04 Ancient Chinese Civilization Flashcards
sagacious
having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd
remonstrance
a forcefully reproachful protest
hereditary
conferred by or based on inheritance
anachronism
a thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists
jaundiced
affected by bitterness, resentment, or envy
decadence
moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury
licentious
promiscuous and unprincipled in sexual matters
en masse
in a group; all together
chronicler
a person who writes accounts of important or historical events
loess
fertile yellow soil of the Huang He valley
accession
the act of attaining or gaining access to a new office or right or position (especially the throne)
silt
fine sand, clay, or other material carried by running water and deposited as a sediment
Huang He
northernmost major river in China
Xi Jiang
southernmost major river in China
Chang Jiang
major river in central China
Gobi Desert
desert in northern China and southern Mongolia
China’s Sorrow
what the Huang He was called because of frequently destructive flooding
China’s isolation
caused by vast distances, deserts, mountain ranges, and China’s feelings of cultural superiority
dynastic cycle
founding, expansion, regression, collapse
Middle Kingdom
what the Chinese called China because it was the center of the world, based on feelings of superiority
Xia Dynasty
prehistoric line of Chinese kings
Shang Dynasty
China’s first historic dynasty (1750 BC to 1122 BC)
Zhou Dynasty
China’s most enduring dynasty (1122 BC to 221 BC)
Qin Dynasty
dynasty that ruled a larger area than preceding dynasties and controlled it more firmly, however for a short time (221 BC to 206 BC)
Han Dynasty
perhaps the most influential dynasty of China (202 BC to AD 220)
Mandate of Heaven
belief that the gods determined who should rule China
autocracy
government in which the ruler holds total power
civil service
system in which workers administer day-to-day business of government
Shi Huangdi
founded Qin dynasty and first unified China under a strong central government
Liu Bang
general who overthrew the previous dynasty and founded the Han dynasty
Wu Di
longest-ruling Han emperor who brought peace and political and economic reform to China
Chang-an
capital city of the Qin dynasty; later called Xi’an
iron
the use of this material under the Zhou transformed Chinese agriculture by making it possible to cultivate more land and produce more grain
accomplishments of the Han
central civil service system; economic policy of leveling; Pax Sinica, which allowed trade to prosper; invention of paper
accomplishments of the Qin
standardized weights, measures, and coinage; established a uniform system of writing; started building what would become the Great Wall
accomplishments of the Shang
the discovery of silk cloth; bronze castings; the use of solar and lunar calendars; writing, including calligraphy
calligraphy
artistic form of writing
oracle bones
cattle bones and tortoise shells used by priests to foretell the future
The Analects
collection of teachings and ideas of Confucius as written by his followers, which formed the basis of Confucianism
Confucius
teacher whose ideas became the most powerful philosophy influencing later Chinese beliefs and lifestyles
Laozi (Lao-tzu)
founder of Daoism
yin and yang
idea of two sides that contrast and complement each other but not oppose each other
Daoism
philosophy that emphasizes contemplation and harmony with nature
Confucianism
philosophy that emphasizes right relationships involving family, elders, rulers, and ancestors
Legalism
philosophy that emphasizes the maintenance of power through harsh laws aimed controlling naturally selfish and untrustworthy people
Mahayana
a branch of Buddhism that became dominant in China, Japan, and Korea; emphasized the worship of Buddha as a savior
Five Classics
books that became the most important works of Chinese literature and the basis for education of Chinese scholars
acupuncture
medical treatment in which needles are inserted into the body at certain points
seismograph
an instrument that measures earthquakes
paper
first produced in AD 105 from hemp, old rags, fishing nets, and the bark of mulberry trees
sundial
an instrument showing the time by the shadow of a pointer cast by the sun onto a plate marked with the hours of the day
agriculture
primary occupation of the vast majority of Chinese people
Pax Sinica
Chinese Peace
leveling
a government policy that helped keep prices of farm products stable, which greatly helped the condition of peasants
