Ancient China Flashcards
2 Main Rivers
The Yellow River
The Yangtze River
Why Is China Isolated From Other Countries?
They have the Himalayas on one side and then are surrounded by oceans.
2 Deserts
The Gobi Desert
The Taklimakan Desert
2 Bodies of Water
The South China Sea
The East China Sea
Main Characteristics of Outer China
Has mountains and deserts, and very hard to settle in because it was not near water
Main Characteristics of Inner China
Has hills, rivers, valleys, plains, and easy to grow crops
What was the first dynasty?
The Shang Dynasty
What did archeologists find in Anyang?
Palaces, temples, houses, and workshops for artisans
Why did they believe in human sacrifices?
They believed that their dead ancestors could help or harm them, so they gave them food and human sacrifices
Who led their government?
A powerful king
What were prisoners of war used for?
Labors and/or human sacrifices
What tool made their armies strong?
Weapons made of bronze
What groups made up the social class?
Kings, Nobles, Artisans, Traders, Farmers, and Slaves
What was the main thing their religion was on?
Ancestor worship
What are oracle bones?
Bones from turtle shells or cows shoulder blade
2 examples of their artwork
Beautiful bronze vessels and jade pieces
What Dynasty took over after the Shang?
The Zhou Dynasty
Mandate From Heaven
A power or law believed to be granted by the heavens
Feudalism
A system of government based on landowners and tenants
the Warring States Period
Small States fighting, became bigger states, had a war for 250 years
Confucianism
A Chinese philosophy that emphasizes proper behavior
Analects
A book made by the founder of Confucianism
Main teachings of Confucianism
To have a peaceful society where everyone has proper behavior and believed that ceremonies were important
Main teachings of Daoism
Living in peace and happiness, getting away from politics, and balancing the opposite forces of nature
Another name for Daoism
Taoism
Ying and Yang
The Daoist concept of opposing forces of nature
Main teachings of Legalism
Everyone believed that everyone was selfish, and that you had to listen to your government
Why was Legalism adopted?
The Qin Dynasty wanted to build a strong government and well organized society
Who was the first emperor of China?
Qin Shi Huangdi
How did he conquer other states?
He used military, spies, bribery, and alliances
What philosophy did he believe in?
Leaglism
How did he divide the states?
He divided them into 36 sections, using three officials
What does standardizing mean?
It means to make the same
What was standardized in the culture/
Weights, money, writing
Why was the Great Wall built?
To protect them from invaders
How long did it take to build the Great Wall and under what work conditions?
It took 10 years and 300,000 people had to work in the mountains, deserts, swampland, and quicksand.
What did he do with Confucianism believers?
They would get their face tattooed and forced to do labors
What artifacts were found in his tomb?
Tools, precious jewels, and rare objects
Why did the Han Dynasty come into rule?
They were tired of having a Legalist rule
What was the Golden Age?
It was a long period of stability and health
3 achievements in warfare
Iron making., crossbows, and kites
2 achievements in government
Bureaucracy and civil service exama
2 achievements in agriculture
Chain pump and iron plows
2 main industries
Silk and salt
Major advancements in art and how did it affect the people?
They used paper instead of silk which helped them create books
2 achievements in medicine
Acupuncture and moxibustion
2 achievements in science
Compass and seismograph
