History LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS(8 Mark)

After its defeat in Second World War, the Japanese efforts of making a colonial empire ended. The nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It resulted in huge destruction of masses. Many people thought that it was done just to shorten the war. Japan was totally demilitarised during American occupation. The new constitution also came into being. Agricultural reforms were also done. Re-organisation of trade unions were also done. Political parties were also revived and the first post-war elections held in 1946 where women voted for the first time.
After the defeat of Japan in the Second World War, Japanese economy also revived. It grew at a fast pace. Constitution was also democratised. There was close relation between the government, bureaucracy and industry. American support to Japan strengthened its economy. Olympic Games were also held at Tokyo in 1964. It was the symbol of maturity of Japanese economy. Bullet trains were also started in 1964. It ran at the speed of 200 miles per hour. The introduction of bullet train added a new feather in its cap. It also introduced better goods at cheaper rates in the market.

After the death of Mao in China, the struggle for power broke out in which Deng Xiaoping emerged victorious. During the cultural revolution, he was dismissed from the office of the Secretary General of the party for having too liberal views.
His achievements may be summed up in the following ways:

1. All the changes made during the Cultural Revolution were reversed.
2. The democratically elected parties took the place of revolutionary committees.
3. Confiscated property was restored to the descendants of the actual owners. 4. The people were granted religious freedom and intellectuals were free to express their views.
4. In the economic sector, Deng and his follower Hu Yaobang took various steps to encourage investment by the western entrepreneurs for the modernisation of industries, agriculture, science and technology in China.
5. In 1980, China also became the member of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
6. Many agricultural reforms were also introduced.
7. The state owned collective forms were given more powers in the matters of administration and planning.
8. The practice of giving bonus and dividend was encouraged.

Taxes were reduced to encourage production. As a result of these reforms, there was a gradual increase in food production and the per capita income.

1. Features of Chinese examination system were:

1. It opened the entries to work as elite or ruling class.
2. It was held twice every three years at different levels.

2. The system of examination was abolished in 1905 because of the following reasons:

1. It was based on skills in classical Chinese learning, which was not relevant in the modern world.
2. This system acted as a barrier to the development of scientific knowledge and technology.

3. Before 1850, there were about 526, 869 civil and 212, 330 military provincial degree holders in the whole country.

The CCP was founded in 1921 scon after the Russian Revolution. The Russian success exercised a powerful influence around the world and leaders such as Lenin and Trotsky went on to establish the Comintern or the Third International in March 1918. It was done to bring about a world government that would end exploitation. The Comintern and the Soviet Union supported Communist parties around the world. They worked within the traditional Marxist understanding that revolution would be brought about by the working class in cities. Its initial appeal across national boundaries was immense. It soon became a tool for Soviet interests and was dissolved in 1943.
Mao Zedong (1893-1976), emerged as a major CCP leader. He took a different path by basing his revolutionary programme on the peasantry. His success made the CCP, a powerful political force that ultimately won against the Guomindang. Mao Zedong's radical approach can be seen in Jiangxi, in the mountains, where they camped from 1928 to 1934, secure from Guomindang attacks. A strong Peasants Council (Soviet) was organised, united through confiscation and redistribution of land. Mao, unlike other leaders, stressed the need for an independent government and army. He was quite aware of women's problems and supported the emergence of rural women's associations. He also promulgated a new marriage law that forbade arranged marriage, stopped purchase or sale of marriage contracts and simplified divorce.

Japan's transformation into a modern society can also be seen as the changes in everyday life. Patriarchal system was in practice. The patriarchal household system comprised many generations living together under the control of the head of the house. More people became affluent. New ideas of the family spread. The new home (Homu as the Japanese say) was that of the nuclear family, where husband and wife lived as breadwinner and homemaker. This new concept of domesticity in turn generated demands for new types of domestic goods, new types of family entertainments, and new forms of housing. In the 1920s, construction companies made cheap housing available for a down payment of 200 yen and a monthly installment of 12 yen for ten years. It was at that time when the salary of a bank employee (a person with higher education) was 40 yen per month.

1. Fukuzawa was a leading Meiji intellectual. He was one of the leading members of the Meirokusha, a society to promote western learning.
2. He advocated the adoption of the spirit of western civilization. It would help Japan to build a new citizen. He also advocated that God has not created superior or inferior man. All are equal before Him.
3. In 'The Encouragement to Learning' Fukuzawa Yukichi was critical of the Japanse language.

Causes of the failure of nationalists:

1. There was lack of unity among the members of Guomindang. They continued to quarrthe contrary, the Communists were very disciplined.el among themselves and were corrupt too. On
2. Chiang Kai-shek also failed to provide good leadership to the nationalists.
3. The government set up by the nationalists failed to control the prices.
4. Chiang Kai-shek followed the traditional method of rule. Therefore, his government could not gain popularity.
5. Communists organised themselves into trained army. Therefore, they succeeded in defeating nationalists.

The important part of the Meiji reform was the modernisation of the economy. Following steps were taken for this:

1. Japan's first railway line, between Tokyo and the Port of Yokohama was built in 1870-72.
2. Funds were raised by levying an agricultural tax.
3. Textile machinery was imported from Europe and foreign technicians were also employed to train workers and also to teach in universities and schools. Japanese students were also sent to abroad.
4. In 1872, modern banking institutions were also launched.
5. Companies like Mitsubishi and Sumitomo were also helped through subsidies and tax benefits to become major shipbuilders so that Japanese trade was carried through Japanese ships.
6. The number of industrial labourer in Japan was 700,000 in 1870 CE which reached upto four million in 1913. Most of the labourers worked in units having less than 5 people.
7. By 1925, 21 per cent of the population lived in cities. By 1935, this figure had gone upto 32 per cent.

Causes of the decline of the Shoguns were the following:

1. Shoguns followed the policy of favouritism.
2. Only the members of the Tokugawa family were appointed to the post which spread the feelings of ill-will among other feudal lords, who resolved to bring an end to the Shogun's rule.
3. Japan's economy received a severe blow due to the wrong economic policies of the Shoguns.
4. The condition of the peasant was very miserable during their rule. Taxes were collected forcibly.
5. A new class of merchant came into prominence. Feudal fraternity grew jealous of them. To put an end to their humiliation, the merchants wanted to do away with Shogun rule.

1. Women writers wrote in Japanese script while male writers wrote in Chinese script. Chinese script was also used for education and administration work.
2. The right to choose their husbands and living their lives depict the freedom of women.
3. Murasaki Shikibu.

The Meiji Restoration of 1868 proved to a boon for Japan, as it introduced a phase of progress and modernisation. It also transformed the daily life of the people in the following ways.

1. Large ancestral families with a patriarch at its head gave way to nuclear families with the husband as breadwinner, the wife as homemaker.
2. As families started building new households, demand for both houses and goods increased. Large ancestral homes were replaced by houses provided by builders. These were easily accessible at a down payment of 200 yens and 12 yens per month for 10 years. Domestic goods like rice-cookers flooded the market.
3. Gender equality and cosmopolitan culture came into play. 'Moga', an abbreviation started to be used for modern girls in Japan. It was representative of the coming together the ideas of cosmopolitan culture and gender equality. Women started taking up new jobs and enjoyed a new respect in the society. A brilliant example is Matsui Sumako, who became famous as a national star in Japan.
4. Several changes took place in the field of entertainment too. The first radio station in Japan opened in 1925. Movies began to be made in 1899 and soon several companies began making more than hundred films each with a motive of entertainment.
5. Public transports became a part of the daily Japanese life. Electric trams and other means of public transport began to expand from 1878. This expansion resulted in the building up of departmental stores at places which these trams connected.

The desire for democratisation grew upon the death of Park Chunghee, but in December 1979, another military coup, this time led by Chun Doo-hwan, was staged. In May 1980, various protests in key cities around the nation were held by students and citizens demanding democracy in the face of Chun’s military faction. The military faction suppressed the democracy movement by implementing martial law across the country. In the city of Gwangju, in particular, students and citizens did not back down and demanded that martial law be ended. This is known as the Gwangju Democratisation Movement. However, Chun’s military faction suppressed the protests for democratisation. Later that year, Chun became the president through an indirect election under the Yusin Constitution.
The Chun administration strengthened the suppression of democratisation influences in order to stabilise the regime. Due in part to the international economic boom, the Chun administration was able to raise economic growth from 1.7 percent in 1980 to 13.2 percent by 1983, while also significantly lowering inflation. Economic development had led to urbanisation, improved education levels and media advancements. As a result, citizen's self-awareness about political rights grew, leading to demands for a constitutional amendment to allow direct election of the president.
In May 1987, the Chun administration’s minimisation of inquiries into the death-by-torture of a university student was made known, making citizens begin participate in a large-scale struggle for democratisation. The June Democracy Movement that followed had participation not only by students, but the middle class as well. Owing to these efforts, the Chun administration was forced to make a revision to the constitution, allowing direct elections. A new chapter of Korean democracy thus began.

The Communist Party of China was founded in 1921. By this time the Russian revolution had ended and China was being moulded under the Marxist ideas and ideologies. Mao Zedong at this time emerged as a major CCP leader and transformed China to what it is today. To understand how he made it possible, we need to understand Mao’s policies. These have been discussed below.

1. Mao Zedong’s ideas were radical in nature. His revolutionary ideas were based on the peasantry. People’s communes were established where cultivation was done in commonly owned land.
2. In 1953 the government declared the launch of the Great Leap forward movement. This aimed at rapid industrialisation in China. Under the Great Leap Forward movement people both in the rural as well as the urban areas were allowed to set up furnaces in their houses and farm production was increased.
3. Mao was aware of the plight of women and made reforms to improve their conditions. Also with time new laws of marriage were made and divorce was simplified in order to develop the women in China.
4. Mao’s aim was to create a ''Socialist Man'' who would love the fatherland, people, labour, science and public property. He created mass organizations for, farmers, women and students.
5. A new government was established in China in the year 1949 which was based on the principle of New Democracy. It was an alliance of all the social classes existent in China. This government abolished all private ownership of land and private enterprises.

His ideas have been successful in removing inequality, spreading education and rising consciousness. With time, they have been able to reform the market and raise the country’s economy. Hence, we can safely assert the fact that the ideals of Mao Zedong and CCP are responsible for the current success of the country.