China exam 1 Flashcards
Confucius/Analects
-born to Kong family in Qufu. Born to father of the lowest ranking nobility.
-Tutored young men on the art of ruling. Called China first private thinker.
-Analects means ‘ Discussions and conversations’ orally transmitted.
-Book assumed its shape first century BCE. The analects are recorded conversations. Used short sentences as a reference for longer discourses in the analects.
-Confucious taught how to behave virtuously and how to govern and rituals.
Mencius/Mencius-
-active ca 320 BCE. Studied Confucius teachings at a young age.
- Believed men were born good but could lose their qualities over time using his example of bull mountain being deforested.
- Wanted China unified under a competent ruler. Felt because of peoples good nature could select their new ruler.
-Thought if the ruler served their subjects they would gain their support.
-Liked the well field system tic tac toe grid where each family had their plot, and the center plot was for the ruler.
Shang Yang (Lord Shang)-
-361 BCE prime minister initiated reforms to build a strong legalist state.
‘Book of Lord Shang’ his polices strengthened the Qin state. Disdain for the past. Rejected Confucius values.
- Established population registrations which held each group of 5 or 10 responsible for each other. Able age men had to preform military service and pay taxes.
-Credited with establishing private ownership of land.
King Zheng (Shi Huangdi)
Qin ruler. 259-210 BCE. Chinas first emperor.
-At 22 took power into his own hands. Created title First August Emperor.
-Required 6 defeated kings move to his capital. Toured empire 5 times.
Emphasizes farming as the mainstay of the economy.
- Circular coins became the standard. Divided territories into regions. (42). Then divided into counties which replicated the central government
government divided into Three civil matters with taxation and registration of the population, military affairs, and the supervision of governmental officials.
Nine-Grade System
-General Cao Cao son created the system of nine grades for administration.
-An impartial local official would rank each candidate from one to nine. Depending on his accomplishments and moral standing.
-If officials received appointments on recommendations, sons of powerful families had a large advantage.
- Survived many changes of power from 3rd to 6th c
Xiongnu
the northern people who had defeated the Han dynasty.
-Conquered the capital of Luoyang. Had a stronger calvary and army than the Han.
-Liked Buddhism and granted right to build monasteries.
-Ruler who conquered the capital was Shi Le
Kumarajiva
-trained by monk in Kucha.
-Was kidnapped twice where he masted Chinese so was able to translate Buddhist text. He managed the translation bureau.
- He brought in a new learning called the Greater Vehicle where salvation could be obtained even those in laity. The Greater Saw buddha as a divine being and promoted building of massive images.
-Took vow of celibacy but ended up breaking it and having kids
Sogdians
-Most active foreign community in China.
-Settled in almost every city coming before China was unified 3rd to 6th c.
-famous for being skilled merchants. Played major role for carrying trade goods from Samarkand and Chang ‘an
- Carried light goods. Medicine, jewels, copper, turmeric, sugar.
Northern Wei
-386-534. Established by Non Chinese Tabgach.
-Retained power for over a century. Included different tribes from the steppes with no written language of their own.
-Followed tanistry style of picking rulers. After they married men shaved the front of their heads.
-Received income from taxing the Chinese peasantry.
-Eventually build a permanent capital in Shanxi resettled 300k Chinese and set aside lots of farmland to supply food to the capital.
-Worshipped their own gods but also made offering to buddha.
Emperor Xiaowen
-493 implemented a series of measures to make the empire more Chinese.
Including new capital in Luoyang.
-Took 10 years. Dropped the royal family name adopting the Chinese name Yuan instead.
-Had official speak chinse and wear Chinese clothing. Many tabgach resisted the policies.
-Rebellion happened and was suppressed but emperor’s son resisted the capital move and was forced to commit suicide
-part of this was thought to suppress the Tabgach military control/power.
Record of the Monasteries of Luoyang
written by Yang Xuanzhi an official in the archives of the Northern Wei.
-Described the largest monasteries. One was Monastery of Eternal Peace at 1000 feet which was built by the state. 47 of these built and another 800+ by royal families.
-Chinese Buddhist monks never exceeded 1 percent of the population.
Sui dynasty
-re unified China in 589 and ruled for 3 decades.
-Lifted ban on Buddhism and Daoism. tried to eliminate the difference between north and south.
-Created a law code that applied to everyone even the prince who exceeded building cost limit as was stripped of his offices and put under house arrest.
-Build a grand canal that links the north and south.
Yang Jian
-founder of the Sui dynasty. Born into a powerful military family, spent the first 12 years of his life at a monastery.
-Became general under a regional ruler.
-His daughter married regional ruler who wanted her to commit suicide. He died and yang Jian seized power 581 began rule as Emperor Wendi.
-589 conquered the south and reunified China. Grand donor of Buddhism
Li Shimin/Emperor Taizong
-one of two sons of Tangs founder who fought for power.
-Killed one of his brothers and watched an officer kill the other brother. Forced his father to step down.
-Got support from the Turks thru tanistry.
- Legend arose that the emperor would face court in the afterlife for his crimes.
Turks
a powerful northern tribal confederation who succeeded the tabgach and were distant ancestors of modern Turks of turkey.
- Believed in tanistry.
-Supported Emperor Taizong.
