World History up to 1500: Asia in Ancient Times Q&A

Question: What were some of the legacies or characteristics of each of the three dynasties of ancient China?
Answer: The Shang dynasty produced a written script and encouraged divination. Its economy and society were driven by wars of expansion, while funeral rites included the building of mounded tombs and sacrificial killings. The Zhou dynasty developed the concept of the Mandate of Heaven, established a system of feudalism, and witnessed a flourishing of literature, religion, and ideas, along with constant war and competition. The Qin dynasty constructed a Great Wall by linking earlier fortifications. China’s first emperor had his massive tomb filled with thousands of soldiers, horses, and others in the Terracotta Army.

Question: How did Daoist concepts help the Chinese people deal with the chaos of the Warring States period?

Answer: Daoism encouraged a focus on the natural world instead of the concerns of human life. It also stressed the relative unimportance of humans and their affairs in the cosmos.

Question: How would you describe the relationship between the Xiongnu and the Han dynasty of China?
Answer: The relationship between the two groups was complicated. On the one hand, the two were natural trading partners, with the Xiongnu supplying horses and the Han dynasty supplying grain and silk. On the other hand, the two frequently clashed militarily as both tried to assert their control over the other.

Question: Compare and contrast the roles of women in politics in ancient Korea and Japan, including Queen Himiko (Japan) and Queen Seondeok (Korea).
Answer: Women played significant roles in courtly politics in both cultures, but Japan had a system of dual governance that allowed for shared power. Queen Seondeok of Korea used diplomacy and maritime trade to strengthen Silla’s quest for expansion and control of the peninsula. Queen Himiko of Japan used relations with China against her local rivals, but she also incorporated aspects of Chinese culture as a means to preserve a role for women in the state ceremonies that gave them political power.

Question: How did Chinese and Korean culture influence the development of Japanese culture during the Yayoi and Yamato periods?
Answer: The Yayoi traded with China and Korea for copper with which to make bronze as well as for objects such as bronze mirrors and iron weapons. They also were influenced by Chinese agricultural practices. During the Yamato era, rulers engaged in forms of divination that seem to have been influenced by Shang dynasty practices. Confucian values were also reflected in law codes created by Yamato rulers.

Question: Following the development of Buddhism, how did changes in Brahmanism reduce the influence and prestige of the Brahman class as it evolved into Hinduism?
Answer: Worship for many Indians became more personalized and private, centered on prayer and songs within the home that did not require the presence of Brahman priests. The Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita also stressed that people other than Brahmans could free themselves from physical desire and lead moral lives.