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Borderlands near China The Chinese believed themselves to be the center of all civilization. The further one traveled from China, the less civilized and the more barbaric society became. Those closer to China, such as Korea and Vietnam, engaged in tributary relations with the Middle Kingdom and were considered to be semi-civilized by the Chinese.
Japan was generally considered by the Chinese to be part of this semi-civilized group. Japan in the thirteenth century was governed by a weak military government and passive imperial court headed by the emperor. The rest of Japan was divided between various warlords (daimyo ) who competed with each other in a feudal system. Many cultural and political systems had been borrowed from China (writing system, Confucian government, Buddhism), but Japan retained a strong sense of identity even if it could not challenge China’s dominance.
Southeast Asia was one of the most important of these border regions. Divided by seas, forests, and mountains, the region defied attempts to unify it. Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Islam all competed for followers and influence. In the place of a strong political regime, Southeast Asia was dominated by a vast army of small local traders operating from dozens of local ports. Location meant traders could access luxury goods from East Africa, Arabia, India, and China. Spice trade from its own islands meant Southeast Asia enjoyed particular favor in the world’s trading networks. Trading opportunities attracted traders from all ports around the Indian Ocean, causing the cultural diversity of the region to expand greatly. >> Continue to the next part of the Summary: Mongol Conquests and Connections
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