“The Way of Ruling a State”: Tokugawa Japan and Bureaucratic Elites

Discussion of how Tokugawa Japan encouraged samurai to also become civil officials

21 Oct 2024 — 2 min read

From page 70 of the AP World History Course and Exam Description

During the early modern era, states worldwide developed professionalized bureaucracies and armies. Each state did so a little differently. In China, the examination system had existed for centuries and was one of the most famous methods for recruiting bureaucrats. Despite its proximity to China, Tokugawa Japan adopted a different model.

The Source

Afroeurasian Exchange Networks and the Spread of Religions before 1450

Extensive trade networks crisscrossed Afroeurasia before 1500. These networks facilitated more than the movement of goods; cultural traditions and technologies also spread through the networks. We can easily see this through the spread of the four most popular universal religions. The Source