China Flashcards
When did the Shang dynasty rule?
End of 2nd millenium BC
Where were the Shang dynasty based?
Wei river valley, north central China
When did the Zhou dynasty rule?
1000BC-250BC
What three things mark out the Zhou dynasty?
- longest dynasty in Chinese history
- introduction of iron
- evolution of writing
When did Confucianism and Taoism spread?
After the period of the Warring Dynasties?
Which dynasty founded the first Chinese empire?
Qin
When did Qin Shi Huang Ti rule?
221-210 BC
Who was the most prominent Qin dynasty ruler?
Qin Shi Huang Ti
What was Qin Shi Huang Ti buried with?
Terracota army
Who built the Terracota Army?
Qin Shi Huang Ti
When did the Han dynasty rule? Who were they conemporaneous with?
2nd c BC- 2nd c AD, Roman empire
Who started the Great Wall of China?
Han dynasty
What 2 factors caused the demise of the Han dynasty?
- threatening Hun
2. invaders from the west
When was the period of the Six Kingdoms?
2nd c AD- 589
When did the Sui dynasty rule?
589-618
Where was the Sui capital?
Chang’an, on the Wei river
What did the Sui dynasty build?
Grand Canal
How long is the Grand Canal?
1,776km
What does the Grand Canal connect?
Yellow and Yangtze rivers
What two products proliferated due to the Grand Canal? What was used for the first time to pay for them?
Rice and tea. Paper money
Which region of China most benefited from the Grand Canal?
South China
Which region of China did the Sui dynasty conquer? What effect did this have?
The north; united China
When did the Tang dynasty rule?
618-906
What was the Tang capital called, and what supplied it? How big was it?
Chang’an, the Grand Canal. 10 sq km
Name the first four Tang emperors
- Gaozu
- Taizong
- Gaozong
- Wu Ze Tian
What marks Wu Ze Tian out?
First female emperor; she was not an empress
What two factors allowed expansion through the Gobi desert?
- proliferation of horses
2. Silk Road
What three cities in Central Asia did the Tangs reach?
- Tashkent
- Samarkand
- Bukhara
What stopped Tang expansion westwards?
Battle of Talas, 752
Who was the Battle of Talas between, and what year was it fought?
Abbasids and Tang dynasty, 752
What consequence for Western culture did the Battle of Talas have?
Chinese prisoners brought paper to Baghdad
What did north China eat? What did south China eat?
Noodles; rice
Who translated the Buddhist texts from the Sanskrit? When did he live?
Faxian, 337-422
What route did Faxian take?
Anti-clockwise around the Himalayas
Who is the Buddhist equivalent of St Jerome?
Faxian
Which form of Buddhism spread under the Tang dynasty?
Chan (zen)
