Between 800 and 1400, interaction among Asian societies increased dramatically. This development was the result of two phenomena: improved means of transportation, particularly ocean travel, and the increased presence of nomadic groups from Central Asia throughout the region. Through trade and conquest, various nomad confederations, culminating in the rise of the Mongols, helped link settled communities throughout Asia. By 1400, all of these societies had more contact with one another than ever before. This led to the spread of the Indian and Chinese cultures, the rise of a new cultural synthesis in places such as Southeast Asia, the continued spread of world religions, and the diffusion of technology. The repercussions of these developments played a dramatic role in the history of the world.

After the rise and fall of the Mongol Empire in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, many Asian cultures turned inward and tried to restore and reassert traditional values and authority. China and Japan began to view outsiders more suspiciously and worked to keep foreign influence to a minimum. Although most of Europe never experienced occupation by the Mongols, they greatly affected life there, too. Chapters 12 and 13 will also deal with this development.

Helpful Hints:

• You may want to begin by printing this page. As you explore different sites, use the printout to refer back to the instructions and questions detailed in each activity.
  
  
• On many web sites you can increase the size of the images by clicking on them. Whenever possible, use the larger images to examine fine details in photographs.
  
  

Activity One:

• Maritime travel increasingly linked the Chinese, Indian, and Islamic civilizations between 800 and 1400. Ocean routes increasingly complemented, but did not replace, the old caravan routes across Central Asia. (To illustrate this development, see Map 9.2 on page 266 of McKay, A History of World Societies [Fifth Edition].) Most of the ocean routes centered on the Indian Ocean. For a map of this region, go to Map 1. Make a list of and identify on the map all the major civilizations you've studied previously that existed around the year 800. Be sure to include China, India, Japan, Korea, the Islamic world, and the Swahili city–states. (For a contemporary view, see Map 2.) Now print out Map 3 and fill in, where appropriate, these civilizations.
  
  
• As you can see, all these civilizations are connected by water. What changes in maritime technology allowed for greater travel between them? For insight here, go to Chinese Junk and Arab Dhow. Also look for clues at EARLY NAVIGATION METHODS. Review the Activity Two in Chapter 7, "Asian Empires and the Spread of Buddhism, ca 200 B.C.–A.D. 800," to understand the intricacies of Indian Ocean travel.
  
  

Activity Two:

• One area of Asia that was strongly affected by increased trade was Southeast Asia. Before beginning this activity, review pages 306–308 in McKay, A History of World Societies (Fifth Edition). The Southeast Asian civilizations that emerged at this time were products of cross–cultural trade, a term that refers to the spread of culture through trade. To learn more about this concept, go to Transnational Migration. Although this essay refers to the contemporary world, it does a good job of explaining how culture is transmitted through trade. In the case of Southeast Asia between 800 and 1400, trade helped spread various aspects of Indian culture throughout Southeast Asia (see Map 4). Knowing what you do about the state of technology in this period and the method of travel on the Indian Ocean, list various ways that the Indians disseminated their culture in this area.
  
  
• Several strong states emerged in Southeast Asia between 800 and 1400. Make a list of them using information from McKay, A History of World Societies (Fifth Edition). What role did trade have in shaping them?
  
  
• These states were not carbon copies of Indian civilization. Instead, they were hybrids of Indian and indigenous cultures. To better comprehend this development, go to The Old Kingdoms, a chronology of the history of Indonesia. Also check out Early Malay Kingdoms, The Period of Hindu Kingdoms, and Buddhist Empires. How did these kingdoms reflect Indian culture? How did they reflect a hybridization of Indian and indigenous cultures?
  
  
• Probably the best way to observe the impact of Indian culture on Southeast Asia is through visual images. Take a virtual tour of Borobudur in modern–day Indonesia. Now visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Compare and contrast these images with those found at Indian Art. (Be sure to surf this site thoroughly.) How do these images show the impact of cross–cultural trade on Southeast Asia? Explain your thoughts in a paragraph or two. You also might want to print out some of these images for future reference.
  
  
• Be aware that India was not the only civilization influencing Southeast Asia. Study the chronology at The Kingdom of Funan and Chenla (First to Eighth Century AD). How and why did China have a strong cultural impact on Southeast Asia during this period? Remember, scholars often refer to Southeast Asia as Indochina.
  
  

Activity Three:

• Another catalyst for greater communication within Asia between 800 and 1400 was nomadic movements. To better understand the importance of Central Asian nomads in world history, read "Origin of the Mongols" at Mongol history and chronology from ancient times. Now go to The Islamic World to 1600: Central Asia. According to these essays, what civilizations influenced the peoples of Central Asia between 800 and 1400? In what ways? How united were the peoples of Central Asia? Now contemplate which civilizations Central Asian nomads influenced. (You might want to review Map 5 here. Find Central Asia and note what political developments this map shows. Remember, both the Turks and the Uighurs were nomadic peoples.) Write a few paragraphs summarizing your conclusions.
  
  
• One civilization that came under nomadic rule was India, at least parts of it. Go to History of India: The Turkish Invasions, 1000 AD – 1206 AD. Be sure to click on the word "map" in the top left–hand corner. Note that Mahmud of Ghazni led a confederation of Turkish tribes that had converted to Islam. Why, according to this site, was he able to raid and conquer so much of northern India? Now go to The Slave Dynasty, 1206 AD – 1290 AD. Be sure to click on the word "map" in the top left–hand corner of this site as well. What exactly was the slave dynasty? What religion did the leaders of this new kingdom follow? For more information on the impact of Islam during this period, see The History of India: The Muslim Invasions. (Read up to the section "The Great Mughals.") Finally, review pages 305–306 in McKay, A History of World Societies (Fifth Edition). Now analyze the impact that Central Asian nomads had on India. What new religions did they bring? How did they affect the established religions? How did the nomads influence political developments? Were there any major changes in the economy of the region?
  
  

Activity Four:

• China was greatly affected by nomadic tribes from Central Asia. From 960 to 1279, the Song Dynasty reigned in East Asia. Like the Tang Dynasty described in Chapter 7, "Asian Empires and the Spread of Buddhism, ca 200 B.C.–A.D. 800," it built on traditional Chinese culture and practices. For example, read Chinese Philosophy: Neo–Confucianism. How did Neo–Confucianism reflect traditional Chinese philosophy? Neo–Confucianism also responded to contemporary developments in China during the Song Dynasty. Go to The Later Empire: The Song. Read "The Autocratic Emperor" and "The Confucian Revival." How did the revival of Confucian ideas address contemporary concerns in the Song Dynasty? What was new about this Confucian revival?
  
  
• One concern of government officials during the Song Dynasty was the threat of foreign invasion and capture by the Central Asian nomads. Go to Map 6 and Map 7. What were the Liao and Jin Empires? (Consult pages 308–310 in McKay, A History of World Societies [Fifth Edition] to help you with this task.) What do these maps reveal about the successes and failures of the Song Dynasty in defending its borders?
  
  
• The Song Dynasty's inability to expand, or even defend, its borders had a profound impact on Chinese economic history. China had less land to cultivate but had to feed a growing population. This led to an agricultural revolution of sorts. For more information, go to The Song Dynasty: Economics. How did changes in agriculture and relations with the nomadic kingdoms alter commercial developments in China? (For more insight, go to The Southern Song: Trade.) How did this development affect the history of Southeast Asia? (See Activity Two.) Finally, greater commercialism encouraged technological and artistic innovations. Go to The Song Dynasty: Areas of Technology and Technology in the Song to explore technological developments. How did these innovations reflect the Song Dynasty's shrinking land base and the need for more revenue? For art, take a virtual tour of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts' exhibit on the Southern Song Dynasty. How did art reflect economic, political, and technological developments during the Song Dynasty?
  
  

Activity Five:

• The Song Dynasty eventually collapsed and was overrun by the Mongols, a Central Asian nomadic tribe, in 1279. The Mongols added China to their vast empire. (For a chronology of the Mongol Empire, go to Chronology: Prehistoric Times, The Time before the Advent of Chingis Khan.) Indeed, the Mongol Empire was the largest land–based empire the world has ever seen. To observe its magnitude, go to Map 8. This map shows you the areas that the Mongols conquered and ruled directly, the areas that they ruled indirectly as tributary states, and the areas that their armies invaded but were never under their political control. Make a list of all the civilizations affected. For a comparative view of the Mongol conquest, see Conquerers.
  
  
• To understand how the Mongols were able to conquer so much territory, read "The Rise of Mongol Power" and "Why the Mongols Succeeded" at The Mongols. Also read The Mongol Military Might. For a visual image, see Mongolian Archer. Write a few paragraphs summarizing why the Mongol army was virtually invincible during this period.
  
  
• As with other large empires, the Mongols had to figure out how to promote order and stability. To explore this issue, read "A World Transformed" at The Path of the Khan. (Hint: Scroll down to this section.) How did the Mongols encourage stability and order? Is the Mongols' reputation for barbarity justified? For further insight into this question, see The Jews of Bukhara. Summarize your answer in a few paragraphs.
  
  
• Although the Mongol Empire lasted for a relatively short time, its impact on world history was profound. Read "Pax Tatarica" (Mongol Peace) at The Mongols. Make a list of various forms of technology and knowledge that the Mongol Empire spread throughout Eurasia.