China Vocab Flashcards
China Proper
the historical heartland of China; located in the southeastern part of China
Bureaucracy
relating to the business of running an organization or government
Merit
ability
Chang’ an
capital of the Tang Dynasty grew to be the largest city in the world
Scholar Official
highly educated person who passed civil service exams and worked in the government
Urbanization
the growth of cities
Money Economy
economic system in which people use currency rather than bartering to buy & sell goods
Porcelain
a hard white pottery of extremely fine quality
Nomad
a person who moves from place to place without a permanent home
Mongol
a large group of Mongolic-speaking tribes united under the rule of Genghis Khan
Steppe
vast area of grasslands
Khan
ruler or emporer
Despot
rule by a single person; tryant
Tribute
payment made by one ruler or country to another for protection or as a sign of submission
compass
a device with a magnetized piece of metal that points north; used for navigation
block printing
method of printing; invented during the Tang dynasty, that uses moveable type
Daoism
a philosophy of following the Dao, that is, the natural way of the universe
Buddhism
a religion developed from the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha
Confucianism
a belief system based on the ideas of Chinese thinker- Confucious
The Three Perfections
painting, calligraphy, and poetry
Civil Service Exams
test given to qualify candidates for positions in the government
Grand Canal
a canal system built during the Sui dynasty connecting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers
Absolute Rule
when the ruler is involved in every decision and has final authority on everything
Junks
huge ships made by the Chinese to explore and trade
