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East Asia

East Asia During the years between 1000 and 1400 the East Asian region saw extensive change and development concerning the nature of the elites that ruled respective countries. In China there was the growth of the examination culture, Japan experienced the emergence of the Samurai, Korea saw the growth of the Yangban, and Vietnam became content with a tribute system to China. Each of the respective countries grew and developed independently and for the most part were able to distance themselves from China and begin to form their own national identity along with their own system of ruling elites. In China there is a definite beginning to the new political elite which stems from the transition from the Tang to Song dynasties culminating in 960. The Zhao Brothers, who are the leaders of the revolution and the only one’s able to consolidate power, know that they are only military strong men and realize that they need a system that will help prevent them from loosing power. As a result they look away from the landed aristocracy, that had previously ruled China and in the fighting has been greatly weakened, and focus their attention on creating a new political structure to develop government officials. The Zhao brothers institute the Confucian Examination System (CES), which no longer relies on recommendation but is merit based. The provincial exams are held every three years, with the number of people passing the final exam (Jinshi) being around 100-150 out of the original 100,000. Around this examination system there was now a rise of a new elite, the Literati. With the beginning of the CES there began a steady decline of military power in China and the emergence of the Literati. During the Mongol invasion the exams were stopped, which led to cultural development of the Literati because they had no political power with the Mongols, but with the re-institution of the exams by the Mongols in 1313 the Literati again begins once again a slow process of consolidating its power and legitimizing it through the CES. In Japan the transformation of a the political elite develops into a new military order. This transformation takes place during the Heian Period of Japan. The capital is moved to Kyoto and so with it all the Uji, or large landholders of Japan. The Uji become a very self-centered self-referential group of elites and eventually become very detached from what is occurring outside the capital. The imposition of the Shoen, tax-free estates, placed a heavier burden on peasants and small farmers to pick up the slack of the Shoen. As a result they became rather disenchanted with the ruling political structure at the capital. Many of the middle ranking farmers and managers of the large estates begin to come together and fight for the local interests, they are referred to as the Samurai. In 1185 a rebellion led by Yoritomo seizes power over Japan and begins to rule Japan on behalf of the emperor. This now firmly establishes the Shogun as the military arm of the Japanese ruling elite, and simultaneously elevates the Samurai to the zenith of the political order in Japan. The transformation in Vietnam also develops independent of China, and here that independent transformation is intentional. With the establishment of the Li dynasty in 1010 lasting until 1225, the examination system of China is deliberately not embraced. With the eventual decline of the Li dynasty the Song dynasty of China attempts to dominate Vietnam, this only helps lead to more fervent nationalism in Vietnam. With the end of the Li dynasty a new one is founded. The Tran dynasty is established in 1225 and begins the tribute system with China that is to be a primary basis for power and wealth in Vietnam for the next two hundred years. The tribute system allows Vietnam to remain autonomous of China and allows them to sell their goods in the central market of the capital. The tribute system in Vietnam now becomes a way of life in China with the continuation even through the Mongol overthrow of China. Korea exhibits extensive change among its ruling political structure. There is a very strong culture of great families in Korea that resist efforts to create a Literati group in Korea and hang on to all power in the nation. These families start the political restructuring with the Three Chancelleries, which start a direct link between social status and political power. In 998 a significant change to the existing structure takes place with the Stipend Land Law, which gives civil officials grants of land for their service. This opens the door for non-wealthy government officials to become landowners and ties the ruling elite very closely to agriculture. Though the primary change in political order comes after the Mongols return to their home and Yi Song-Gye gains power, establishes the Yi dynasty, and institutes the Chosun Period in Korea. The Chosun period begins the Yangban system. With the institution of the CES in Korea along with the Stipend Land Law there was some possibility of social mobility but for the most part the political elite of Korea still remained strongly tied to the large families and the establishment of the Yangban reiterated this fact. The Yangaban is the union of two groups, military and civil, with the purpose of keeping the power of aristocracy in the hands of the large families and is done through laws forcing inter-marriage between Yangban elite to keep there grip on power. In all, great transformations in East Asia’s political power structure took place during this time. There are two things that tie all the changes in the region together, the desire for emerging dynasties to legitimize and consolidate there power and China primarily in the form of the Confucian Examination System. The emergence of so many new dynasties in this period inherently leads to new political systems to govern new dynasties. The CES began in China also, in countries that adopt it, directly starts the emergence of a the Confucian scholar as a political official and creates a whole culture around the examinations themselves. The last unifying trait between all of the changes is that they all remain individual to their respective nations borrowing heavily at times from China but imprinting their own cultural identity on them at the same time. Bibliography:

Word Count: 1054