china summary flashcards

Question 1

Before the Qin dynasty

Answer 1

Zhou dynasty -> Split into states who constantly fought (the warring states period)

Question 2

Confucianism

Answer 2

Founded by Confucius - stressed harmony in relationships, devoting lives to parents and elders, and getting high education.

Question 3

Daoism

Answer 3

Founded by Laozi - believed that people could do little to influence events, wanted humans to be one with nature, because nature was orderly

Question 4

Legalism

Answer 4

Powerful government can restore peace, harsh punishment and rich reward, believed in controlling ideas (burning books for examaple)

Question 5

Bureacracy

Answer 5

Many levels of power - all decisions made by officials rather than elected peoples.

Question 6

Analects

Answer 6

The beliefs of confucius recorded into a book

Question 7

Filial Piety

Answer 7

People should respect their parents and elders greatly. Children honor their parents after their deaths.

Question 8

Yin and Yang

Answer 8

Belief that there are too forces of nature acting with and against each other. (Yin is the passive, Yang is the positive)

Question 9

Autocracy

Answer 9

Government with unlimited power

Question 10

Mandate of Heaven/Dynastic Cycle

Answer 10

Heaven granted a king the right to rule. If the king was a tyrant, the people would naturally revolt, and the new ruler would claim the mandate. (there was always a honeymoon period before corruption happened AGAIN)

Question 11

Mongols

Answer 11

Nomads from the steppe, united by Genghis Khan.

Question 12

Great Wall

Answer 12

Build to keep the mongols and xiongnu out of China, and to control the silk road.

Question 13

Sui dynasty

Answer 13

Grand canal was built, civil service exam established

Question 14

Grand canal

Answer 14

1000 mile canal linking the yellow and yangtze rivers

Question 15

Tang dynasty

Answer 15

China’s golden age of art and poetry, conquered land north and west, improved trade, law, agriculture, and extended roads.

Question 16

Golden age

Answer 16

China’s tang and song dynasties, in which everything flourished (literature and art mostly), and things such as gunpowder, type, compass, and paper money were invented.

Question 17

Civil service exam

Answer 17

An exam which was used to select government officials. This meant that many rich people held high positions, as they could afford education.

Question 18

Song dynasty

Answer 18

Most of the inventions of the golden age took place here. They were driven south of the yellow river by mongols, yet ocean trade flourished.

Question 19

Gentry

Answer 19

The high and educated class

Question 20

The great mongol empire

Answer 20

The clans of nomads in Mongolia were united by Genghis khan, who by organization and strategic means conquered the majority of asia and europe.

Question 21

Yuan dynasty

Answer 21

Founded by Kublai Khan, Silk trade BOOMED, as well as foreign affairs, because everything was under mongol control.

Question 22

Silk Road

Answer 22

Trade route between China and europe. Traded silk, porcelain, ideas, and many of the Song dynasty inventions

Question 23

Ming dynasty

Answer 23

Hongwu drove out the mongols, and improved a lot of farming. His son Yonglo sent Zhenghe out on 7 voyages around the world, and built the forbidden city. Religious diversity boomed.

Question 24

Han dynasty

Answer 24

Buddhism was introduced in China, and the Silk road was established. (also possibly the civil service exam)

Question 25

Chinese Isolationism

Answer 25

Confucianist beliefs were against commerce. Educated peoples in China did not like the europeans, so they isolated.