Ancient China Flashcards by Gwendolen Burrows

Geography of Ancient China

Main two rivers in China

Yellow River and the Yangtze River

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Geography of Ancient China

Why is China isolated from other countries?

Because of the Himalayas Mountains, dry deserts, and the Pacific Ocean that was surrounding them.

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Geography of Ancient China

Name two deserts

The Taklimakan Desert and the Gobi Desert

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Geography of Ancient China

Two bodies of water surrounding China

Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the South China Sea

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Geography of Ancient China

Main characteristics of Outer China

Cold, hard to grow crops, less people than Inner China, and herders successfully raise livestock

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Geography of Ancient China

Main characteristics of Inner China

Floods enrich soil, Chang Jiang Basins are warm and wet, and North China Plain is dry and cold

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What was the name of the first dynasty in China?

The Shang Dynasty

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Shang Dynasty

What did archeologists find in the city of Anyang?

Found a palace, a temple, pottery, jade, and human bones

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Shang Dynasty

Why did they believe in human sacrifices?

They believed the people of the human sacrifices would serve the king in the afterlife

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Shang Dynasty

Who led the Shang government?

A powerful king

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Shang Dynasty

What were prisoners of war used for?

Used for laborers and human sacrifices

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Shang Dynasty

What tool made the army so strong?

Bronze was used to make powerful tools

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Shang Dynasty

What groups made up the social classes in the Shang Dynasty

Kings, Nobles, Artisans, Traders, Farmers, and the Slaves

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Shang Dynasty

What was their religion centered on?

Ancestor worship

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Shang Dynasty

What are oracle bones?

A piece of bone or shell heated and cracked by holy men to seek advice from a king’s ancestors

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2 examples of artwork during the Shang Dynasty

Really good at working with bronze and made beautiful vessels

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Three Chinese Philosophies

What dynasty took over after the Shang?

The Zhou

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Three Chinese Philosophies

Define- Mandate from Heaven

A power or law believed to be granted by the heavens

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Three Chinese Philosophies

Define- Feudalism

A system of government based on landowners and tenants

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Three Chinese Philosophies

Define- The Warring States Period

250 years of fighting and disorder in China

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Three Chinese Philosophies

Define- Confucianism

A Chinese philosophy that emphasizes proper behavior

Three Chinese Philosophies

What are Analects?

The Analects are a book of all of Confucianism’s sayings

Three Chinese Philosophies

What are the main teachings of Confucianism?

Respect for elders, proper behavior, and love of scholarship

Three Chinese Philosophies

What are the main teachings of Daoism?

That people followed the way of nature by living simple lives of quiet meditations, people should neither fell self-important nor work to gain possessions or honors, and they believed that everyone must discover the Dao for themselves

Three Chinese Philosophies What is another name for Daoism?

Taoism

Three Chinese Philosophies Define- Yin and Yang

The Daoist concept of opposing forces of nature

Three Chinese Philosophies What are the main teachings of Legalism?

Those who followed Legalism believed that most people are naturally selfish

Three Chinese Philosophies Why was Legalism adopted?

To achieve the goals of building a strong central government and a well organized society

First Emperor of China Who was the first Emperor of China?

Qin Shi Huangdi

First Emperor of China How did the Qin conquer other states?

Used military might, spies, bribery, and alliances

First Emperor of China What philosophy did Qin believe in?

He believed in Legalism

First Emperor of China How did he divide China into sections?

By giving each section 3 officials one for art one for agriculture and one for strict laws

First Emperor of China What is "standardizing the culture"?

It means to make sure the culture was the same throughout China

First Emperor of China Three ways the culture was standardized

Money, Weights, Measures

First Emperor of China Why was the Great Wall built?

To protect the empire from invaders

First Emperor of China How long did it take to build the Great Wall and what were the work conditions?

It took 10 years to build the Great Wall. The conditions were hard because the Great Wall crossed high mountains, deserts, swampland, and quicksand

First Emperor of China What did Emperor Qin do to those that believed in Confucianism?

He would send scholars into forced labor (Great Wall) and anyone who talked about it would be executed

First Emperor of China What articles (artifacts) were found in Emperor Qin's tomb?

An entire army made of a clay called terra-cotta. The army included archers, foot soldiers, chariot drivers, and horses. There was also mercury

Why did the Han Dynasty come to power?

The Chinese people were unhappy with the harsh, Legalist rule of the Qin

Han Dynasty What was the "Golden Age" of China?

It was a long period of stability and wealth

Han Dynasty What are 3 achievements in Warfare?

They made the crossbow, the kite, and learned how to do iron making

Han Dynasty What are 2 changes in the Chinese Government?

Softened the harsh ruling style of the Qin emperor and brought Confucian ideas back into government

Han Dynasty What are 2 achievements in agriculture?

Invented the chain pump and invented the wheelbarrow

Han Dynasty What are 2 main industries in China?

Silk and salt

Han Dynasty What magor advancement (s) happened in art and how did it affect the people?

Paper was invented and was a ideal material for calligraphy, which is the art of fine handwriting and paper was easier to bind together into books

Han Dynasty What are 2 achievements in medicine?

Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Han Dynasty What are 2 achievements in science?

Seismograph, and Magnetic Compass

What was the Silk Road?

A network of trade routes

How did the Silk Road promote an exchange of goods and ideas?

It linked the peoples of the East and West

Why was the Eastern Silk Road dangerous and how did traders overcome its challenges?

Bandits often attacked travelers, in deserts many sandstorms. To protect themselves before going into the desert, travelers formed long caravans of camels

Why was the Western Silk Road dangerous and how did traders overcome its challenges?

In the Pamir Mountians travelers experienced headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, and was hard to breath. In desert travelers were threatened by wolves, lions, snakes, and vultures.

How did the Silk Road change the daily lives of people in ancient times?

It created cultural diffusion, in which ideas and knowledge- as well as goods- spread from one culture to another