china #1 - #4 Flashcards
1
Q
loess
A
deposited fertile soil when river overflows
2
Q
oracle bones
A
animal bones and tortoise shells on which priests would scratch questions for the gods
3
Q
mandate of heaven
A
god’s divine approval for a ruler to rule
4
Q
dynastic cycle
A
the pattern of rise, decline, and replacement of dynasties
5
Q
filial piety
A
the practice of respect for their parents and ancestors
6
Q
yin and yang
A
two powers that together represent the natural rhythms of life, balances, universal opposites
7
Q
geographical features and environmental challenges
A
- natural barriers isolated ancient china from other civilizations
- yellow sea, east china sea, pacific ocean, taklimakan desert, plateau of tibet, himalayas, gobi desert, mongolian plateau
- huang he sometimes flooded and can be disastrous
- geographical isolations had early settlers supply their own goods rather than trading
- their geographical features didn’t stop multiple invasions
8
Q
settlements
A
- farming settlements along the huang he
- the settlements grew into cities
- houses, palaces, and tombs are mostly made out of wood
9
Q
social classes
A
- nobles
- artisans
- merchants
- peasants
- noble families owned land
10
Q
role of family
A
- central to chinese society
- respect to parents
- older man controlled family’s property and made important decisions
- women were expected to obey fathers, husbands, older sons
- hoped to improve status by bearing sons
11
Q
religious beliefs
A
- spirits of family ancestors had the power to bring good fortune or disaster to living family members
- paid respect to ancestors and made sacrifices
- consulted gods through oracle bones
12
Q
writing system
A
- no link between spoken language and written language
- people in all parts can learn the same system of writing even if the spoken language is different
- helped unify, easier control
- noble learned to write, peasants could not
13
Q
technological advances
A
- roads, canals
- coined money
- bronze
14
Q
artistry
A
- caligraphy
- pottery (bronze)
- embroidery
15
Q
confucianism
A
founder: confucius
16
Q
confucianism social order
A
- should be based on five basic relationships
- ruler and subject
- father and son
- husband and wife
- older brother and younger brother
- friend and friends
- filial piety is important
- respect for elders and parents
17
Q
confucianism government
A
- rulers should practice kindness and virtuous living
- subjects should be loyal and law-abiding
- civil service forms a stronger government
- a king should be based on status, age, and gender to form a strong society
18
Q
confucian principles
A
- rites and rules (appropriate behavior)
- compassion for others, humanity
- empathy (understanding feelings for others)
- righteousness (being morally right)
- filial piety (respect for elders)
19
Q
the four virtues (gentleman)
A
- courteousness: private life, respect, consideration
- precise: serving master, following rules
- providing: give more than due
- just: fair, morally right, in service for the people
20
Q
mencius
A
- disciple of confucius
- if someone does something bad, education, not punishment, is the answer
- good people will mend their ways to inherit goodness
21
Q
daoism
A
founder: laozi
- the ruler should feed and take care of his people, ruler should have knowledge
- empty minds and healthy bodies, people have no motivation or desires
- wealth and material comfort confuse the people who might desire them
- happiness and security are deprived by a lack of desire
22
Q
daoism order and government
A
- natural order is more important than social order
- government is an unnatural order
- ideal government is one that governs the least
23
Q
daoism universal force and harmony
A
- universal force guides all things
- humans should live simply and in harmony with nature
- relations among all living things
24
Q
daoist principles
A
- dao (nature) is the first cause of the universe, it is a force that flows through all life (keep bellies full and minds empty)
- believer’s goal is to become one with the dao, don’t fight nature, and embrace it
- man is unhappy because he lives according to man-made laws, customs, and traditions that are contrary to the ways of nature
25
Q
to escape the “social, political, and cultural traps” of life, one must escape by:
A
- rejecting formal knowledge
- rely on senses and instincts
- discovering nature and ways of the universe
- ignoring political and social law
26
Q
legalists
A
founder: han feizi, li si
- legalism became the political philosophy of the qin
27
Q
legalism social order
A
- punishments are used to maintain social order
- government should use the law to restore harmony
28
Q
legalism government
A
- believed in a highly efficient and powerful government
- rulers should provide rewards to those who do their jobs well
- the disobedient should be punished
- ideas should be strictly controlled by the government
29
Q
legalism principles:
A
- human nature is naturally selfish
- intellectualism and literacy is discouraged
- law is the supreme authority and replaces morality
- ruler must rule with a strong harsh hand
- war is the means of strengthening ruler’s power
30
Q
shang dynasty: 1766 - 1027 bce
A
- wheeled chariots
- writing system
- written records
- bronze casting
- calender
- pottery - kaolin
- jade
- irrigation system
31
Q
shang downfall
A
nomads attack/invade
32
Q
zhou dynasty: 1027 - 256 bce
A
- longest lasting
- roads and canals
- coins
- furnaces, iron tools
- calvary
- art and literature (first book)
- experts at silk making
- established a feudal society
33
Q
zhou downfall
A
- civil war
- powerful states challenge
- nomads invade
34
Q
qin dynasty: 221 - 206 bce
A
- established china’s first empire
- shi huang di - legalist ruler
- autocracy
- 36 commanderies (counties)
- centralizes control, imperial overseer
- bureaucratic administration
- military expansion
- book burning, targeted confucianists
35
Q
qin accomplishments:
A
- roads and canals
- building the great wall
- irrigation project
- standardized weights and measures, coinage, laws, and writing system
- axle wheels
- unified china, first emperor
- terracotta army
36
Q
qin downfall
A
- peasants uprising
- after ruler died they were overthrown
37
Q
liu bang
A
- established a centralized government to destroy rival king’s power
- departed from shi huang di’s strict rule
- lowered taxes
- softened punishments
38
Q
empress lu
A
- was a strict and cruel ruler
- tried to be more lenient to stay in power and have support
- stayed in control by naming one of her infant as emperor
39
Q
wu di
A
- considered the best ruler
- expanded the empire through war
- employed more than 130,000 people into the civil service
- started public schools
- colonized places (manchuria, korea, vietnam)
- established a bureaucracy, confucian scholars
- revival (restored) chinese landscape paintings
40
Q
wang mang
A
- minted new money
- helped feed the poor
- redistributed land to the poor
- supplied money to economy
41
Q
civil service exam
A
- knowledge of confucianism
- ability to write
- five studies:
- military startegy
- civil law
- revenue and taxation
- agriculture and geography
