Ancient China Test Flashcards
What happened to China when the Han dynasty fell?
China fell into a period of disunion and chaos. Blending of culture and ideas took place in Southern China because of invaders
What was the Mandate of Heaven?
The ancient Chinese belief that heaven supported a particular dynasty for as long as the emperor ruled well
What dynasty ended the period of Disunion?
Sui Dynasty
What religion brought China together during the Period of Disunion?
Buddhism
Who founded Buddhism and what are some of the religions beliefs?
Sidhama founded Buddhism. In this religion you want to reach the highest state of enlightenment. You follow and eightfold path and listen to the four nobel truths
Who founded confucianism and what are some of the religions beliefs?
Confucianism was founded by an ancient scholar Confucius. They believe in the importance of knowledge and the obedeance to a leader along with loyalty to your parents
How did Confucianism influence Chinese society? How did the philosophy influence Chinas government?
The government became well trained and knowledgeable. Confucius code of conduct was used in ruler-subject relationships and others. They had exams based on the teachings of confucius
Who founded Daoism and what are some is it’s basic principles?
Lao Tzu founded Daoism. They believed in slowing down and not fighting/working all the time. You need to become one with nature
How did the Tang reunify China?
The Tang created a stable government by reunifying China and fixing their bureaucracy
Describe the city Chang’an
The city of Chang’an was under the Tang rule and it became the largest city in the world. It was sitting at one end of the Silk Road so it was perfect for growth
Describe the Grand Cannal. What two rivers did it connect?
The Grand Cannal connected the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. This helped with water trade and it took thousands of peasants to build the cannal
The government during the Song Dynasty was based on the ideas of what Philosopher?
Confucius
Those who held government jobs where known as?
Scholar Officals
What where the exams that Scholar Officals would take to make it into government?
Civil Service Exams
What is a merit, and how was it used in Chinas government?
A merit is where your being picked for government based on your skills and talent
T or F People in the lower class during the Song Dynasty gained the opportunity to become government officials
True
Why was higher rice farm productivity needed during the Song Dynasty?
They had a higher population and needed more rice to survive. They could also trade with other countries with rice
List the MAIN reasons China was able to produce an abundance of food during the Song dynasty.
They created new irrigation systems and farming techniques so they could produce a lot of food
Explain how the invention of gun powder changed warefare. How did the gunpowder get to Europe?
Gun powder made war even more dangerous but also innovative. Gunpowder got to Europe through marine-time trade and the silk road
Paper Making
The earliest paper was probably from hemp and then bark. This became an important industry for China
Paper Money
Before then they just used coins and which got expensive and rarer. They used wood blocks to print the money and this became very popular
Wood Block Printing
The invention of paper made wood block printing available. This made books cheaper and easier to access for poor people. This became huge in China and all over the world
Compass
The Chinese made the compass better. It is used for telling directions like north and south. It was later replaced by a steel needle
Porcelain
This is fine pottery made with clay and other materials. This became a luxury for many Chinese and the rest of the world. they also painted designs on it
Smallpox Inoculation
Chinese used disease prevention for a long time ago. They created a new way by steaming sick people’s clothes which would help prevent from spreading
Who is known as the Great Khan? What does his name mean?
Genghis Khan is known as the Great Khan. His name meant ruler of the universe
Explain some of Genghis Khan’s Achievements
He killed millions and was a brutal ruler. He was considered one of the harshest rulers of all time. He conquered most of central Asia and China. He was the founder of the Mongol Empire
T or F The Mongols allowed the people they conquered freedom of religion
True
How far did the Mongol empire extend?
Mongolia to the Caspian Sea
Who re-opened the silk road, and what were the results of doing so?
Mongol/Yuan Dynasty; contributed to the economic growth in Southern Europe
Who was Kublai Khan? Describe his Achievements and Actions
Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan and a ruler of the Yuan Dynasty and he conquered the Song Dynasty and extended the borders of the empire
Kublai Khan officially took over all of China after defeating who?
The Song Dynasty
What is the order of the Yuan dynasty social pyramid?
Mongols, Foreigners, Nothern Chinese, and Southern Chinese
Who was Marco Polo? Which ruler did he Advise?
Marco Polo was an explorer who visited China to find something new. Kubli Khan sent him to explore the country
Who was Hongwu?
Hongwu grew up in poverty and wanted to be a great ruler. He had a bad temper an was a tyrant by the end of his rule
Which dynasty built the Forbidden City, and what was the design of the city meant to reinforce
The Ming built the city and it was meant to reinforce wealth and power and become the center of the word
How did China benefit from tribute?
China got tons of money and became very feared by all other countries
How did the Mongols show the importance they placed on improving trade contacts with other civilizations?
The establishment of caravan routes
How was paper introduced into Europe by China?
Paper was introduced through trade on the silk road and through the water
During the Ming dynasty, Yongle decided to move the capital from southern city of Nanjing to the northern city of….
Beijing
Who was Zheng He and what did he do?
Led a series of sea voyages to demonstrate Chinese paper and win tributary stats
Why did the Ming Dynasty in China decide to practice Isolationism?
The Ming/China where afraid that they were going to be attacked by outsiders if they continued to trade
What social/economic groups where in power during the Tang, Song, and Yuan Dynasties?
Tang- Arisocrats (Rich)
Song- Scholars
Yuan- Foreigners
Describe some of the accomplishments of the Ming dynasty
Forbidden City
Great Wall
Sea Voyages
Isolationism
