chapter 13 Flashcards
Daoism
Chinese philosophy of noncompetition known as “the way” that dates to the Zhou Dynasty in the sixth century BCE
Chan Buddhism
Sect of Buddhism that placed little emphasis on written texts but held intuition and insight in high regard
Shinto
Indigenous Japanese religion revolving around the veneration of ancestors and a host of nature spirits & deities
Shogun
A clan leader who acted as a military governor and ruled in place of the emperor of Japan
Samurai
Serving the provincial lords of Japan, they were warriors and specialists in the use of force and the arts of fighting
Kamakura
(1185-1333 CE) Period in Japan when political order was decentralized and provincial lords wielded power and authority by controlling land and economic affairs
Heian
(794-1185 CE) Period in Japan where an emperor was recognized as a symbol of Japan’s authority while serving as a ceremonial figurehead
Nam Viet
A southern land around the Red River that the Tang Dynasty attempted to conquer and absorb
Neo-Confucianism
Confucians of the Song Dynasty who drew inspiration from Buddhist thought on nature and the cosmos and merge it with Confucianism
Nirvana
An Indian term meaning the personal salvation that comes after an individual soul escapes from the cycle of reincarnation
Buddhism
Eastern religion that came to China vis the Silk Road as early as the first or second century BCE
Dunhuang
Location in western China where Chinese Buddhists built hundreds of cave temples depicted events in the life of Buddha
Wuwei
Translation of the Buddhist principle of nirvana to the Daoist ethic of noncompetition to make Buddhism more appealing to Chinese converts
Zhu Xi
The most important writer and philosopher of neo-Confucianism during the Song Dynasty
Nara
(710-794 CE) Period in Japan when Chinese influence was most prominent, centralizing Japanese politics instituting Chinese-styled bureaucracy
Tale of Genji
The most remarkable work of Japanese literature during the Heian Period, it reflects life at court during that time
Muromachu
(1336-1573 CE) Period in Japan when political order was decentralized and provincial lords wielded power and authority by controlling land and economic affairs
Confucianism
A traditional Chinese philosophy dating from the 6th century BCE, its purpose was to maintain order and provide effective government
Wu Zhao
Although once a concubine at the court of Tang Taizong, she rose to become the only woman in Chinese history to claim the imperial title and rule as Emperor
Song Taizu
Highly effective in first emperor of the Song Dynasty, he restored centralized administration and placed the military under tight supervision and expanded bureaucracy
Sui Dynasty
Short Chinese dynasty from 589-618 CE that built a strong centralized government by levying high taxes and demanding compulsory labor services
Tang Taizong
Ambitious and ruthless second emperor of the Tang Dynasty who provided effective and stable government and built the capital city of Chang’an
Sui Yangdi
Second emperor of the Sui Dynasty, he coordinated the construction of the Grand Canal by linking earlier canals with new ones, although at such great cost that he was later assassinated
Uighurs
Nomadic Turkish mercenaries brought in by the Tang to help end a rebellion
Li Bai
Most popular poet of the Tang era who used Chinese social life as the dominant themes of his poetry
Gunpowder
First developed during the Tang Dynasty while attempting to produce elixirs to prolong life, it was quickly recognized for its potential military use
Yang Jian
Late 6th century military leader that brought China under centralized rule founding the Sui Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
(618-907 CE) Dynasty replacing the Sui that organized China into a powerful, productive, and prosperous society
Hangzhou
Prosperous port city that became the new capital city of the Song Dynasty after the establishment of the Jin Empire
Porcelain
Fired with glazes and lighter + thinner than earlier pottery, its productive diffused to other societies and was greatly demanded
Mahayana Buddhism
A religion foreign to China but encouraged by cultural exchange and interaction with peoples of other societies, slowly gaining a following in Tang & Song China
Foot binding
Practice that spread widely during the Song era that strengthened patriarchal authority to “enhance the attractiveness” of daughters
Song Dynasty
(960-1279 CE) Dynasty that managed to reinstitute centralized government in China after the collapse of the Tang Dynasty
Equal Field System
Governmental system put in place during the Tang Dynasty to assure equitable distribution of agricultural land
Grand Canal
Building project completed during the Sui Dynasty to facilitate trade between northern and southern China
What are the eras of China (in order)?
Shang
Zhou
Qin
Han
Sui
Tang
Song
Yuan
Ming
Qing
How long is the Great Wall of china and what was it built out of?
It is over 4000 miles across northern china and it was built of stone facings with rubble fill
Why was the great wall built?
For protection for China from barbarians to the north
Where are the oldest known examples of Ancient Chinese language found?
On oracle bones in Hanzi Script
What is the Shang dynasty known for? (1766-1122 BCE)
It was the first dynasty of China
What is the Zhou dynasty known for? (1122-256 BCE)
Confucius developed system of moral values
What is the Han Dynasty known for (206 BCE - 220 CE)?
The empire expanded China into central Asia
What is the Sui dynasty known for? (589-618 CE)
A strong centralized Government was rebuilt by Yang Jian
What was the Tang Dynasty known for? (618-907 CE)
China became a powerful and prosperous society
What was the Song Dynasty known for? (960-1279 CE)
They primarily focused on administration, arts, industry, and education (not military)
What was the Yuan Dynasty known for? (1279-1368 CE)
It was the ruling dynasty after the Mongol conquest
What was the Ming dynasty known for? (1368-1644 CE)
It was the last imperial dynasty to be ruled by the Han Chinese
Why did the Sui dynasty fall apart?
People were mad at the high taxes due to the conscripted labor of the Grand Canal and the military failures in Korea
What did the Tang Dynasty achieve?
- Transportation and communication improvement (wide networks, stations, Grand Canal, postal services)
- Equal field system (fell apart later)
- Strong bureaucracy of merit
How available was the imperial civil service examinations?
Widely available
What did the Tang Dynasty manage to conquer?
Manchuria, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet
Why were the Uighurs invited into the Tang Dynasty?
To stop the rebellions led by An Lushan and others later in the ninth century
Why did the Song dynasty fall apart?
- The size of bureaucracy had a heavy drain on the economy
- Lack of military training
What was the economic development of Tang and song china?
New Agricultural techniques, urbanization
How did Wu Zhao stay as empress?
She patronized Buddhism to legitimize her rule
Organized a secret police
What are some notable innovations of China?
- Porcelain
- Iron production
- Gunpowder
- Refined printing
- Naval tech
- Paper money
- Silk road
How did Buddhism thrive in China?
*A mahayana Buddhist community grew in Dunhuang
* Converts donated land holdings
*Donated to the poor
How did Confucianism and Buddhism differ?
Confucianism:
Emphasis on ethics + politics
Family centered
Buddhism:
Emphasis on Metaphysics
Ascetic ideal
What happened to Buddhists during the 840s
Their temples were closed down and they lost popularity
How did Silla dynasty get Tang armies to withdraw?
They went into a tributary relationship with the Tang dynasty
How were Japanese emperors different from Chinese?
Chinese emperors ruled over the imperial house, but Japanese emperors were figureheads (shoguns had the power)
What was seppuku?
It was a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment for samurai.
What is the Huang He river also known as?
The great sorrow
Which river is part of the world’s oldest continuous civilization?
The yangtze river
What term refers to Chinese cities becoming increasingly cosmopolitan?
Hemispheric Economy
