ch 8

China dominated the Indian Ocean trade network.
It would not be surprising if China becomes the next superpower for several reasons
America's military is eventually going to start leaving their bases in foreign countries, since the focus is becoming more on improving circumstances in America rather than foreign countries.
This will give China the perfect opportunity to send their military to countries where the citizens will become dependent on them. They will slowly become integrated in the world.

China's "golden age" was a renaissance for multiple reasons.

Cosmopolitan Urban Centers:

  • trade is thriving
  • people are coming and going to these cities bringing language, food, and religions with them.
China was wealthy

Revival or rebirth of Confucian ideas

Examination System:
During that time once you get a job, you keep it for your entire life. For this reason boys were encouraged to get good jobs from a young age.
Only wealthy people were able to send their children to school, so they were the few who would be able to pass the examination. 
Some communities would even come together and save up enough money to send one child to school in order to later on take the examination and get a good job. 

Rice:
  • a large agricultural base
  • grows two times faster
  • drought resistant 
  • resulted in the expanding of the population
Infrastructure projets:
  • canals 
  • agriculture
  • shipping 
Many crops were produced for trade.

Confucianism was not good for women. They had to go through footbinding and women became homebound because they couldn't walk well. 

Tribute system/exchange: recognition that there's a social order

Kow Tow was a part of the golden age. 

Buddhism spread. 

People regionally wanted to "become Chinese" and they were all influenced because of proximity
  • Vietnamese people
  • Korean people
  • Japanese people

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