The Asian World, 600-1500

The Asian World takes readers through nine centuries of history often punctuated by conquests and conflict-from the rise of Yoritomo, Japan's first shogun, who stripped the Japanese emperor of his power; to the ruthless campaigns of Genghis Khan's Mongol warriors in China; to the mutiny of Korean general Yi Songgye, who proclaimed himself founder of a new dynasty. Despite battles and political clashes, the peoples of Asia created large, stable states that brought eras of peace and prosperity. At the same time, Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam attracted believers across the huge continent. The diverse peoples of Asia found much to share, trading goods and spices and tea along the overland networks of the Silk Road or via ships crossing the Indian Ocean, dodging bandits on land and pirates at sea. More important than the exchange of products was the exchange of ideas and inventions such as gunpowder and paper. Numerous primary sources enrich this lively history: a fifth-century Indian poem in which the war god Kumar battles the monster Taraka; a coming-of-age ceremony from Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji, one of the world's first novels; and Marco Polo's description of the roads and riders that allowed horsemen to travel up to 250 miles a day delivering urgent messages for Khubilai Khan. This book reveals an amazing world whose cultures and riches would increasingly attract European traders and adventurers, setting the stage for future contact, conflict, and exchange in the 16th century. Book jacket.