Ch.7-11 Flashcards
Qin Shi Huangdi
-Unify China for the 1st time via Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) and created police states (legalism).
-He started building the Great Wall and was known for the Terracotta warriors around his tomb.
people did not like him lol
Legalism
based on the viewpoint that for a ruler to keep order in society, people must obey a set of strict laws and those in authority.
Terracotta Army
Qin Shi Huangdi’s famous tomb of army warriors in terracotta surrounded him.
Gaozu (Liu Bang)
-A peasant and Founder of the Han Dynasty
-Did a softer version of legalism, which influenced Han Chinese politics (ruler listened to adviser and gov. served the people; tri-pat.)
Wu Di: Commanderies, Tributary states, Protectorate
- Commanderies- districts led by military leader.
- Tributary states- natives keep their authority but were protected by & paid tribute to China.
- Protectorate- protected autonomous region.
Sinicization
Chinese assimilation.
Modu and the Xiongnu
The Huns (horse rider-nomadic) northern territory of China that threatens China (Han Dynasty).
Heqin
treaty system /diplomacy = peace
The Kushans: Silk Road
“Bad Emperors”
Basically, inherit role emperor by blood inheritance which was bad idea bc led to personal agendas other than for the people.
Five Good Emperors
Jesus aka Christ
- A preacher from Judea who taught that one must strive for perfection since God was perfect.
- Was believed being Messiah by others also the son of God; both human and divine
- Deemed threat to Roman rule and Jewish doctrine then crucified; followers believed rosed from the dead and ascend to heaven.
Paul of Tarsus and the apostles
- Gospels (Jesus’s followers): Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, etc.
- Paul- helped founded churches in many places and kept in touch with new Christians via letters
- Jesus’s followers and teachers of his word are known as Apostles.
Who unifies China for the first time? What was the name of his dynasty? Describe the dynasty.
Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BCE) unified China for the first time, establishing the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) through strict rules and laws (legalism) no one could practice Confucius, only legalism and labor abuse that people did not like him.
What were some of the accomplishments of Qin Shi Huangdi?
- As the First Emperor of a unified China, he implemented far-reaching reforms to standardize writing, currency, weights and measures, and even the width of cart axles across his empire.
*(coughs legalism) - The Qin Dynasty was marked by massive construction projects, including the initial unification of various defensive walls into what would become the Great Wall of China, and the famous Terracotta Army that guarded his tomb.
Who was the founder of the Han Dynasty?
Liu Bang (or Pang), was a peasant bandit leader who took over ruling China and the founder of the Han Dynasty (r.206-195 BCE) or emperor Gaozu (reign name).
What are some of the characteristics of Han Dynasty? Why do the Chinese consider this the dynasty that best defines the creation of their culture?
- Considered the “golden age” & set up China’s culture identity- confucianism. As a state philosophy which created a sophisticated civil service examination system that endure for centuries.
- Because a lot of people suffered under Qin’s brutal ruling and The Han Dynasty saved them thus allowing them to have good invocations and prosper which set up their culture of China.
What were some of the accomplishments of Gaozu and his sons?
- They moderated harsh Qin laws, created a semi-feudal state, had a peaceful time- lowered taxes, free trade = large merchant class grew,
- Frugality- little buildings & expansion,
- Diplomacy by having heqin (peace treaty).
Compare the policies of Gaozu and his sons with those of Wu Di in defending China against the Xiongnu barbarians.
Why does the Han Dynasty decline and what was China’s Dark Ages period?
- *Corruption by the Eunuchs, poor suffering, natural disasters (floods, locusts, epidemics), & rebellions (yellow turbans, five pecks of rice bands) occurred that caused the Han Dynasty to decline.
- Dark Ages was:
3 kingdoms, 6 dynasties, north and south dynasties = disorder & political fragmentation,
The Great Wall complex or xenophobic,
Most native Chinese began moving south, And
Sui unifies China again (581-618 CE).
Who were the original inhabitants of Rome? Who were the ‘founders of Rome’?
Etruscan inhabitants and Romulus & Remus (fought and Romulus won= Rome).
Who was Julius Caesar? What title was he given before his assassination?
- In the Roman REPUBLIC, he was a decorated general and everyone liked him as leader of Rome except the Senates (who later assassinated him).
- “Father of the Fatherland” (Pater Patriae)
Why is the Roman Republic overthrown? Who was the first emperor of Rome?
Because of Julius Caesar caused the Senate’s power struggle by his popularity and winning wars against them but then they killed him b/c he was getting too “much power” Then his nephew took over and wanted revenge on them for that. ***Octavian/ (later emperor-Augustus) Ceasar.
The road to becoming an emperor of Rome changed through the years. The bad emperors became emperors one way and the good emperors another. What was the difference in the method of succession?
- The “bad” emperors typically came to power through hereditary succession, where the throne passed to biological sons or family members regardless of their capability. This system produced notoriously poor rulers like Caligula and Nero, who inherited their positions through bloodline.
- The “good” emperors, particularly during the period of the Five Good Emperors (96-180 CE), came to power through a system of adoption and merit-based succession. Under this system, the current emperor would choose the most capable candidate as his successor and legally adopt him. Emperors like Trajan, Hadrian, and Marcus Aurelius were selected based on their demonstrated abilities rather than family ties. This adoption system generally produced more competent rulers who prioritized the empire’s welfare over personal interests.
