MODULE IV: REGIONAL CIVILIZATIONS

Time allotment: 1 week

Instructor: Robert S. Pardillo
Contact details: robert.pardillo@chmsc.edu.ph

I. LESSON OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:
1. Identify contemporary political issues with emphasis on migrations of
refugees, terrorism, pandemic and environmental problem.
2.
II. INTRODUCTION

In this module, you will be able to learn how an empire from sub-continent India
flourished. The Mughal empire was one of the largest centralized states known in
pre-modern world history. By the late 1600s the Mughal emperor held supreme
political authority over a population numbering between 100 and 150 million and
lands covering most of the Indian subcontinent (3.2 million square kilometers).
Timurid India far outstripped in sheer size and resources its two rival early modern
Islamic empires – Safavid Persia and Ottoman Turkey. The Mughal emperor's lands
and subjects were comparable only to those ruled by his contemporary, the Ming
emperor in early modern China.

The “Great Mughal's” wealth and grandeur was proverbial. His coffers housed the
plundered treasure of dozens of conquered dynasties; his regalia and throne
displayed some of the most spectacular precious stones ever mounted. Nearly all
observers were impressed by the opulence and sophistication of the Mughal
empire. The ceremonies, etiquette, music, poetry, and exquisitely executed
paintings and objects of the imperial court fused together to create a distinctive
aristocratic high culture. Mughal courtly culture retained its appeal and power long
after the empire itself had declined to a shell. Today the Mughal style as
represented in miniature paintings, or much-admired buildings like the Taj Mahal,
has an immediate and powerful attraction.

III. LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: ENGAGE

Direction: The following are Filipino words influenced by empires in

Asia that prosper such as Mugul Empire, China Dynasty and Japan
Shogunate. Identify these Filipino words of their origin (India, China,
and Japan).
 FILIPINO WORDS PLACE OF ORIGIN MEANING
1. Rajah
2. Bathala
3. Tofu
4. Bachuy
5. Dukha
6. Lumpia
7. Bakunawa
8. Katol
9. Hikaw
10. Kampay

Activity 2:

Direction: Congratulations!!, you were able to finish Activity 1. For Activity 2, you must
make a 3- 5 stanza poem incorporating all Filipino words from activity 1. You can make a
theme for your poem, and all words must be used properly according to its meaning. See
attached rubric for scoring guide.

Activity 3: EXPLAIN

The Mughal Empire, 1526–1761

The significance of Mughal rule

The Mughal Empire at its zenith commanded resources unprecedented in Indian history
and covered almost the entire subcontinent. From 1556 to 1707, during the heyday of its
fabulous wealth and glory, the Mughal Empire was a fairly efficient and centralized
organization, with a vast complex of personnel, money, and information dedicated to the
service of the emperor and his nobility.
 Much of the empire’s expansion during that
period was attributable to India’s growing
commercial and cultural contact with the
outside world. The 16th and 17th centuries
brought the establishment and expansion
of European and non-European trading
organizations in the subcontinent,
principally for the procurement of Indian
goods in demand abroad. Indian regions
drew close to each other by means of an
enhanced overland and coastal trading
network, significantly augmenting the
internal surplus of precious metals. With
expanded connections to the wider world
came also new ideologies and technologies
to challenge and enrich the imperial edifice.

The empire itself, however, was a purely

Indian historical experience. Mughal culture
blended Perso-Islamic and regional Indian
elements into a distinctive but variegated
whole. Although by the early 18th century the regions had begun to reassert their
independent positions, Mughal manners and ideals outlasted imperial central authority.
The imperial center, in fact, came to be controlled by the regions. The trajectory of the
Mughal Empire over roughly its first two centuries (1526–1748) thus provides a fascinating
illustration of premodern state building in the Indian subcontinent.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS IN
MUGHAL EMPIRE

1526–30
The Mughal dynasty in India is
founded by Bābur, a
descendant of Mongol
conqueror Genghis Khan and of
Turkic conqueror Timur
(Tamerlane). Bābur defeats the
sultan of Delhi, Ibrāhīm Lodī, in
the Battle of Panipat in 1526.
At the time of Bābur’s death in
1530, his empire includes all of
northern India from the Indus
River on the west to Bihar on the east and from the Himalayas south to Gwalior. The
Mughals, who are Muslims, will become noted for their well-organized government,
sophisticated culture, and their attempt to integrate Hindus and Muslims into a united
Indian state.
1530–40 and 1555–56
Bābur is succeeded by his son Humāyūn, but Humāyūn loses control of the empire to
Afghan rebels in 1540. He regains his throne in 1555 but dies from a fall the next year.

1556–1605
Humāyūn’s son Akbar consolidates the Mughal Empire. Through incessant warfare, he is
able to annex all of northern and part of central India. Akbar builds a new capital, Fatehpur
Sikri, near Delhi. Although he never renounces Islam, he takes an active interest in other
religions, persuading Hindus, Parsis, Christians, and Muslims to engage in religious
discussion. He establishes political, administrative, and military structures that give the
empire stability and staying power.

1605–27
Akbar’s son Jahāngīr continues his father’s administrative system and policy of religious
tolerance toward Hinduism. He builds impressive gardens and monuments and, under his
patronage, Mughal painting reaches a high level of elegance and richness during his reign.
In 1611 the British build the first factories in India, which marks the beginning of European
influence.

1628–58
The reign of Jahāngīr’s son Shah Jahān marks the cultural zenith of the Mughal Empire.
Shah Jahān develops a passion for building

The Taj Mahal of Agra, one of the most beautiful structures in the world, is built by Shah
Jahān as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. At Delhi Shah Jahān builds a huge
fortress-palace complex called the Red Fort as well as the Great Mosque, which is among
the finest mosques in India. His military expeditions, however, nearly bankrupt the empire.
1658–1707
Jahān’s son Aurangzeb comes to power in 1658. During his reign he annexes the Deccan
kingdoms of Vijayapura (Bijapur) and Golconda and thereby extends the empire to its
greatest size. However, his intolerance of other religions gives rise to tensions that will
eventually lead to the dissolution of the empire. His destruction of Hindu schools and
temples and persecution of Sikhs, in particular, arouse strong opposition to his rule. By the
time of Aurangzeb’s death in 1707, his authority is disputed throughout his dominions.

1719–1803
Over this period of time, the empire begins to break up under the combined pressures of
dynastic warfare, sectional rivalries, and attacks by various warlords and invaders. In 1803
the British East India Company assumes control over Delhi, the last remaining Mughal
territory.

1837–57
The last Mughal emperor, Bahādur Shah II, reigns. He figures briefly, and unwillingly, in the
Indian Mutiny of 1857–59. During the mutiny rebel troops from the city of Meerut seize
Delhi and compel Bahādur Shah to accept nominal leadership of the revolt. After the
rebellion is put down by the British, Bahādur Shah is exiled to Burma (Myanmar) with his
family. His removal marks the end of the Mughal Empire.

Other readings: https://www.britannica.com/place/India/The-Mughal-Empire-1526-1761

Sources:
1. https://www.britannica.com/place/India/The-Mughal-Empire-1526-1761

Shogunate
Japanese history

Shogunate, Japanese bakufu or shōgunshoku, government of the shogun, or hereditary

military dictator, of Japan from 1192 to 1867. The term shogun appeared in various titles
given to military commanders commissioned for the imperial government’s 8th- and 9th-
century campaigns against the Ezo (Emishi) tribes of northern Japan. The highest warrior
rank, seii taishōgun (“barbarian-quelling generalissimo”), was first attained by Sakanoue
Tamuramaro, and the title (abbreviated as shogun) was later applied to all shogunate
leaders.

Legally, the shogunate was under the control of the emperor, and the shogun’s authority
was limited to control of the military forces of the country, but the increasingly feudal
character of Japanese society created a situation in which control of the military became
tantamount to control of the country, and the emperor remained in his palace in Kyōto
chiefly as a symbol of sovereignty behind the shogun.
The samurai leader
Minamoto
Yoritomo gained
military hegemony
over Japan in 1185.
Seven years later he
assumed the title of
shogun and
established the first
shogunate, or
bakufu (literally,
“tent government”),
at his Kamakura
headquarters.
Eventually the
Kamakura
shogunate came to possess military, administrative, and judicial functions, although the
imperial government remained the recognized legal authority. The shogunate appointed its
own military governors, or shugo, as heads of each province and named stewards to
supervise the individual estates into which the provinces had been divided, thus
establishing an effective national network.

After the collapse of the Kamakura shogunate in 1333, Ashikaga Takauji established a
second line of shogunal succession that ruled much of Japan from 1338 until 1573. The
Ashikaga shogunate’s capital was the imperial city of Kyōto. But the increasingly
independent shugo, virtual warlords, who by the 16th century were known as daimyo,
eventually undermined the power
of the Ashikaga shogunate.

In 1600 Tokugawa Ieyasu gained

hegemony over the daimyo and
thus was able to establish in 1603
the third shogunate, headqua
rtered in Edo (now Tokyo). The Edo
shogunate was the most powerful
central government Japan had yet
seen: it controlled the emperor, the
daimyo, and the religious
establishments, administered
Tokugawa lands, and handled
Japanese foreign affairs.

After 1862 the Tokugawa shogunate underwent drastic changes in its efforts to maintain
control, but in 1867 the last shogun, Yoshinobu, was forced to yield the administration of
civil and military affairs to the emperor. Still, the central administration that the Tokugawa
shogunate had developed in Edo provided a foundation for the new Japanese imperial
government of the late 19th century.
Sources:
1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/shogunate
2. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/thisday/aug21/first-shogunate-japan/

The 13 Dynasties that Ruled China

in Order

The history of China is generally presented according to the dynasty to which the period’s
ancient rulers belonged. From its inauguration in c. 2070 BC to the abdication of its last
emperor in 1912, China was ruled by a series of 13 successive dynasties.

1. Xia Dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC)

The Xia dynasty was founded by the legendary Yu the Great (c. 2123-2025 BC), known for
developing a flood control technique that stopped the Great Flood that ravaged farmer’s
crops for generations.

As no contemporary sources exist, very little is known about the Xia period. For this reason,
some scholars believe it to be mythical or quasi-legendary.

2. Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1050 BC)

The Shang dynasty is the earliest recorded Chinese dynasty supported by archaeological
evidence. 31 kings ruled much of the area along the Yellow River.

Under the Shang dynasty, there were advances in maths, astronomy, art and military
technology. They used a highly developed calendar system and an early form of modern
Chinese language.

3. Zhou Dynasty (c. 1046-256 BC)

The Zhou dynasty was the longest dynasty in the history of China, ruling the region for
almost 8 centuries.

Under the Zhous, culture flourished and civilisation spread. Writing was codified, coinage
was developed and chopsticks came into use.

Chinese philosophy blossomed with the birth of the philosophical schools of Confucianism,
Taoism and Mohism. The dynasty saw some of the greatest Chinese philosophers and
poets: Lao-Tzu, Tao Chien, Confucius, Mencius, Mo Ti and the military strategist Sun-Tzu.
Confucius (c. 551-479 BC), c. 1770 (Credit: The Granger Collection).
The Zhous also developed the Mandate of Heaven – a concept that was used to justify the
rule of kings, who had been blessed by the gods.

The dynasty ended with the Warring States period (476–221 BC), in which various city-
states battled each other, establishing themselves as independent feudal entities. They
were finally consolidated by Qin Shi Huangdi, a brutal ruler who became the first emperor
of a unified China.

4. Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC)

The Qin dynasty marked the beginning of the Chinese Empire. During Qin Shi Huangdi’s
reign, China was greatly expanded to cover the Ye lands of Hunan and Guangdong.

Although short-lived, the period saw ambitious public works projects including the
unification of state walls into a single Great Wall. It saw the development of a standardized
form of currency, a uniform system of writing and a legal code.

Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s terracotta army (Credit: christels).

The Qin emperor was remembered for his ruthless megalomania and suppression of speech
– in 213 BC he ordered the burning of hundreds of thousands of books and the live burial of
460 Confucian scholars.

He was also responsible for building a city-sized mausoleum for himself, guarded by the
life-sized Terracotta Army of more than 8,000 life-sized soldiers, 130 chariots with 520
horses and 150 cavalry horses.

5. Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 AD)

The Han dynasty was known as a golden age in Chinese history, with a prolonged period of
stability and prosperity. A central imperial civil service was established to create a strong
and organised government.

China’s territory was extended to most of the China proper. The Silk Road was opened up
to connect to the west, bringing in trade, foreign cultures and the introduction of
Buddhism.

Under the Han dynasty, Confucianism, poetry, and literature flowered. Paper and porcelain
were invented. China’s earliest written record on medicine, the Yellow Emperor’s Canon of
Medicine, was codified.

The name ‘Han’ was taken as the name of the Chinese people. Today, the Han Chinese
make up the dominant ethnic group in China and the largest in the world.

6. Six Dynasties Period

Three Kingdoms (220-265), Jin Dynasty (265-420), Period of the Northern and Southern
Dynasties (386-589).

Six Dynasties is the collective term for the six successive Han-ruled dynasties during this
turbulent period. All had their capitals at Jianye, present-day Nanjing.
The Three Kingdoms period has been romanticised repeatedly in Chinese culture – most
notably in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

7. Sui Dynasty (581-618)

The Sui dynasty, although brief, saw great
changes in Chinese history. Its capital was
held at Daxing, present-day Xi’an.

Confucianism disintegrated as the dominant

religion, making way for Taoism and
Buddhism. Literature flourished – it is
thought that the legend of Hua Mulan was
composed during this time.

Under Emperor Wen and his son, Yang, the

army was enlarged to the largest in the world
at the time. Coinage was standardised across
the realm, the Great Wall was expanded and
the Grand Canal was completed.

8. Tang Dynasty (618-906)

The Tang dynasty, sometimes known as the
Golden
Hua Age of Ancient
Mulan (Credit: China,
British was considered
Museum)
the high point in Chinese civilisation. Its
second emperor, Taizong, was regarded as
one of the greatest Chinese emperors.
The period saw one of the most peaceful and prosperous periods of Chinese history. By the
time of the rule of Emperor Xuanzong (712-756), China was the largest and most populous
country in the world.

Major achievements were seen in technology, science, culture, art and literature, especially
poetry. Some of the most beautiful pieces of Chinese sculpture and silverwork originate
from the Tang dynasty.

The dynasty also saw the only female monarch in the history of China – Empress Wu Zetian
(624-705). Wu organised a secret police force and spies across the country, making her one
of the most effective – yet popular – monarchs in Chinese history.

9. Five Dynasties Period, Ten Kingdoms (907-960)

The 50 years between the fall of the Tang dynasty and establishment of the Song dynasty
were dominated by internal strife and chaos.

In north China, 5 would-be dynasties followed one another in succession. During the same
period, 10 regimes dominated separate regions of south China.

Despite the political turmoil, some key developments took place during this time. The
printing of books – which had begun in the Tang dynasty – became popular.

10. Song Dynasty (960-1279)

The Song dynasty saw the reunification of China under the Emperor Taizu. Major inventions
included gunpowder, printing, paper money and the compass.

Plagued with political factions, the Song court eventually fell to the challenge of the Mongol
invasion and was replaced by the Yuan dynasty.

11. Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)

The Yuan dynasty was established by the Mongols and ruled by Kublai Khan (1260-1279),
grandson of Genghis Khan. Khan was the first non-Chinese ruler to take over the entire
country.

Yuan China was considered the most important part of the vast Mongol Empire, which
stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Korean peninsula. Khan created the new capital city
of Xanadu (or Shangdu in Inner Mongolia). The main centre of the Mongol Empire was later
moved to Daidu, present day Beijing.

The Mongols’ reign in China came to an end after a series of famines, plagues, floods and
peasant uprisings.

12. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

The Ming dynasty saw a huge growth in China’s population and general economic
prosperity. However, the Ming emperors were dogged with the same problems of previous
regimes and collapsed with the invasion of the Manchus.

During the dynasty, the Great Wall of China was completed. It also saw the construction of
the Forbidden City, the imperial residence in Beijing. The period is also known for its blue-
and-white Ming porcelains.

13. Qing Dynasty (1644-1912)

The Qing dynasty was the last imperial
dynasty in China, succeeded by the
Republic of China in 1912. The Qing were
made up of ethnic Manchus from the
northern Chinese region of Manchuria.

China’s last emperor, Pu Yi, aged three

with his father and younger brother
(Credit: New York Tribune).
The Qing dynasty was the 5th largest
empire in world history. However, by the
early 20th century its rulers were
weakened by rural unrest, aggressive
foreignChina’s
powers, and
last militaryPu
emperor, weakness.
Yi, aged
Duringthree
the 1800s, Qing China faced
with his father and younger attacks
frombrother
Britain, (Credit:
France, New
Russia,
York Tribune).and
Germany,
Japan. The Opium Wars (1839-42 and
1856-60) ended with Hong Kong ceding to
Britain and the humiliating defeat of the Chinese army.

On 12 February 1912, 6-year-old Puyi – the last emperor of China – abdicated. It brought an
end to the thousand-year imperial rule of China and marked the beginning of republic and
socialist rule.

Activity 4: ELABORATE

Direction: Make a Venn Diagram on the differences and similarities of each civilization in
terms of government, people, and culture. You can use extra sheet if needed.

Activity 5: EVALUATE

Direction: Explain comprehensively for 30 points.

How do Mugham Empire, Chinese Dynasty, and Japan shogunate affects the present
civilization in terms of governance and political leadership?