Chap 8.2

Question 1

What shaped Chinese society?

What was its core teaching?

Answer 1

•Confucianism shaped Chinese society

•Confucius taught that family was central to well-being of the state

Question 2

What was the Confucian teaching about family?

Answer 2

•Officials promoted strong family ties

–Fathers head of family

–Filial piety

–Obedience, devotion to parents, grandparents

Question 3

Where are the duties of children?

Answer 3

• Children served parents as they aged, honored dead at household shrines
• Some men even received government jobs because of respect shown parents

Question 4

What was the status of women in China?

Give 3 descriptions

Answer 4

• Fewer privileges, less status than men
• Rarely received education, or owned property
• Sons valued more than daughters

Question 5

What was marriage like in China?

Give 3 tradition

Answer 5

• Sons carried on family line
• Remained part of parents’ household after marriage
• Daughters married and joined husband’s household

Question 6

How did women achieve power and status in China?

Answer 6

•Older women achieved power because of Confucian respect for elders

Question 7

Who was Ban Zhao?

Answer 7

• Ban Zhao, female scholar, writer; helped write history of Han dynasty
• Called for mutual respect between husbands, wives, education for women

Question 8

What was the social structure in China?

Give 3 levels

Answer 8

• Emperor at top, ruled with mandate from heaven
• Upper class of palace court, nobles, government officials, scholars
• Second, largest class consisted of peasants, who grew empire’s food

Question 9

Who were the other 3 classes in China?

Answer 9

• Third class composed of artisans, made useful items, luxury goods
• Merchants occupied fourth class, trade not valued by Confucianism
• Slaves at bottom of society

Question 10

Who were the rich and poor class in China?

Answer 10

• Social class determined status, but not wealth or power
• Merchants usually wealthier than peasants, but were lower in status
• Hire workers, live in spacious homes

Question 11

Who was the class in 90% of China?

What were their lives like?

Answer 11

Peasant Class

• 90 percent of nearly 60 million in China at time were peasants
• Lived in small villages in simple houses, long hours in fields, worked on government projects
• High taxes, bad weather could force them into debt
• Many had to sell lands, become laborers for wealthy

Question 12

What created contact between China and other civilizations?

Answer 12

Trade

•Led to contact between China, other civilizations

Question 13

Who made the traded goods in China?

What products were traded?

Answer 13

• Ironworkers made iron armor, swords
• Artisans made pottery, jade and bronze objects

Question 14

What was the most prized production in China?

Answer 14

Production of SILK

• Most prized Chinese product
• Secret method for making silk, punishable by death

Question 15

What was the major industry in China?

Answer 15

• Raised silkworms, unwound threads of cocoons
• Fabric beautiful, soft, strong
• Clothing costly, in high demand

Question 16

What was the trade route betewen China and rest of Asia?

Where did the route connect to?

Answer 16

The Silk Roads

Merchants traveling between China, Central Asia

Silk Roads: Network of routes eventually stretched from China over 4,000 miles to Mediterranean Sea, and linked China to India, the Middle East, and the Roman Empire

Question 17

How was travel like on the Silk Roads?

Answer 17

• Travelers on Silk Roads crossed rugged terrain
• Faced attacks by bandits
• For protection, traveled in huge camel caravans
• Stopped at stations along way

Question 18

How was trade done on the Silk Roads?

Answer 18

• Most merchants traveled only part of way
• Traded goods with merchants from distant lands
• Most goods traded were luxury items
• Highly profitable

Question 19

What was the idea spread to China through trade?

Where did the idea come from?

Answer 19

Trade and Buddhism

Traders carried ideas as well as goods over the Silk Roads

•Buddhism spread to China from India

–Reached China in first century AD

Question 20

What was Buddhism’s main message?

How did this affect the government in China?

Answer 20

–Buddhism’s message of rebirth offered hope
–Han government became less stable, violence increased

•Buddhism gained popularity by AD 200

–cultural diffusion

Question 21

What were the Han achievements that inspired a Classical Age?

Answer 21

Classical Age

• During Han period, arts flourished, sciences and technology improved life
• Han China created magnificent palaces
• None survived, but ceramic models from tombs show architecture of period

Question 22

What did artists create?

Answer 22

• Artists painted portraits and nature scenes on walls, scrolls,
• During Later Han, Buddhist art flourished, including temple wall paintings

Question 23

What were achievements in literature?

Answer 23

•Han literature known for poetry, new styles of verse

Question 24

What were the two styles of Chinese poetry?

Answer 24

•Fu style, combined prose and poetry to create long works of literature

•Shi featured short lines of verse, could be sung

Question 25

Who was Sima Qian?

Whas was its achievement?

Answer 25

–Wrote Records of the Grand Historian or Shiji

–This early history became model for Chinese historical writing

Question 26

What was the Han achievement in technology?

Answer 26

• One of most important Han inventions - PAPER
• Made by grinding plant fibers into paste, paste dried in sheets
• Created “books” by connecting several sheets of paper into long scroll

Question 27

What was Han achievement in farming?

Answer 27

• Inventions included iron plow, wheelbarrow
• With iron plow, farmer could till more land
• With wheelbarrow, farmer could haul more

Question 28

What was the Han achievement in science?

Answer 28

• Created seismograph to measure earthquake tremors
• Acupuncture, use of needles to cure disease, relieve pain
• Invented compass, sundial, water mill,