Unit+III+Issues+in+the+Ancient+History+of+China,+Korea+and+Japan

=**Ancient History in East Asia**=

Honestly, what we will examine is hardly ancient (certainly not by the definitive of the term), but it is old. This section of the course is really student generated. It is up to you to research and learn about a particular topic from East Asian history. The only caveat is that topic must come before the beginning of western colonization of the region (early 18th century).

Your assignment:

=**Be sure to go over the notes included below.**=
 * For a brief idea of China's pre-historical heritage: [[file:AncientChina.key]]
 * For your studies be sure to view this Keynote presentation on China's Imperial history (Qin to Ming):[[file:QintoMing.key]]
 * For your studies be sure to view this Keynote presentation on Feudal Japan's history:[[file:FeudalJapan.key]]
 * A Pdf file on Tokugawa history: [[file:Japan Tokugawa General.pdf]]
 * Chinese History Timeline

=Korea in the mid-Yi Dynasty Period=

So far you have examined some documents suggesting what life might have been like for a person living in Japan during the Tokugawa Period. The link below is a Dutchman's experience living in Korea from 1653-1666 (See //Hamel's Journal and a description of the Kingdom of Korea, 1653-1666//). The journal is taken from the writings of [|Hendrik Hamel].
 * Read-Think-Pair-Share**
 * First, visit the link [|The Journal of Hamel.]
 * Read sections that are of interest to you, i.e. Seoul, Religion, Moral Standards, and respond to the questions below.
 * Before going on to a written answer to the questions, though, share with your partner how you feel about The Journal of Hamel. Was it interesting? Did it capture your imagination? Did it help you understand what life in Korea was like in the middle of the 17th century? Was it biased in any way? Would you view the goings-on in Korea at that time in a similar light?
 * Analyzing a primary source:
 * Go to the [|Analyzing Primary Sources]
 * Be sure to consider the readings under Time and Place Rule and Bias Rule.
 * Answer each of the questions under the Questions for Analyzing Primary Sources (Be sure to answer the all the questions, be brief).
 * Respond to the following question: //Should Hamel's Journal be used as a resource to instruct high school students about what life was like in Korea from 1653-66?//
 * Your answer should include reflections on the questions above.
 * Be sure to defend why you choose the response you did.
 * Keep this entry to between 200 and 250 words.
 * Hard copy.

=The Amazing Voyages of Zheng He (Ming Dynasty 1368-1644 C.E.)=

Certainly we know that much cultural greatness has emerged from China. We have thus far learned of China's contribution to human history in the field of philosophy. We have even made comparisons of how one philosophy, Taoism, shows striking similarities to some of the ideals proposed by 18th century European //philosophes.// Though we know that [|Marco Polo] brought ideas from China back to Europe. Marco Polo's travels were done on what was called the Silk Road. He managed to make his journey to the court of the then Emperor of the [|Yuan Dynasty.] The Yuan Dynasty ended and was replaced by the [|Ming Dynasty]. It was during this dynasty that one the most fascinating expeditions of its time was undertaken by a [|eunuch] of the Ming court named [|Zheng He.] Zheng He made several journeys to places as far away as Mogadishu on the east coast of Africa. It is certain that his armada was larger than was Christopher Columbus', but some contend that Zheng He may have even beaten Columbus by nearly seventy years in finding North America. At least this is what [|Gavin Menzies] claims, and this is where your investigative powers ought to be used. [|1421] __**Did Zheng He discover America?**__ To answer this question we have to look at the source of the allegation, [|Gavin Menzies (biography)]. Who is he? Were the Chinese Treasure Junks able to make a journey as did Christopher Columbus' ships? Look at the [|Chinese Treasure Junk size comparison.] View these two excerpts from the film //1421//: media type="youtube" key="PeQXlsGD_OE" height="385" width="480"

media type="youtube" key="bdqihr6m8D4" height="385" width="480" What is the conventional interpretation of these voyages? Why are they important? To answer these see this //New York Times Magazine// article, [|"1492: The Prequel"] Why was this significant to Chinese history? Did the Ming court error by not pursuing these expeditions further? To answer these questions see //Timeasia// [|"The Asian Voyage: In the Wake of the Admiral"] Finally, like all of the issues above, you must answer the question below. Respond to the question below in an essay format. You should provide reference to what you have read or researched in your answer. On a separate page identify those sources using MLA format. A thorough examination in documentary format can be found on Treasure Seekers Zheng He (National Geographic). There are several episodes that you might wish to watch. All are interesting and informative. media type="youtube" key="ptZ1nKNeNUk" height="385" width="480"
 * **To what extent should we accept the claims made by Gavin Menzies that the Chinese were the first from the Old World to discover the Americas?**