Name: Time:

1.1 Quiz: Developments in East Asia 1200 – 1450 C.E.

Use both excerpts below for questions 1 – 2.

Harmony is to be valued, and an avoidance of wanton opposition to be honored. All men are
influenced by class feelings, and there are few who are intelligent. Hence there are some who
disobey their lords and fathers, or who maintain feuds with neighboring villages. But when those
above are harmonious and those below are friendly, and there is concord in the discussion of
business, right view of things spontaneously gain acceptance.
From Shotoku, The Seventeen Article Constitution, 604 CE

When you begin to think of yourself, you’ll get irritated at your parents’ concern and defy their
instructions. Even if your parents may be stupid, if you obey their instructions, at least you won’t
be violating the principle of nature.
From Shiba Yoshimasa, Advice to Young Samurai, 1400

1. The above passages reflect

A. the Bushido code of the Samurai.
B. the rejection of Chinese influence in Japanese court life.
C. the influence of Confucian beliefs borrowed from China in Japan.
D. the uniqueness of Japan as the “middle kingdom.”

2. Based on the passages, how would a visiting Buddhist monk from China view the Japanese
way of life?
A. He would be horrified at the military aspect of life in Japan.
B. He would be offended that anyone would call their parents “stupid.”
C. He would identify with the respect given to authority figures.
D. He would value the emphasis on harmony and avoiding fighting.

Use the excerpt below for questions 3 – 4.

Governing a country is like taking care of a patient. The better the patient feels, the more he
should be looked after, lest in a moment of complacency and neglect one irrevocably reverse the
recovery process and send him to death. Likewise, when a country has only recently recovered
from chaos and war, those responsible for running the country should be extremely diligent in
their work, for false pride and self-indulgence will inevitably return the country to where it used
to be and perhaps make it worse.
Tang Daizong, a founder of the Tang dynasty

3. The quote above it most closely associated with which East Asian tradition?  

A. Buddhist ideas about the Middle Path

B. Confucian ideas about the Five Relationships
C. Legalist ideas about harsh punishment
D. Daoist ideas about wu wei (The Way)
4. Tang Daizong most likely said this quote in what context?  
A. At the end of his reign over a golden age
B. At the beginning of his reign after another successful ruler
C. At the end of his reign right before a civil war starts
D. At the beginning of his reign having unified the country after years of civil war

Use the text below to answer questions 5 – 6.

Women do not take part in extramarital affairs. The reason is that worthy husbands and sons take
care of everything for them, while unworthy ones can always find ways to hide their deeds from
the women.

Many men today indulge in pleasure and gambling; some end up mortgaging their lands, and
even go so far as to mortgage their houses without their wives’ knowledge. Therefore, when
husbands are bad, even if wives try to handle outside matters, it is of no use. Sons must have
their mothers’ signatures to mortgage their family properties, but there are sons who falsify
papers and forge signatures, sometimes borrowing money at high interest from people who
would not hesitate to bring their claim to court.

Therefore, when sons are bad, it is useless for the mothers to try and handle matters
relating to the outside world.

From Yuan Cai, Song dynasty official and scholar, The Problems of Women

5. The author’s view of the relationship between a wife and husband as well as between a
mother and her son are most clearly affected by
A. The introduction of ideas from Islam as a result of reestablishment of Silk Road trade
B. The establishment of Legalism as the dominant Chinese philosophy
C. The resurgence of Confucianism in the Tang and Song dynasties within China
D. A reaction against the influence of Buddhism in China and the freedoms granted to
women converts

6. What practice developed during the Song dynasty corroborates the status of women reflected
in the passage?
A. Corsets
B. White face paint
C. Elaborate hair styles
D. Footbinding
Use the text below to answer questions 7 – 8.

“Emperor Zhengzong, being deeply concerned with agriculture, came to know that the Champa
rice was drought resistant and that the green lentils of India were famous for their heavy yield
and large seeds. Special envoys, bringing precious things, were dispatched with a view to
securing these varieties… When the first harvests were reaped in the autumn, the emperor called
his closest ministers to taste them and compose poems for Champa rice and Indian green lentils.”

Shu Wenying, Buddhist monk, China, eleventh century C.E.

7. The activities of the state described in the passage are consistent with which of the following
Song dynasty policies?
A. Increasing state investment in economic development, such as improving the Grand
Canal
B. State-sponsored maritime expeditions in the Indian Ocean, such as those led by Zheng He
C. Tribute exchanges with Central Asian peoples, such as the Mongols
D. Revivals of traditional Chinese forms of learning, such as Neoconfucianism

8. The agricultural developments described in the passage contributed most directly to which of
the following?
A. Population growth and urbanization in southern China
B. The development of new forms of coerced labor in East Asia
C. Changes in gendered forms of labor in Chinese agriculture
D. The increased export of luxury goods from China to the Indian Ocean trade network

Use the text below to answer questions 9 – 10.

“It is well to observe the force and virtue and consequence of discoveries. These are to be seen
nowhere more clearly than those three which were unknown to the ancients [the Greeks], and of
which the origin, though recent, is obscure and inglorious; namely printing, gunpowder, and the
magnet. For these three have changed the whole face and stage of things throughout the world,
the first in literature, the second in warfare, the third in navigation; whence have followed
innumerable changes; insomuch that no empire, no sect, no star, seems to have exerted greater
power and influence in human affairs than these three mechanical discoveries.”

Francis Bacon, philosopher and adviser to King James I of England, 16th Century C.E.

9. The invention of movable print and rapidly-produced books is an example of which

development during the Song Dynasty.
A. A dependence on free and coerced labor
B. The expansion of existing trade networks

3
 C. The commercialization of products
D. A reliance on colonial resources

10. Printing, gunpowder, and the magnetic compass all most likely reached Europe along which
existing trade route?
A. The Indian Ocean Trade Network
B. The Cahokia Exchange Network
C. The Silk Road
D. The Trans-Saharan Trade Route

Use the text below to answer questions 11 – 13.

“Lu Hui’s parents died when he was young and he was brought up in his mother’s family. His
uncle often encouraged him to take the imperial examination. Uprisings, however, prevented Lu
from being able to take the examinations. Unable to make a living, Lu became a poor wandering
student.

One day, Zheng Xu, who was a high-ranking government official, offered to make arrangements
that would allow Lu to bypass the exams and advance himself with Zheng’s support. Zheng tried
to tempt Lu to skirt the rules, saying ‘How long can a man live? If there is a shortcut to riches
and fame, why insist on going through examinations?’

But Lu firmly refused the offer, saying, ‘Our great nation has established the examination system
for the outstanding and the talented. My uncle always encouraged me to take the examinations
and I cannot bring myself to break our agreement. If I have to die as a mere student, it is my fate.
But I will not change my mind for the sake of wealth.’

When Zheng saw Lu’s determination, he respected him even more than before. Another ten years
passed before Lu finally passed the examination. He died as one of the highest officials in the
whole empire.”

Wang Dingbao, government official in a regional state established after the collapse of the Tang
Dynasty, Selected Stories From the Time of The Tang, written circa 940 C.E

11. Based on the passage, which of the following was the most likely reason that Wang Dingbao
chose to record the story of Lu Hui?
A. To offer an example of proper social behavior for others to follow
B. To caution against the excesses of wealth accumulation
C. To illustrate the cultural differences between China and its nomadic neighbors
D. To praise the rulers of the regional state in which he lived

12. The passage most strongly reflects the continuing influence of which of the following belief
systems in Chinese society?
A. Buddhism
B. Confucianism
 C. Daoism
D. Legalism

13. The use of the examinations referred to in the passage best illustrates which of the following
continuities in world history?
A. The ways in which imperial states developed complex legal codes to resolve disputes
B. The ways in which imperial states used administration to suppress challenges to their
authority
C. The ways in which imperial states created centralized bureaucracies to increase their
power
D. The ways in which imperial states facilitated the development of class distinctions

Use the pictures below to answer questions 14 – 15.

The Great Buddha, Kamakura, Japan Buddha Yungang Grottoes, White Marble Buddha,
China Hai Van Pass, Vietnam

14. The images above are an example of

A. cultural relativism
B. ethnocentrism
C. imperialism
D. syncretism

15. Which indigenous Chinese philosophy had the greatest influence on other nations in East
Asia?
A. Buddhism
B. Confucianism
C. Christianity
D. Legalism