page 409 to compare the areas
Tang rulers worked to strengthen of the Tang and Song dynasties.
China’s government. They carried out a 2. About how far is Hangzhou from
the northern border of the empire?
number of reforms, or changes that brought
improvements. The most powerful Tang
emperor was named Taizong (TY • ZAWNG). pay tribute, a special kind of tax that one
He restored the civil service exam system. country pays to another to be left alone. The
Government officials were once again hired Tang also moved south and took control of
based on how well they did on exams northern Vietnam.
rather than on their family connections. By the mid-A.D. 700s, however, the Tang
Taizong also gave land to farmers and dynasty began to have problems. A new
brought order to the countryside. group of nomads—the Turks that you read
During the late A.D. 600s, a woman about earlier—drove the Tang armies out of
named Wu ruled China as empress. She central Asia and took control of the Silk
was the only woman in Chinese history to Road. This damaged China’s economy.
rule the country on her own. A forceful Revolts in Tibet and among Chinese farm-
leader, Empress Wu (WOO) added more ers at home further weakened the Tang. In
officials to the government. She also A.D. 907 all of this disorder brought down
strengthened China’s military forces. the Tang dynasty.
Under the Tang, China regained much
of its power in Asia and expanded the areas The Song Dynasty For about 50 years after
under its control. Tang armies pushed west the fall of the Tang, military leaders ruled
into central Asia, invaded Tibet, and took China. Then, in A.D. 960, one of the generals
control of the Silk Road. They marched into declared himself emperor and set up the
Korea and forced the Korean kingdoms to Song (SOONG) dynasty.

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 411

 The Song dy-
Buddhism Spreads to China

Ira Kirschenbaum/Stock Boston

nasty ruled from
A.D. 960 to 1279. Buddhism became popular in China and
This period was spread to Korea and Japan.
a time of prosper- Reading Focus Where do you turn when you are hav-
ity and cultural ing problems? Read to learn why many Chinese turned
achievement for to Buddhism when China was in trouble.
China. From the
start, however, the Earlier you learned that traders and
Song faced prob- missionaries from India brought Buddhism
lems that threat- Statue of the Buddha,
to China in about A.D. 150. At the time, the
ened their hold carved about A.D. 460
in the Yun-Kang caves Han dynasty was already weak. Soon after-
on China. Song in China. ward, China collapsed into civil war. People
rulers did not everywhere were dying from war and a
have enough sol- lack of food and shelter. It was a time of
diers to control their large empire. Tibet great suffering. Because Buddhism taught
broke away, and nomads took over much of that people could escape their suffering,
northern China. For safety, the Song moved many Chinese seeking peace and comfort
their capital farther south to the city of became Buddhists.
Hangzhou (HAHNG • JOH). Hangzhou was
on the coast near the Chang Jiang delta. Chinese Buddhism Early Tang rulers were
Explain How did Wendi not Buddhists, but they allowed Buddhism
unite China? to be practiced in China. They even

City Life in Tang China

Under the Tang, China grew and was prosperous. Tang cities could
be large, with many activities occurring within the city’s walls. A
city contained many shops and temples. The homes of rich families
often had two or three floors. When did the Tang rule China?

Musicians and dancers

Civil service
Farmers examinations
selling
goods

Print shop
Making pottery
supported the building of Buddhist tem-
ples. Many Chinese Buddhists became
New Confucian Ideas
monks and nuns. They lived in places The Tang dynasty returned to the
called monasteries (MAH • nuh • STEHR • eez), ideas of Confucius and created a new class of
where they meditated and worshiped. scholar-officials.
Buddhist temples and monasteries pro- Reading Focus Have you ever seen someone get a
vided services for people. They ran schools reward that he or she did not earn? Read to learn how
and provided rooms and food for travelers. China’s rulers tried to avoid this problem when hiring
Buddhist monks served as bankers and pro- government officials.
vided medical care.
Not all Chinese people liked Buddhism, You have already read about Confucius
however. Many thought that it was wrong for and his teachings. Confucius and his fol-
the Buddhist temples and monasteries to lowers believed that a good government
accept donations. Others believed that monks depended on having wise leaders. The civil
and nuns weakened respect for family life service examinations introduced by Han
because they were not allowed to marry.
In the early A.D. 800s, Tang officials
feared Buddhism’s growing power. They
saw Buddhism as an enemy of China’s tradi- Defending
tions. In A.D. 845 the Tang had many Budd- Confucianism
hist monasteries and temples destroyed. Han Yü (A.D. 768 to A.D. 824) encouraged the
Buddhism in China never fully recovered. Chinese people to remain faithful to
Confucianism.
Chinese Buddhism Spreads East As you “What were the teach-
read earlier, Korea broke free of China when ings of our ancient kings?
the Han dynasty fell in A.D. 220. For several Universal love is called
hundred years after, Korea was divided into humanity. To practice this
three independent kingdoms. in the proper manner is
In the A.D. 300s, Chinese Buddhists called righteousness. To
proceed according to
brought their religion to Korea. About
these is called the Way. . . .
A.D. 660, the Koreans united to form one
They offered sacrifices to
country. After that, with government sup- Heaven and the gods
port, Buddhism grew even stronger in Korea. came to receive them. . . .
Buddhism later spread to the nearby What Way is this? I say:
islands of Japan (juh • PAN). According to This is what I call the
Way, and not what the Han Yü
legend, one of Korea’s kings wrote to
Taoists [Daoists] and the
Japan’s emperor. The letter contained a Buddhists called the Way. . . .”
statue of the Buddha and Buddhist writ- —Han Yü, “An Inquiry on The Way” (Tao)
ings. “This religion is the most excellent of
all teachings,” the king wrote. As time
passed, Buddhism won many followers in
Why does Han Yü think Confucianism
Japan as well. should be followed?
Explain Why did some
Chinese people dislike Buddhism?

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 413

Bettmann/CORBIS
 rulers were a product of Confucian ideas.

Snark/Art Resource, NY
They were supposed to recruit talented
government officials.
After the fall of the Han dynasty, no
national government existed to give civil
Civil Service Exams Proficiency tests service examinations. Confucianism lost
and final exams today take a lot of much support, and Buddhism with its
preparation, but they are not as difficult spiritual message won many followers.
as China’s civil service examinations Tang and Song rulers, however, brought
given during the Tang dynasty. Men of Confucianism back into favor.
almost all ranks tried to pass the exams
so they could hold government jobs and What Is Neo-Confucianism? The Tang
become wealthy. Thousands attempted dynasty gave its support to a new kind of
the tests, but only a few hundred people Confucianism called neo-Confucianism.
qualified for the important positions. This new Confucianism was created, in
Chinese boys began preparing for part, to reduce Buddhism’s popularity. It
the exams in taught that life in this world was just as
primary school. important as the afterlife. Followers
After many years of were expected to take part in life and
learning to read and help others.
write more than Although it criticized Buddhist
400,000 words and ideas, this new form of Confucianism
sayings, the boys— also picked up some Buddhist and
now men in their Daoist beliefs. For many Chinese,
twenties or early Confucianism became more than a sys-
thirties—would take tem of rules for being good. It became a
the first of three religion with beliefs about the spiritual
levels of exams. world. Confucian thinkers taught that if
Students traveled to Students people followed Confucius’s teachings,
huge testing sites to taking civil
service exams they would find peace of mind and live in
take the tests. Food harmony with nature.
and beds were not The Song dynasty, which followed the
provided, so they had to bring their Tang, also supported neo-Confucianism.
own. Many men became sick or insane The Song even adopted it as their official
because of the stress of the tests and philosophy, or belief system.
the poor conditions under which they
were tested. Scholar-Officials Neo-Confucianism also
became a way to strengthen the govern-
ment. Both Tang and Song rulers used civil
service examinations to hire officials. In
Connecting to the Past doing so, they based the bureaucracy on a
1. How old were the Chinese when they took
the tests? merit system. Under a merit system, peo-
2. Why do you think taking the tests was so ple are accepted for what they can do and
stressful for these men? not on their riches or personal contacts.
 The examinations tested job seekers on
their knowledge of Confucian writings. To
pass, it was necessary to write with style as
well as understanding. The tests were sup-
posed to be fair, but only men were allowed
to take the tests. Also, only rich people had
the money that was needed to help their
sons study for the tests.
Passing the tests was very difficult.
However, parents did all they could to pre-
pare their sons. At the age of four, boys Chinese scholar-officials on horseback
started learning to write the characters of
the Chinese language. Later, students had Over the years, the examination system
to memorize all of Confucius’s writings. If a created a new wealthy class in China. This
student recited the passages poorly, he group was made up of scholar-officials.
could expect to be hit by his teacher. Strict rules set the scholar-officials apart
After many years of study, the boys took from society. One rule was that they could
their examinations. Despite all the prepara- not do physical work. Students preparing
tion, only one in five passed. Those who for the tests were taught never to use their
failed usually found jobs helping officials or hands except for painting or writing.
teaching others. However, they would Describe How did
never be given a government job. Confucianism change in China?

Study CentralTM Need help with the

material in this section? Visit jat.glencoe.com

What Did You Learn?

Reading Summary 1. What made Buddhism so
popular in China?
4. Cause and Effect What
events led to the fall of the
Review the
2. How was neo-Confucianism Tang dynasty?
• While the Sui dynasty was short-
lived, the Tang and Song dynas- a response to Buddhism’s 5. Sequencing Information
ties lasted for hundreds of years popularity, and what did it Describe the history of Budd-
and returned power and prosper- teach? hism during the Tang dynasty.
ity to China. Critical Thinking 6. Analyze Why had Confuci-
• Buddhism became popular in 3. Compare and Contrast anism fallen out of favor in
China and also spread to Korea Create a diagram to show how China before the Tang and
and Japan. the reigns of Wendi and Yangdi Song dynasties?
• A new kind of Confucianism were similar and how they 7. Drawing Conclusions Do
developed in China during the were different. you think China’s civil service
Tang and Song dynasties, and the system truly brought the most
government used civil service talented individuals into the
Wendi Yangdi
tests to improve itself. government? How would you
make the system fairer?

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 415

Michael Freeman/CORBIS
 Chinese Society
What’s the Connection? Locating Places
In the last section, you learned Changan (CHAHNG • AHN)
about the rise and fall of the Sui,
Tang, and Song dynasties. During Meeting People
those dynasties, China’s economy Li Bo (LEE BOH)
began to grow again. Chinese Du Fu (DOO FOO)
inventors developed many new
technologies, and Chinese artists
and writers produced new works
Building Your Vocabulary
porcelain (POHR • suh • luhn)
that are still admired today.
calligraphy (kuh • LIH • gruh • fee)
Focusing on the
• The Tang dynasty strengthened Reading Strategy
China’s economy by supporting Organizing Information Complete a
farming and trade. (page 417) chart like the one below describing the
new technologies developed in China
• The Chinese developed new during the Middle Ages.
technologies, such as steelmaking
and printing. (page 418)
• During the Tang and the Song New Technologies
dynasties, China enjoyed a golden
age of art and literature. (page 420)

A.D. 600 A.D. 900 1200

A.D. 618 A.D. 868 c. 1150
Changan Tang dynasty Chinese print Chinese sailors
takes power world’s first are the first to
Hangzhou complete book use compass

416 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

A Growing Economy irrigation and introduced new ways of
growing their crops. Farmers also developed
The Tang dynasty strengthened China’s new kinds of rice, which grew well in poor
economy by supporting farming and trade. soil, produced more per acre, grew faster,
Reading Focus Do you know anyone who drinks tea and were resistant to disease.
or wears silk clothing? Both of these goods were first These changes helped farmers grow
produced in China. Read to learn how farming changed more and more rice. China’s farmers also
under the Tang dynasty. began to grow tea, which became a popu-
lar drink. They made improvements in
When the Han dynasty in China col- other crops as well. With more food avail-
lapsed in the A.D. 200s, it was a disaster for able, the number of people in China
China’s economy. As fighting began, cities greatly increased. At the same time, more
were damaged and farms were burned. people moved southward, where rice
Artisans made fewer goods, farmers grew grew abundantly in the Chang Jiang
fewer crops, and merchants had less to valley. This led to the rise of new cities.
trade. Under the Tang dynasty, these prob-
lems were solved. China’s Trade Grows Tang rulers also had
roads and waterways built. These changes
Why Did Farming Improve? When the Tang made travel within and outside of China
rulers took power in A.D. 618, they brought much easier. Chinese merchants were able
peace to the countryside and gave more land to increase trade with people in other parts
to farmers. As a result, farmers were able of Asia. The Silk Road, now under Tang
to make many advances. They improved control, once again bustled with activity.

Silk, shown here being harvested, remained an important trade item

for the Chinese. How did Tang rulers help increase trade?

A worker holds a tray

of silkworms eating
mulberry leaves.
Eventually the worms
will spin cocoons.
Workers then collect
and unravel the cocoons
to make silk thread.
Why do you think silk is
still expensive today?

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 417

(l)Keren Su/CORBIS, (r)Philadelphia Free Library/AKG, Berlin/SuperStock
One of the items traded by the Chinese was
silk fabric. This product gave the road its
New Technology
name and was popular in markets to the The Chinese developed new technolo-
west of China. In addition, China traded gies, such as steelmaking and printing.
tea, steel, paper, and porcelain. Porcelain Reading Focus This book is made of paper with letters
(POHR • suh • luhn) is made of fine clay and printed on the paper by a machine. Read to learn how
baked at high temperatures. In return, other printing was first invented during the Tang dynasty.
countries sent China products such as gold,
silver, precious stones, and fine woods.
During the Tang and Song dynasties,
Other trade routes were also estab-
new inventions changed China’s society. In
lished. Roads linked China to central Asia,
time, these discoveries spread to other parts
India, and southwest Asia. In addition, the
of the world.
Tang opened new ports along China’s coast
to boost trade. China Discovers Coal and Steel For most
Cause and Effect How did of China’s history, people burned wood to
the new kinds of rice developed in China help its heat their homes and cook their food. By
population grow? the time of the Tang dynasty, wood was

Changan’s Royal Palace

The Tang capital city of Changan may have had a population of one million
people at its peak. The city had large blocks that included houses, businesses,
and temples set along straight streets. Its layout inspired the design of many
later cities. The area containing the royal palace, shown below, was bordered
by parklands. What improvements to agriculture allowed China’s population
to grow during the Tang dynasty?

418
 becoming scarce in China. However, the
Werner Forman/Art Resource, NY

Chinese had discovered that coal could be

used to heat things, and soon a coal-mining
industry developed.
The Chinese used coal to heat furnaces to
high temperatures, which led to another dis- Printing When the Chinese invented
covery. When iron was produced in hot fur- movable type, they improved the art
naces heated by coal, the molten iron mixed of printing. A Chinese author
with carbon from the coal. This created a described the work of Pi Sheng:
new, stronger metal known today as steel. “He took sticky clay and cut in it
The Chinese used steel to make many characters as thin as the edge of a
things. They made armor, swords, and hel- copper coin. Each character formed as
mets for their army, but they also made it were a single type. He baked them
stoves, farm tools, drills, steel chain, and in the fire to make them hard. He had
even steel nails and sewing needles. previously prepared an iron plate and
he had covered this plate with a
The Printing Process Paper had been mixture of pine resin, wax, and paper
invented under the Han dynasty. Under the ashes. When he wished to print, he
Tang, the mass production of paper led to took an iron frame and set it on the
another important Chinese innovation: a iron plate. In this he placed the type,
method for printing books. Before printing, set close together. When the frame
books were copied by hand and were very was full, the whole made one solid
expensive. The Chinese began printing in block of type.”
the A.D. 600s. They used blocks of wood on —Shên Kua, Dream Pool Jottings
which they cut the characters of an entire
The Diamond
page. Ink was placed over the wooden Sutra is the
block. Then paper was laid on the block to earliest known
make a print. Cutting the block took a long printed book.
time, but the woodblocks could be used
again and again to make many copies.
The Chinese soon began printing
books. The earliest known printed book
dates from about A.D. 868. It is a Buddhist
book called the Diamond Sutra. The inven-
tion of printing was very important. It
helped to spread ideas more rapidly.
Composing stick
In the A.D. 1000s, a Chinese printer
named Pi Sheng (BEE SHUHNG) invented Movable type block
movable type for printing. With movable
type, each character is a separate piece. The
pieces can be moved around to make sen- Connecting to the Past
1. Why do you think Pi Sheng used clay
tences and used again and again. Printing to make his characters?
also led to the invention of paper currency.
2. In what instance would woodblock
In 1024, during the Song dynasty, the printing have been a better method
to use than movable type?
Chinese printed the world’s first paper
money as a way to help merchants. Paper
Art and Literature
money helped the economy to expand and During the Tang and the Song dynasties,
cities to grow. China enjoyed a golden age of art and literature.
Other Chinese Inventions The Chinese Reading Focus If you were to choose one poem to
made gunpowder for use in explosives. One read to the class, which poem would it be? Below, you
weapon was the fire lance, an ancestor of the will read a poem that is a Chinese favorite.
gun. It used gunpowder and helped make
the Chinese army a strong force. The Chinese The Tang and Song eras were a golden
also used gunpowder to make fireworks. The age for Chinese culture. The invention of
Chinese also built large ships with rudders printing helped to spread Chinese ideas
and sails. About 1150, Chinese sailors began and artwork. Chinese rulers actively sup-
using the compass to help them find their ported art and literature, and invited artists
way. This let ships sail farther from land. and poets to live and work in the capital
Analyze Why was the city of Changan (CHAHNG • AHN).
invention of printing so important?
What Was Tang Poetry Like? Chinese
writers best expressed themselves in poems.
In fact, the Tang dynasty is viewed as the
Li Bo great age of poetry in China. Some Tang
poems celebrated the beauty of nature, the
In the following poem, Li Bo writes about
thrill of seasons changing, and the joy of
parting from a friend.
having a good friend. Other Tang poems
“Green hills sloping from the northern wall,
white water rounding the eastern city: once expressed sadness for the shortness of life
parted from this place the lone weed and mourned the cruelty of friends parting.
tumbles ten thousand miles. Li Bo (LEE BOH) was one of the most
Drifting clouds—a popular poets of the Tang era. His poems
traveler’s thoughts; often centered on nature. The poem below by
setting sun—an old Li Bo is probably the best-known poem in
friend’s heart.
Wave hands and let
China. For centuries, Chinese schoolchildren
us take leave now, have had to memorize it. Its title is “Still
hsiao-hsiao our Night Thoughts.”
hesitant horses
neighing.” Moonlight in front of my bed—
—Li Bo,
“Seeing a
I took it for frost on the ground!
Friend Off” I lift my eyes to watch the
mountain moon,
Li Bo lower them and dream of home.
—Li Bo,
“Still Night Thoughts”

How are drifting clouds like a traveler’s Another favorite poet of that time was
thoughts? Du Fu (DOO FOO). He was a poor civil ser-
vant who had a hard life. Civil war swept

420 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

The Art Archive/British Library
 Chinese
calligraphy

This Chinese landscape was painted in

the 1100s. How were Daoist beliefs Ink and watercolor
depicted in landscapes painted during drawing on silk
the Song dynasty?

China, and food was hard to find. Du Fu Painting in Song China The painting of
nearly died of starvation. His problems landscapes became widespread during the
opened his eyes to the sufferings of the com- Song dynasty. However, Chinese artists
mon people. did not try to make exact pictures of the
As a result, Du Fu’s poems often were landscapes they were painting. Instead,
very serious. They frequently dealt with they wished to portray the “idea” of the
issues such as social injustice and the prob- mountains, lakes, and other features of
lems of the poor. Du Fu wrote the poem their landscapes. Also, empty spaces were
below after a rebellion left the capital city in left in the paintings on purpose. This is
ruins. It is called “Spring Landscape.” because of the Daoist belief that a per-
son cannot know the whole truth about
Rivers and mountains survive something.
broken countries. Daoist beliefs also can be seen in the
Spring returns. The city grows way people are portrayed. They are tiny fig-
lush again. ures, fishing in small boats or wandering
Blossoms scatter tears thinking of up a hillside trail. In other words, the peo-
us, and this ple are living in, but not controlling, nature.
Separation in a bird’s cry startles They are only a part of the harmony of the
the heart. natural setting.
Chinese painters often wrote poetry on
Beacon-fires have burned their works. They used a brush and ink to
through three months. write beautiful characters called calligraphy
By now, letters are worth ten (kuh • LIH • gruh • fee).
thousand in gold.
. . . . . . . . . . Chinese Porcelain During the Tang period,
—Du Fu, Chinese artisans perfected the making of
“Spring Landscape” porcelain. Because porcelain later came from

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 421

(l)The Art Archive/National Peace Museum Taiwan, (c)Naomi Duguid/Asia Access, (r)Private Collection/Bridgeman Art Library
 Ceramic figures
from Tang
dynasty tomb

These porcelain figures from the

Tang dynasty
Tang dynasty show travelers on
bottle
horseback. What is porcelain
sometimes called today?

China to the West, people today sometimes vases is visible through them, and yet they
call porcelain by the name “china.” are made of clay.”
Porcelain can be made into plates, cups, The technology for making porcelain
figurines, and vases. In A.D. 851 an Arab trav- spread to other parts of the world. It finally
eler described the quality of Tang porcelain: reached Europe in the 1700s.
“There is in China a very fine clay from Identify What did Du Fu
which are made vases. . . . Water in these often write about?

Study CentralTM Need help with the

material in this section? Visit jat.glencoe.com

What Did You Learn?

Reading Summary 1. What products were traded by
China along the Silk Road?
4. Summarize Describe the
changes to Chinese agriculture
Review the
2. What were some of the subjects during the Tang dynasty.
• During the Tang dynasty, both
farming and trade flourished, of Tang poetry? 5. Contrast How do the two
and the empire grew much forms of printing invented by
Critical Thinking
larger than ever before. the Chinese differ?
3. Organizing Information Draw
• Many important inventions a chart to describe the new 6. Evaluate Which invention of
were developed in China during technologies developed in China. the Tang and Song dynasties
the Tang and Song dynasties, do you think has been most
including steel, printing, and important? Explain.
Metalworking
gunpowder. 7. Creative Writing Read the
• Chinese literature and arts, poem “Still Night Thoughts”
Printing
including poetry, landscape by Li Bo again. Then write a
painting, and porcelain making, short, four-stanza poem
Weapons similar to Li Bo’s about the
reached new heights during the
Tang and Song dynasties. view from your bedroom or
Sailing kitchen window.

422 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

(l)The British Museum/Topham-HIP/The Image Works, (c)Laurie Platt Winfrey, (r)Seattle Art Museum/CORBIS
 The
Mongols in China
What’s the Connection? Meeting People
As a complex culture developed Genghis Khan
in China, a northern enemy waited to (GEHNG • guhs KAHN)
attack. Kublai Khan (KOO • BLUH KAHN)
Marco Polo
Focusing on the (MAHR • koh POH • loh)
• Genghis Khan and his sons built the
Mongol Empire, which stretched from Building Your Vocabulary
the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe. tribe
(page 424) steppe (STEHP)
• The Mongols conquered China and terror (TEHR • uhr)
created a new dynasty that tried to
conquer Japan and began trading Reading Strategy
with the rest of Asia. (page 428) Organizing Information Use a
diagram like the one below to show
the accomplishments of Genghis
Locating Places
Khan’s reign.
Mongolia (mahn • GOH • lee • uh)
Gobi (GOH • bee)
Karakorum (KAHR • uh • KOHR • uhm) Accomplishments
Khanbaliq (KAHN • buh • LEEK)
Beijing (BAY • JIHNG)

1200 1300 1400

1206 1271 1368
Genghis Khan Kublai Khan becomes Yuan (Mongol)
Karakorum unites Mongols China’s emperor dynasty falls
Baghdad Khanbaliq
(Beijing)

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 423

 The Mongols horses. They followed their herds as the ani-

(t)National Museum of Taipei, (b)J. Bertrand/Photo Researchers

mals grazed Mongolia’s great steppes
Genghis Khan and his sons built the (STEHPS). Steppes are wide, rolling, grassy
Mongol Empire, which stretched from the Pacific plains that stretch from the Black Sea to
Ocean to Eastern Europe. northern China.
Reading Focus Have you ever had the chance to ride From an early period in their history, the
a horse? For thousands of years, the horse was the most Mongols were known for two things. One
important form of transportation in the world. Read to was their ability to ride horses well.
learn how one people used their skills as horse riders to Mongols practically lived on horseback,
build a vast empire. learning to ride at age four or five.
The other skill for which the Mongols
The Mongols lived in an area north of were known was the ability to wage war.
China called Mongolia (mahn • GOH • lee • uh). They could fire arrows at enemies from a
They were made up of tribes, or groups of distance while charging at them. Then
related families, loosely joined together. The they would attack with spears and
Mongols raised cattle, goats, sheep, and swords.

In
Mongol Empire Under Genghis Khan 1227 Motion

°N
601,000 mi.
KEY 0
Genghis Khan’s empire, 1227 0 1,000 km
Mongol homeland Two-Point Equidistant projection
lga R. Onon
Vo Campaign under Genghis Khan
R.

Lake
A S I A Baikal
Aral 1219
s pian Sea

Sea °N
1211– 40
Karakorum Ulaanbaatar12 15 14
Mongol warrior
KARA- 15 Liaoyang
1209

KHITAI Zhongdu
Ca

1219
(Beijing)
1218 XI XIA
Hu a n g

Samarkand 20
1 219– Yellow
N Kashgar Ningxia He Sea
W Location of
E Genghis Khan’s death Hangzhou
H iang
S M gJ
TIBET ek
o an
s R. M
du
I

CHINA
Ch

AL
ng
In

AYA
Ga

N
es 20°
ng

60°E R. 100°E

Under the reign of Genghis Khan, the

Mongols conquered kingdoms across Mongolian
central Asia. nomads
1. In what direction from Mongolia did today
Genghis Khan first strike? In what year?
2. What physical features may have
prevented Genghis Khan from
capturing more territory to the south?
Who Was Genghis Khan? The man who of tribal chiefs to help him plan military
would unite the Mongols was born in the campaigns. From the time of his election
1160s. He was named Temujin (teh • MOO • until the end of his life, Genghis Khan fought
juhn), which means “blacksmith.” Temujin to conquer the lands beyond Mongolia.
showed his leadership skills early. He was Genghis Khan gathered an army of more
still a young man when he began to unite than 100,000 warriors. He placed his soldiers
the Mongol tribes. into well-trained groups. Commanding
In 1206 a meeting of Mongol leaders them were officers chosen for their abilities,
took place somewhere in the Gobi (GOH • not for their family ties. These changes made
bee), a vast desert that covers parts of the Mongols the most skilled fighting force
Mongolia and China. At that meeting, in the world at that time.
Temujin was elected Genghis Khan (GEHNG • Genghis Khan began building his
guhs KAHN), which means “strong ruler.” empire by conquering other people on the
Genghis Khan brought together Mongol steppes. These victories brought him
laws in a new code. He also created a group wealth and new soldiers to fill the army.

Mongol Empire 1294

40°E 80°E 120°E
°N
60
Dan u b e

Moscow
Kiev
Me

R.
. SIBERIA
Constantinople aR
di

Bla olg N
te r

ck
ra

W
E
ne

Se

ea
a
an

S
MONGOLIA
S
Se

Caspian

Aral Karakorum
a

Sea
Nile R.

Baghdad GOBI JAPAN

Samarkand
Khanbaliq
g He

ARABIA PERSIA (Beijing)

Re d Sea

an

Hu Hangzhou
Makkah TIBET ng Jiang
H ha East
R.

IM
C

China °N
us

20
In d AL
AYA Sea
Guangzhou
PACIFIC
KEY INDIA OCEAN
The Mongol Empire
at its height Arabian South
Campaign of the Yuan dynasty Sea China
Bay of
(under Kublai Khan) Bengal Sea
Great Wall 0 1,000 mi.
0 1,000 km
Two-Point Equidistant projection
Su Borneo
EQUATOR ma 0°
tra
INDIAN OCEAN
The Mongols created the largest land Java
empire in the history of the world.
1. What physical feature helped prevent
the Mongols from capturing India? Bronze plaque showing Genghis Khan
2. What is the present-day name for the
Mongols’ capital at Khanbaliq?
CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 425
James L. Stanfield
 empire continued to expand. The Mongols
swept into parts of eastern and central
Europe. They also conquered much of
southwest Asia. In 1258 the famous
Muslim city of Baghdad fell to the
Mongols. Mongol armies then pushed
through Syria and Palestine to Egypt.
They were finally stopped by the Muslim
rulers of Egypt in 1260.
The Mongols united all of these differ-
ent territories under their rule. Their empire
reached from the Pacific Ocean in the east
to Eastern Europe in the west and from
Siberia in the north to the Himalaya in the
south. It was the largest land empire the
world had ever known.
Despite widespread destruction, the
Mongols eventually brought peace to the
lands they ruled. Peace encouraged trade,
which helped the Mongols. Many of
In the battle scene shown here, Mongol troops Asia’s trade routes now lay in Mongol
storm across the Chang Jiang on a bridge made hands. The Mongols taxed the products
of boats. After conquering northern China, traded over these roads and, as a result,
what areas did the Mongols attack?
grew wealthy.
Soon the Mongols were strong enough to The Mongols felt great respect for the
attack major civilizations. In 1211 Mongol advanced cultures they conquered.
forces turned east and invaded China. Sometimes they even adopted some of the
Within three years, they had taken all of beliefs and customs they encountered. For
northern China. They then moved west and example, the Mongols in southwest Asia
struck at the cities and kingdoms that con- accepted Islam and adopted Arab, Persian,
trolled parts of the Silk Road. and Turkish ways.
Genghis Khan and his Mongol warriors The Mongols also learned many things
became known for their cruelty and use of from the Chinese. As they battled Chinese
terror (TEHR • uhr). Terror refers to violent troops, they learned about gunpowder and
actions that are meant to scare people into its use as an explosive. They also saw the
surrendering, or giving up. Mongol war- Chinese use the fire lance, a weapon that
riors attacked, robbed, and burned cities. used gunpowder. Quickly, the Mongols
Within a short time, the Mongols became adopted both gunpowder and the fire lance
known for their fierce ways, and many peo- for use in battle. These new weapons made
ple surrendered to them without fighting. Mongol armies even more frightening to
their enemies.
The Mongol Empire Genghis Khan died Analyze What military and
in 1227. His large empire was divided among economic reasons explain why the Mongols were
his four sons. Under their leadership, the able to build an empire so quickly?

426 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

Werner Forman Archive
GE.N. 11G67H–1IS KHAN
c. A D 227
Mongol Leader
who enjoyed causing death
Was Genghis Khan a ruthless warrior
leader who improved the lives of
and destruction, or was he a skilled
s Khan built a huge empire
those in his empire, or both? Genghi
l-trained warriors. Although
across Asia using loyal, strong, and wel
e brutal and bloody, they
the wars he and his sons fought wer
rity to most of Asia.
eventually brought peace and prospe
his father, the Mongol
Genghis Khan was named Temujin by
a large blood clot in his
chief Yisugei. Folklore says Temujin had
tined to become a great
right hand, which meant he was des
camp along the Onon
warrior. Temujin grew up in his father’s
River in Mongolia. Genghis Khan
for his nine-year-old son.
Temujin’s father arranged a marriage
the marriage helped bring
His wife came from another tribe, and
at age ten, was beautiful.
wealth to his family. Borte, his wife
en they both became older. “Life is short, I
Temujin and Borte had four sons wh
Years later, when his father was kille
d by the Tartars and his could not conquer
loyal warriors left the tribe, Temujin
lost his wealth. His poverty
iers angered him so much
the world.”
and the disloyalty of his father’s sold —attributed to Genghis Khan
rior. Over time, Temujin
that he decided to become a great war
became Ghengis Khan.

considered
In Mongolia today, Genghis Khan is
Was
a national hero. What do you think?
Genghis Khan a villain or a hero?
Genghis Khan’s camp

427
(t)Kadokawa/Ancient Art & Architecture Collection, (b)Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France/Bridgeman Art Library
Mongol Rule in China in Mongolia to Khanbaliq in northern
China. Today the modern city of Beijing
The Mongols conquered China and cre- (BAY • JIHNG) stands on the site of the
ated a new dynasty that tried to conquer Japan and Mongols’ Chinese capital.
began trading with the rest of Asia.
Reading Focus What does it mean to be tolerant? What Did the Mongols Do in China? In
Read to find out how the Mongols used tolerance to rule 1271 Kublai Khan decided to become
the Chinese. China’s next emperor. Within 10 years, the
Mongols had conquered southern China
In 1260 the Mongols named Genghis and put an end to the Song dynasty. Kublai
Khan’s grandson, Kublai, to be the new Khan started the Yuan (YOO • AHN) dynasty.
khan, or ruler. Kublai Khan (KOO • BLUH Yuan means “beginning,” and its name
KAHN) continued the Mongol conquest of showed that the Mongols wanted to rule
China that his father had begun. In 1264 China for a long time. But the Yuan dynasty
Kublai moved his capital from Karakorum would last only about 100 years. Kublai
would rule for 30 of those years.
Kublai Khan gave Mongol leaders the
top jobs in China’s government, but he
Kublai Khan’s knew he needed Chinese scholar-officials to
Park run the government. So he let many of the
Chinese keep their government jobs.
Marco Polo recorded a description of the
luxury in which Kublai Khan lived. The Mongols were different from the
“[The palace wall] encloses and encircles fully Chinese in many ways. They had their own
sixteen miles of parkland well watered with language, laws, and customs. This kept
springs and them separate from Chinese society. The
streams . . . Into Mongols were rulers at the top of Chinese
this park there is no society, but they did not mix with the
entry except by way Chinese people.
of the palace. Here
Like many Chinese, the Mongols were
the Great Khan
keeps game animals Buddhists. They were tolerant, however,
of all sorts . . . to of other religions. For example, Kublai
provide food for the Khan invited Christians, Muslims, and
gerfalcons [large, Hindus from outside China to practice
arctic falcons] and their faiths and to win converts.
other falcons which Kublai Khan presents
Under Mongol rule, China reached the
he has in here in golden tablets to
mew [an enclosure].” Marco Polo height of its wealth and power. Its splendor
—Marco Polo, “Kublai drew foreigners who came to China over
Khan’s Park, c. 1275” the Silk Road. Khanbaliq, the capital,
became known for its wide streets, beauti-
ful palaces, and fine homes.
Why did Kublai Khan keep game One of the most famous European
animals—ones hunted for sport or travelers to reach China was Marco Polo
food—in his park?
(MAHR • koh POH • loh). He came from the
city of Venice in Italy. Kublai Khan was

428 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

The Bodleian Library, Oxford, Ms. Bodl. 264, fol.219R
fascinated by Marco Polo’s stories about his
travels. For about 16 years, Kublai sent Polo
on many fact-finding trips. When Polo
finally returned to Europe, he wrote a book
about his adventures. His accounts of the
wonders of China amazed Europeans.

Trade and Conquest The Mongols ruled a

large empire that stretched from China to
eastern Europe. As a result, China pros-
pered from increased trade with other areas.
Goods such as silver, spices, carpets, and This drawing from a historic map shows Marco
cotton flowed in from Europe and other Polo’s journey along the Silk Road. From what
parts of Asia. In return, China shipped out European city did Marco Polo travel?
tea, silk, and porcelain. Europeans and
Muslims also brought Chinese discoveries, Mongol control. The Mongols forced thou-
such as steel, gunpowder, and the compass, sands of Koreans to build warships. These
back to their homelands. ships were used by the Mongols to invade
The Mongols enlarged China’s empire Japan. You will read about the Mongol inva-
and conquered Vietnam and northern Korea. sions of Japan in a later chapter.
The rulers of Korea, called the Koryo, Identify Who founded the
remained in power because they accepted Yuan dynasty?

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material in this section? Visit jat.glencoe.com

What Did You Learn?

Reading Summary 1. Who was Marco Polo? 4. Analyze How did the
2. What areas did the Mongols Mongols use terror in their
Review the
conquer? conquests?
• Under leaders such as Genghis
Khan and his sons, the Mongol 5. Summarize How did the
Critical Thinking
Empire expanded until it Mongols benefit from their
3. Sequencing Information contact with the Chinese?
stretched from the Pacific Ocean Draw a time line like the one
to Eastern Europe, and from below. Fill in details to show 6. Descriptive Writing Imagine
Siberia south to the Himalaya. the Mongols’ rise to power in you are Marco Polo visiting
China. Kublai Khan in Khanbaliq. Write
• Kublai Khan conquered China, a journal entry describing some
which led to increased trade of the things you are learning
between China and other parts
c. 1167 1281 about the Mongol Empire
Temujin Mongols under Kublai Khan.
of the world. born conquer
China

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 429

Hulton/Getty Images
 The
Ming Dynasty
What’s the Connection? Building Your Vocabulary
In Section 3, you read about the treason (TREE • zuhn)
Mongol conquest. Eventually, the census (SEHN • suhs)
Chinese drove the Mongols out, and novel (NAH • vuhl)
a new dynasty arose. barbarian (bahr • BEHR • ee • uhn)

Focusing on the Reading Strategy

• Ming rulers strengthened China’s Cause and Effect Use a chart like
government and brought back peace the one below to show cause-and-
and prosperity. (page 431) effect links in China’s early trade
• During the Ming dynasty, China sent voyages.
a fleet to explore Asia and East Africa.
(page 433) Cause
Zheng He traveled to parts of
Asia and Africa.
Locating Places
Nanjing (NAHN • JIHNG)
Portugal (POHR • chih • guhl) Effects/Causes

Meeting People Effect

Zhu Yuanzhang
(JOO YOO •AHN • JAHNG) Effect
Yong Le (YUNG LEE)
Zheng He (JUNG HUH)

Beijing
1400 1500 1600
1405 1514 1644
Zheng He begins Portuguese Ming
Nanjing first overseas ships arrive dynasty
voyage in China falls

Macao

430 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

 The Rise of the Ming How Did the Ming Dynasty Begin?
Christie’s Images/CORBIS

A
series of rebellions finally drove out the
Ming rulers strengthened China’s gov- Mongols. In 1368 a rebel leader named
ernment and brought back peace and prosperity. Zhu Yuanzhang (JOO YOO • AHN • JAHNG)
Reading Focus Think about all the different things the became emperor. Zhu reunited the country
government does for people. Imagine if you were running and set up his capital at Nanjing (NAHN •
the government and had to rebuild the country after a
JIHNG) in southern China. There, he
war. What would you do? Read to learn how the Ming
rulers in China rebuilt their country after the Mongols left. founded the Ming, or “Brilliant,” dynasty.
As emperor, Zhu took the name Hong
Kublai Khan died in 1294. A series of Wu, or the “Military Emperor.” He brought
weak rulers followed him, and Mongol back order, but he also proved to be a cruel
power began to decline. During the 1300s, leader. Hong Wu trusted no one and killed
problems mounted for the Yuan dynasty. officials he suspected of treason (TREE •
Mongol groups in Mongolia to the north zuhn), or disloyalty to the government.
broke away. At the same time, many Hong Wu ruled China for 30 years. When he
Chinese resented Mongol controls and died in 1398, his son became emperor and
wanted their own dynasty. took the name of Yong Le (YUNG LEE).

Ming Dynasty China 1368–1644

110°E 100°E 120°E

MONGOLIA Wal
l
G O B I re
at
G

Beijing
)
R.

Yellow
w
llo

Sea
Ye

0 500 mi. e( N
gH
uan
500 km H E
0
Two-Point Equidistant projection
Nanjing W
S
e R.)
ng (Ya n g tz
ng Jia
ha
C

KEY CHINA
Ming dynasty
Quanzhou
Great Wall

Guangzhou N
20°

During the Ming dynasty, the

Chinese capital moved to Beijing.
1. What feature made up the
northern border of the Ming
empire?
2. How far away was Guangzhou
from Beijing? A bronze Buddha
from the Ming dynasty
 harder. From time to time, Ming
officials carried out a census
(SEHN • suhs), or a count of the
number of people. This helped
them collect taxes more accurately.
With the strong government
of the early Ming emperors pro-
viding peace and security,
China’s economy began to grow.
Hong Wu ordered many of the
canals and farms destroyed by
the Mongols to be rebuilt and
ordered people to move to the
new farms. He also ordered new
forests to be planted and new
roads to be paved.
Agriculture thrived as farm-
ers worked on the new lands and
grew more crops. Ming rulers
repaired and expanded the
This image, from a Ming dynasty vase, shows
Grand Canal so that rice and
Chinese farmworkers collecting tea. other goods could again be shipped from
southern to northern China. They imported
Yong Le worked hard to show that he new types of rice from southeast Asia that
was a powerful emperor. In 1421 he moved grew faster. This helped feed the growing
the capital north to Beijing. There, he built a number of people living in cities. The Ming
large area of palaces and government build- also supported the silk industry and
ings known as the Imperial City. The very encouraged farmers to start growing cotton
center of the Imperial City was known as and weaving cloth. For the first time, cotton
the Forbidden City. Only top officials could became the cloth worn by most Chinese.
enter the Forbidden City because it was
home to China’s emperors. Chinese Culture Chinese culture also
The Forbidden City had beautiful gar- advanced under the Ming. As merchants
dens and many palaces with thousands of and artisans grew wealthier, they wanted to
rooms. The emperor and his court lived learn more and be entertained. During the
there in luxury for more than 500 years. The Ming period, Chinese writers produced
buildings of the Forbidden City still exist. many novels (NAH • vuhls), or long fictional
You can visit them if you travel to China. stories. The Chinese also enjoyed seeing
dramas on stage. These works combined
How Did the Ming Reform China? Ming
spoken words and songs with dances, cos-
emperors made all the decisions, but they
tumes, and symbolic gestures.
still needed officials to carry out their
orders. They restored the civil service Identify What was the
examinations and made the tests even Forbidden City?

432 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

SEF/Art Resource, NY
 China Explores the World Who Was Zheng He? From 1405 to 1431,
Emperor Yong Le sent the fleet on seven
During the Ming dynasty, China sent a overseas voyages. The emperor wanted to
fleet to explore Asia and East Africa. trade with other kingdoms, show off
Reading Focus You probably have heard of Christopher China’s power, and demand that weaker
Columbus and his trip to America. Imagine if China had kingdoms pay tribute to China.
sent ships to America first. Read to learn about Chinese The leader of these journeys was a
explorations of Asia and East Africa. Chinese Muslim and court official named
Zheng He (JUNG HUH). Zheng He’s voy-
Early Ming emperors were curious about ages were quite impressive. His first fleet
the world outside of China. They also had 62 large ships, 250 smaller ships, and
wanted to increase China’s influence abroad. almost 28,000 men. The largest ship was
To reach these goals, Ming emperors built a over 440 feet (134 m) long. That made it
large fleet of ships. The new ships usually more than five times as long as the Santa
traveled along China’s coast. However, they María that Christopher Columbus sailed
could also sail in the open sea. almost 90 years later!

Zheng He’s Voyages 1405–1433 In

Motion
0 1,000 mi. 60°E
N KEY
0 1,000 km
Mercator projection Exploration routes of Zheng He's fleet
W E
Persian
Gulf S Nanjing
30°N
Hormuz CHINA
Red
Sea ARABIA Quanzhou
Jeddah
Makkah Chittagong PACIFIC
INDIA
OCEAN
Aden Bay of Bangkok South
Arabian Bengal
Sea Calicut China
AFRICA Sri Lanka Sea
(Ceylon)
Mogadishu INDIAN
EQUATOR Melaka Borneo
0°
Malindi OCEAN Sumatra
Mombasa
Java
30°E 90°E 120°E

Zheng He’s voyages took him to faraway

lands from which he brought back many
exotic items.
1. What cities in Africa did Zheng He visit?
Zheng He 2. About how far did Zheng He travel?

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 433

ChinaStock
 ZHE–1N433G HE Zheng He
1371
Chinese Navigator
He was
The famous Chinese navigator Zheng
in 1371. His
born in Kunyang in southwest China
from a poor
birth name was Ma He, and he was
that his father
Chinese Muslim family. Scholars say
people who
and grandfather were honored hajjis—
Makkah in
successfully made the pilgrimage to
life would
Arabia. Little did Ma He know that his
s across the
also involve travel. His seven mission
oceans earned him heroic honors.
e. As a
His father died when Ma He was littl
the Chinese
child, Ma He was taken prisoner by
turned
army. To overcome his sad life, Ma He
gua ges,
to education. He learned different lan
phy and
including Arabic , and studied philoso
and know-
geography. With his language skills
d Ma He
ledge of the outside world, 10-year-ol
became a valuable imperial aide to
Chinese “We have set eyes
officials.
young
on barbarian regions
By age 12, he was an assistant to a
prince named Zhu Di. Ma He accompan
ied the prince far away.”
ce, who later —Zheng He, as quoted
on several military missions. The prin in Chinese Portraits
e a friend of
became the Emperor Yong Le, becam
s name to the
Ma He. The emperor changed Ma He’
Zheng He was assigned
honored surname Zheng. Soon after,
oss the Indian Ocean,
to lead a fleet of Chinese ships acr
ke him famous. Zheng
beginning the career that would ma
He’s voyages to new lands opened
the door for trade among China,
India, and Africa. Many of the Chinese
moved abroad to sell Chinese goods. use on
learned and spoke more Wh at “Made in China” products do you
Those who what
one lang uage, like Zhe ng He, a daily basis? Do research to find out
than United
percentage of goods imported to the
prospered.
States are from China.

ChinaStock
Where Did Zheng He Travel? Zheng He
took his first fleet to southeast Asia. In later
voyages, he reached India, sailed up the
Persian Gulf to Arabia, and even landed in
East Africa. In these areas, Zheng He traded
Chinese goods, such as silk, paper, and
porcelain. He brought back silver, spices,
wood, and other goods. From Africa, Zheng
He returned home with giraffes and other
animals for the emperor’s zoo.
As a result of Zheng He’s voyages,
Chinese merchants settled in Southeast
Asia and India. There, they not only traded
goods but also spread Chinese culture.
Chinese merchants at home and abroad
grew rich from the trade of the voyages and Italian missionary Matteo Ricci (left) was one
added to China’s wealth. of the most famous Europeans to visit China.
Despite these benefits, Chinese officials He helped in the development of math and
complained that the trips cost too much. science in China during the late 1500s.
They also said that trips were bad for
contact between China and Europe since the
China’s way of life because they brought in
journeys of Marco Polo.
new ideas from the outside world and
The Portuguese wanted China to trade
helped merchants become rich.
with their country. They also wanted to
Confucius had taught that people
convince the Chinese to become Christians.
should place loyalty to society ahead of
At the time, the Ming government was not
their own desires. To the officials, China’s
impressed by the Portuguese. China was at
merchants were disobeying this teaching by
the height of its power and did not feel
working to gain money for themselves.
threatened by outsiders. The Chinese
After Zheng He’s death, the Confucian
thought the Europeans were barbarians
officials persuaded the emperor to stop the
(bahr • BEHR • ee • uhns), or uncivilized people.
voyages. The boats were dismantled, and
At first, the Chinese refused to trade
no more ships capable of long distance
with the Portuguese, but by 1600, they had
ocean travel were allowed to be built. As a
allowed Portugal to set up a trading post at
result, China’s trade with other countries
the port of Macao (muh • KOW) in southern
sharply declined. Within 50 years, the ship-
China. Goods were carried on European
building technology was forgotten.
ships between Macao and Japan. Still, trade
The Europeans Arrive in China Chinese offi- between China and Europe remained
cials were not able to cut off all of China’s limited.
contacts with the outside world. In 1514 a Despite restrictions, ideas from Europe
fleet from the European country of Portugal did reach China. Christian missionaries
(POHR • chih • guhl) arrived off the coast of traveled to China on European ships. Many
China. It was the first time Europeans had of these missionaries were Jesuits, a special
ever sailed to China and the first direct group of Roman Catholic priests. They

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 435

The Art Archive
 Why Did the Ming Dynasty Fall? After a
long era of prosperity and growth, the Ming
dynasty began to decline. Ming emperors
had gathered too much power into their
own hands. With the emperor having so
much control, officials had little desire to
make improvements. As time passed, Ming
rulers themselves became weak. Greedy
officials who lived in luxury took over the
country. They placed heavy taxes on the
This porcelain bowl is from the Ming dynasty.
peasants, who began to revolt.
Where in China did the Portuguese set up a
trading post? As law and order disappeared, a people
called the Manchus attacked China’s north-
were highly educated, and their scientific ern border. The Manchus lived to the north-
knowledge impressed the Chinese. To get east of the Great Wall in an area known
China to accept European ideas, the Jesuits today as Manchuria. The Manchus defeated
brought with them clocks, eyeglasses, and Chinese armies and captured Beijing. In
scientific instruments. Although they tried, 1644 they set up a new dynasty.
the Jesuits did not convert many Chinese to Cause and Effect What
Christianity. caused the Ming dynasty to decline and fall?

Study CentralTM Need help with the

material in this section? Visit jat.glencoe.com

What Did You Learn?

Reading Summary 1. What was the purpose of the
Forbidden City and where was
4. Cause and Effect Why did
Ming rulers repair and expand
Review the it located? the Grand Canal?
• The Ming dynasty rebuilt
and reformed China after the 2. How did the Chinese react to 5. Summarize Why did the
Mongols were driven out. Their the arrival of Portuguese Emperor Yong Le send Zheng He
dynasty restored peace and traders in 1514? on his voyages? How did Zheng
prosperity to China. He’s voyages benefit China?
Critical Thinking
3. Organizing Information 6. Persuasive Writing Imagine
you are living in China at the
• During the Ming dynasty, China’s Draw a diagram like the one
below. Fill in details about the time of Zheng He’s voyages.
contacts with the outside world
achievements of the Ming Write a newspaper editorial
increased as Zheng He led fleets
dynasty. either for or against the voy-
to faraway lands and European
ages. Describe why you think
ships began arriving in China.
the voyages are aiding or hurt-
ing the country as a whole.
Ming Dynasty Achievements
7. Predict What do you think
happened after China tried to
limit trade?

436 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

Bonhams, London, UK/Bridgeman Art Library
 Study anywhere, anytime!
Download quizzes and flash cards
Section China Reunites to your PDA from glencoe.com.

Vocabulary Focusing on the

warlord • The Sui and Tang dynasties reunited and rebuilt China after years of war.
economy (page 409)
reform • Buddhism became popular in China and spread to Korea and Japan.
monastery (page 412)
• The Tang dynasty returned to the ideas of Confucius and created a new
class of scholar-officials. (page 413)

Section Chinese Society

Vocabulary Focusing on the
porcelain • The Tang dynasty strengthened China’s
calligraphy economy by supporting farming and trade. (page 417) Porcelain figures
• The Chinese developed new technologies, from the Tang
such as steelmaking and printing. (page 418) dynasty
• During the Tang and the Song dynasties, China
enjoyed a golden age of art and literature. (page 420)

Section The Mongols in China

Vocabulary Focusing on the
tribe • Genghis Khan and his sons built the Mongol Empire, which stretched from
steppe the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe. (page 424)
terror • The Mongols conquered China and created a new dynasty that tried to
conquer Japan and began trading with the rest of Asia. (page 428)

Section The Ming Dynasty

Vocabulary Focusing on the
treason • Ming rulers strengthened China’s government and brought back peace and
census prosperity. (page 431)
novel • During the Ming dynasty, China sent a fleet to explore Asia and East Africa.
barbarian (page 433)

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 437

Laurie Platt Winfrey
Review Vocabulary Section 2 • Chinese Society
Match the word in the first column with its 11. How did Tang rulers strengthen China’s
definition in the second column. economy?
___ 1. treason a. groups of related 12. What kind of technologies did the Chinese
families loosely joined develop?
together Section 3 • The Mongols in China
___ 2. warlord b. change that brings 13. Why were the Mongols able to build a
improvement huge empire?
___ 3. terror c. disloyalty to the 14. How did the Mongols rule China?
government Section 4 • The Ming Dynasty
___ 4. economy 15. How did the Ming rulers affect China?
d. military leader who
also runs a government 16. Why did the Portuguese want to explore
Africa and Asia?
___ 5. reform e. a count of the number
of people
___ 6. steppe f. violent actions meant to
Critical Thinking
scare others 17. Analyze How did civil service exams help
China develop a strong government?
___ 7. tribe g. organized way to buy,
sell, and produce 18. Explain How did Confucianism change
during the Tang dynasty?
___ 8. census h. wide grassy plain
19. Predict How do you think China would be
different today if Tang rulers had not
Review Main Ideas cracked down on Buddhism in A.D. 845?
Section 1 • China Reunites 20. Hypothesize The Mongols conquered a
9. What did the Sui and Tang dynasties do to vast amount of land, but their Yuan dynasty
improve China? lasted only about 100 years. Create a
10. How did the Tang rulers change China? hypothesis that might explain this situation.

Inferences Reading Between the Lines

21. Poet Du Fu’s poem “Spring Landscape,” on page 421, described what it was like in
the capital after a rebellion left the city in ruins. One of the lines from his poem
appears here. What can you infer from this line of poetry?

“By now, letters are worth ten thousand in gold.”

To review this skill, see pages 406–407.

438 CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages

 Self-Check Quiz To help you prepare for
Geography Skills the Chapter Test, visit jat.glencoe.com
Study the map below and answer the follow-
ing questions.
22. Location What was the length of the entries that tell how these things have
Grand Canal? affected your family’s life in China in the
23. Human/Environment Interaction What Middle Ages. Illustrate your entries.
part of Asia did the Tang control that
helped China’s trade? Using Technology
24. Region What geographic features do you 27. Building a Database Use the Internet to
think helped the Tang dynasty expand? gather more information about Genghis
Khan. Use the information to create a
database for your classmates. Include text,
Tang China images, and perhaps a time line. Your data-
E
N
100°E 120°E base should contain information about
0 1,000 mi.
Genghis Khan as a person and as a ruler.
W E MONGOLIA 0 1,000 km
Two-Point Equidistant projection
S
GOBI
Beijing
40°
N
KOREAN
Linking Past and Present
ASIA PENINSULA 28. Expository Writing Write a short report
Hu a n g

that describes similarities and differences

HeEast between the Imperial City of the Ming
China
Changan Luoyang Sea dynasty and the United States capital,
Jiang Hangzhou Washington, D.C.
TIBET g
an
CHINA
Ch

HIM A
A LAY
Guangzhou

KEY Analyze
Tang dynasty
Grand Canal John of Plano Carpini, a friar, explained
M

Bay of
ek

why the Mongols were such skilled

on

Bengal South
gR

China Sea warriors.

.

“Their children begin as soon as they are

two or three years old to ride and manage
Read to Write horses and to gallop on them, and they are
given bows to suit their stature [size] and
25. Persuasive Writing Imagine you are a are taught to shoot; they are extremely
Portuguese merchant. You have just traveled agile [move quickly and easily] and also
to China to persuade the Chinese people to intrepid [fearless].”
trade with your country. Work with a small
group to create a script detailing the dia- —John of Plano Carpini,
logue that would take place between the History of the Mongols
Portuguese merchant and a representative of
the Chinese government. (Suppose someone
is acting as a translator, but do not incorpo-
rate the translator into your dialogue.) 29. Why did each Mongol warrior
shoot so well with a bow and
26. Using Your On your foldable, arrows?
add details to the main headings in Section 30. What other qualities made the
2. Think about how the changes and arts Mongols excellent warriors?
described there might have had an impact
on people’s lives. Then write three journal

CHAPTER 12 China in the Middle Ages 439