Module Overview
Asian Civilizations and their Cultural Exchanges
Matsushima

View of Matsushima, a group of islands in Japan; "shima" are the 260 tiny islands that are covered in "matsu," or pines

For most of their history, nomadic Mongol tribes lived on the high steppe lands of eastern central Asia. The tribes existed independently from one another until a man named Genghis Khan unified them. Once the tribes were unified, Genghis Khan turned his attention to other parts of Asia. Eventually, the Mongol Empire became the largest land empire in history. Recognizing the need for regular communications within their vast empire, the Mongols encouraged travel and trade, and ultimately facilitated cultural diffusion throughout much of Asia.

Although the Mongols failed twice to conquer the Japanese, the Japanese did not escape influences from their Asian neighbors. What enabled the Japanese to be somewhat influenced by their Asian neighbors, but at the same time remain isolated from them, was Japan's geography as an archipelago. The surrounding waters, including the Sea of Japan, served to bridge Japan with Korea and China. The Pacific Ocean on Japan's east coast, however, proved trickier to navigate.

Whether by land or sea, whether through being conquered or curious, the civilizations in Asia have come into contact with each other. In this module, you will learn about two Asian civilizations: one focused on the land, and the other surrounded by the sea. You will explore how these civilizations connected with their neighbors, and all that was exchanged between them.

Getting Started

Marco Polo

getting started icon"Marco!" - "Polo!"

Have you ever heard of or played the game, Marco Polo? It is usually played in a swimming pool, and involves one person - the "it" person - swimming with his or her eyes closed in search of someone to tag. The "it" person shouts "Marco," and waits to hear the other players respond with, "Polo." The "it" person must rely on his or her hearing as he or she blindly swims around, hoping to bump into and tag another player.

The game of Marco Polo may be loosely based on the experiences of this Venetian explorer of the thirteenth century, who set out for Asia, and just like the "it" person, searched the eastern hemisphere without knowing exactly where he was going, or who he would bump into.

Throughout this module, you will "bump into" a variety of civilizations in Asia. In addition, you will read about how these civilizations "bumped into" or connected with one another, and what ideas, goods, and technologies they exchanged.

Key Vocabulary

glossary iconTo view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the course glossary.

archipelago
compass
Golden Horde
Khan, Genghis
lateen sail
maritime
nomad
porcelain
Shinto
Silk Roads
steppe
textiles
tsunami