China and Japan Flashcards
Huang He
Yellow River
In north
Yangtze
River in east to Yellow Sea
Mandate of Heaven
Way for people to think that it was ok for emperors and empires to die and fall. Heavenly and divine figures would strike them down if they weren’t doing the right thing; mandated by divine beings.
Reasons that the rivers were essential in China
Fertile land
Empires in order?
Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han
Zhou dynasty’s improvements?
Better roads and canals for trade and agric
Coined money for trade
Cast iron and blast furnaces
Tools and weapons
How did the Zhou dynasty fall?
Nomadic invasions, instability within empire
Qin dynasty
Legalism, no human rights, led to peasant rebellions and falls
Loess
Fertile soil from Huang He, from desert, w + n by wind
Dynastic cycle
The cycle I which a dynasty forms, and is eventually fallen/ overthrown, and thus the cycle continues
The Great Wall
Built by Shi , erected by unwilling peasants to protect China and unify everyone.
Sui dynasty
Short; 2 emperors
Forced labor, lots of death, revolts and assassination of emperors
Grand Canal
Completed during the Sui dynasty, is connected to Huang he and Yangtze, is a trade route from north to south
Tang
After Sui dynasty, 300 yrs
Empire is expanded
Strong cent gov’t
Better infrastructure
Better trade,
Civil service examination developed
Better gov’t; less inheritance and more intelligent based
Lots of taxes though bc gov’t didn’t have $, hardship for people,
Control issues and attacks+rebellions= gov’t falling, assassinated emperors
Tang Taizong
Brilliant leader, helped out the Tang Dynasty, expansions and a lot of infrastructure improvements
Ch’ang-an
Constructed by Sui Wendi
Capital to many empires
Sui Wendi
First emperor of the Sui dynasty
Civil service examination
A series of tests one would have to pass to become a leader in theta get government. Led to better, more intelligent leaders.
Gentry
Those with leader positions; were strengthened bc of civil service examination
Song Dynasty
After tang., there are separate kingdoms because of many warlords, and so Taizu brings them back together. Reunites China and lots of innovation and has golden age. Agriculture and farming improve.
Golden age
Poetry and art are sophisticated and developed. Beautiful stuff happens. Culture spreads, more trade and stuff. More people. Social classes develop. Women’s rights are not great. Technology and such develops.
Foot binding
Crippled women’s feet by binding them, prevents further growth; shows wealth bc they didn’t need to use their feet.
The movable type
Artisans and printers found a way to mass produce books called the movable type. Carved into wooden blocks and printed the carvings with ink.
Kublai Khan
Mongol, lots of armies, conquers China, keeps some Chinese culture. Sends fleets to Japan and fails both times.