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.
"Marco!" - "Polo!"
To view the definitions for these key vocabulary terms, visit the