Ancient China Flashcards
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Main 2 rivers in China
Yangtzee (Chang Jiang) and Huang He (yellow)
Why is China isolated from other countries?
Mountain ranges and desserts
Name 2 desserts
The Gobi and Taklamakan dessert
2 bodies of water surrounding China
East and South China sea
Main characteristics about outer China?
large mountain ranges, harsh dessert, and it was hard to grow crops
Main characteristics of Inner China?
Very fertile land, plains, and water sources
What was the name of China’s first Dynasty?
Shang Dynasty
What did they find in the ruins of Angyang?
Jade, bronze, homes, temples
Why did they believe in human sacrifice?
So there were people to serve the king in the afterlife
Who led the Shang government?
A powerful king
What were prisoners of war used for?
human sacrifice
what tool made the army so strong?
bronze
what groups made up the social classes?
slaves, farmers, traders, Artisans, and nobles
what was their religion centered on?
ancestor worship
what are oracle bones?
bones the king used to seek advise from their ancestors
what are 2 examples of artwork they made?
bronze vessels and carvings out of jade
what Dynasty took over the Shang?
the Zhou
What is the mandate from heaven?
A power or law believed to be granted by the heavens
what is feudalism?
A system of government based on landowners and tenants
what is the warring states period?
small states often fought against each other for power, until they eventually combined into 6-7 larger states, bringing 250 years of disorder to China this time was called “the warring states period.”
what is Confucianism?
A Chinese philosophy that emphasizes proper behavior
what are the Analects?
Books about the founder of Confucianism, Confucius
what are the main teachings of Confucianism?
good behavior to achieve a peaceful society
what are the main teachings of Daoism?
people gain happiness and peace by living in harmony and nature
What’s another name for Daoism?
Taoism
what is the yin and yang?
opposing forces of nature
what are the main teachings of legalism?
to establish strict laws and have obedience to them
why was legalism adopted?
to bring effective rule to china
Who was the first emperor of China?
emperor Qin
How did Qin conquer other states?
He used military might, spies, bribery, and alliances
what philosophy did Qin believe in?
Legalism
How did Qin divide China into sections?
He made 36 districts
What is “standardizing the culture?”
To make something the same
What are three ways the culture was standardized?
weights, money, and measures
Why was the great wall built?
To protect China from northern invaders
How long did it take to build the great wall, and what were the weather conditions?
It took 10 years to build the great wall, and the weather was very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter
What did Qin do to those that believed in Confucianism?
He killed them.
What artifacts were found in Qin’s tomb?
Tools, bronze weapons, terracotta chariots and horses along with more than 6,000 life size terracotta figures.
Why did the Han come to power?
Because Chinese were tired of the harsh, Legalist rule of the Qin
What was the golden age of China?
A time of stability and wealth for china
What are three achievements of warfare?
Iron making, crossbows and kites
What are to changes in the Chinese government?
Confucianism and moral behavior
What are 2 achievments of agriculture?
The chain pump, iron plow, and wheelbarrow
What are the 2 main industries in China?
salt and silk
What maigor advancement(s )happened in the art and how did it affect the people?
Paper, it made it easier for the Chinese to write
What are two achievements in medicine?
acupuncture and moxibustion
What are 2 achievments in science?
seismograph and the magnetic compass.
What was the silk road?
A network of trade routes for the Chinese to trade with other ancient cultures.
How did the silk road promote an exchange of goods and ideas?
It created a source for the trading, so if the ancient civilizations could get other materials and goods from people around.
Why was the Eastern silk road dangerous and how did traders overcome its challenges?
There were bandits and the weather was horrible, and when they traveled over the mountains the the air was thin, making little oxygen. Traders overcame this by making long caravans with camels.
Why was the western silk road dangerous and how did the people overcome it’s challanges
he road was dangerous because the animals could fall of the passes and the air was thin so there was little oxygen, they carried the stuff by hand to fix the chance of losing the stuff.
How did the silk road change the daily lives of people in China?
in made people have a way to get goods making there life easier.
