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.
Genghis khan
General. VERY harsh. New military tactics, VERY effective and powerful. TOTAL annihilation
Mongols
Conquered China, trust issues but culture thrived, rebellions eventual overthrew the empire. Very harsh people.
Silk Road
International trading route, many spices silk and other goods traded, cultural influences
Beijing
Grand canal, highway to get goods from south in Beijing. New capital of China
Marco Polo
Venetian trader on silk roads, visits China and serves Kublai khan 17 years
Is put in prison, but spread Chinese culture and fellow inmate kept record of the stories of the aspects of Chinese culture
Becomes best seller
Clans
Many Mongolians were split up into clans.
Nomad
Group of people who travel. Mongols were like this, then conquered China.
Yuan
Dynasty of Mongols, come into power, very harsh and stuff but thriving culture, overthrown by Chinese rebellion, famine, flood disease (etc.)
Hongwu
Led rebellion and conquered China over the Mongols.
Created stability and agricultural development, restored all of China’s former culture and destroyed that of the Mongols.
Becomes ruthless after awhile, kills thousands of officials.
Power struggle after he dies.
Ming dynasty
Takes back China from Mongols, restores culture. Uprising ends it.
Feudalism
Warlords take over their own territory and rule mini kingdoms. How Japan was ruled.
Samurai
Early samurai protected local aristocratic landowners. In the late 1100s, however, the warrior class secured national power and dominated Japanese government until 1868. Samurai warriors followed an unwritten code that emphasized honor, bravery, and loyalty. This code came to be known as Bushido. Their reputation as fearsome warriors has become legendary.
Bushido
unwritten code that emphasized honor, bravery, and loyalty followed by samurai
Shogun
During the late 1100s, Japan’s two most powerful clans fought for power. After almost 30 years of war, the Minamoto family emerged victorious. In 1192, the emperor gave a Minamoto leader named Yoritomo the title of shogun, or “supreme general of the emperor’s army.” In effect, the shogun had the powers of a military dictator.
Kamakura shogunate
The military base, able to beat Mongols. Drained treasury so samurai stay closer to local lords.
Wu zhou
First leader of Zhou dynasty
Himalayas
Mountain range
