Chapter 14 : East and South Asia Between 1000 and 1400 a series of peoples from the steppes of central Asia conquered vast areas of territory on that continent and in Europe. One group, the Mongols, ruled the world's largest empire. Internal weaknesses, however, led to the breakup of the Mongol Empire into smaller units. A stable government in China during the Tang dynasty expanded the country's borders and increased trade with Japan, India, and the Middle East. When the Song dynasty came to power in China, it created a golden age of achievement in the arts, literature, science, and technology, and the country made great strides in economic and cultural growth before it fell to the Mongols in 1270. Korea and Japan were influenced by Chinese religion, government, and science. The Japanese developed a feudal society of warrior landowners.