Exam 3 Flashcards
Imperial Universities
In 136 BCE, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty founded a college for classical scholars called the Imperial University. By the second century CE, it boasted 30,000 members. They made important medical discoveries, including the role of wind and temperatures in transmitting diseases. Invented compasses, and high quality paper that improved AP theme of cultural integration by allowing better communication and expanding Confucianism.
Scholar-gentry
The scholar-gentry was a social class that played a role in the foundations of Han power. These individuals shared the determination to imporse order on the Chinese population during the Han dynasty. These people existed due to the large evolvement of political institutions, ideological supports, and economic assets. A social structure.
Shi Huangdi
Right at the beginning of the Qin dynasty, King Zheng, the leader of the Qin Dynasty, defeated the remaining Warrior states during 230 BCE. With the help of able ministers and generals and a large conscripted army, as well as a system o taxation, he assumed the mandate of heaven and changed his name to “First August Emperor. He made commanderies, 36 provinces, and had a civilian and military civilian governor answering to a political officer.
Taklimakan Desert
Surrounded by the western regions of the Han procreate, this desert contained the Jade Gate, built by Wu. These procreates of Han consisted of oases on the rim of the dessert. This area promoted trade because it attracted a large amount of settled. Traders could find found in many different areas now. These were the dessert trade routes.
Crossbows
The Han dynasty military used crossbows, there were around 50,000 of those guys in the beginning. They were made from bronze and iron and were massed produced weapons. They hurt a lot when you get hit by one and it sucks to get hit by one. Also, they themed military development cause of the abundance of metals and war and stuff
Wang Mang
Wang Mang, a former Han minister, took over the throne and promoted economic and social reforms that benefitted the lower classes. Mang enacted several reforms to help the poor, including the even distribution of gold and land among members of society. Mang’s rule is known as an unstable period in Chinese history, as Mang served only as a bridge between the Confucius-based Han dynasty and the Daoist-based Han dynasty. His inability to cope with the braking of the dikes brought the lower and middle classes of China into uproar, as it resulted in mass death and vast migration. By 23 CE, The Red Eyebrows overthrew Wang, who became the model of the evil usurper.
“China Sorrow”
“China Sorrow” was the name given to the Yellow River after broke through its’ dikes. Resulting in famine and banditry, unleashed tremendous flooding caused mass death and vast migrations. Peasants’ impoverishment and revolt followed with often regularity. “China Sorrow” signified the last straw for Wang Mang, who clearly proved he had lost the Mandate of Heaven. The effects of these floods affected China forever, who lost some 28 million people by 11 CE due to it. It led to a period of time of great instability, as citizens feared starvation and security. Overall, “China Sorrow” remains one of China’s darkest moments of history, as it represented a loss of citizens and culture, and resulted in the end of the Mang rule.
Emperor Wudi
Wudi is significant because in Western Han dynasty, the first part of the cycle of the dynasty brought great economic prosperity to the empire. One of the great men behind this was Emperor Wu, or Wudi, who lead many military campaigns during his reign. He installed a strict penal code for the powerful officials that got in his way so that they would not gain too much power and pose a threat (there were over a thousand trials for such cases). After Wudi died, peasants found that, because of the expensive military campaigns, they were taxed too heavily too keep their land and had to give it up.
Tuoba
The most successful regime was the Tuoba’s, who came from Inner Mongolia. After nearly a century of contact with northern China, the Tuoba settled and formed the Northern Wei dynasty which lasted one hundred fifty years. However, because of these northern invasions, China spent three hundred years politically, ethnically, and culturally divided. Han rulers had contempt for the Tuoba, but they were not barred and practiced many advanced customs. The Tuoba relate to State Building, as they readily constructed advanced standing armies, innovated military technology, taxed land, and built their empire. Furthermore, although southern dynasties disliked the Tuoba, they were considered to be civilized by imperial standards, demonstrating the extent of their state building.Tuoba
Emperor Xiaomen and Dowager Empress Fang
Emperor Xiaomen and Dowager Empress Fang - Emperor Xiaomen was a ruler of the Northern Wei dynasty founded by the Tuoba. Under him, the Tuoba family adopted the name Yuan and many other Chinese customs, such as wearing Chinese clothing. Dowager Empress Fang was the grandmother of Emperor Xiaomen. She initiated progressive land reforms, which included the allocation of land to male citizens. This relates to state building, as emperor Xiaomen rebuilt the old Han capital based on old Han architectural models. He also supported Buddhist temples and tried to bridge the cultural divides between the Han and Tuoba.
Kumarajiva
Kumarajiva was a renowned Buddhist scholar and missionary who was an important influence in spreading Buddhism in China. He brought many holy books, translated previously unknown Buddhist texts, and clarified Buddhist terminologies. His disciples established Madhyamika, which described limited reason through irony and paradox. Kumarajiva was significant as he represented a cultural shift in Buddhism, as it began to expand into northwestern China. Devotional acts and the power of the Buddha encouraged Chinese to join the clergy, and such rituals had a special appeal to people in times of crises. This relates to the theme of Cultural development and interaction.
“External alchemy”
External alchemy emerged from Daoism, which was a popular Chinese religion under the Han dynasty and challenged the Confucian state. The new tradition of Daoism included initiation rights, known as external alchemy. In this, believers used hallucinatory drugs which the Daoist clergy thought would bridge the gap between the mortal world and divine world. Similar to the Chavín culture in the Andes, the Daoists tradition of external alchemy reflects the theme of cultural development. External alchemy was a form of expression that enabled the Daoist cult to gain followers and expand their system. It provided a satisfactory means of showing believers the power of the divine.
Floating population
Floating population is a term used to describe citizens who resided in a given population for a certain amount of years, yet are not generally considered part of the official census count. Both Rome and Han dynasty regularly took censuses, as they rigorously counted the empire’s inhabitants and assessed their property for tax purposes. The floating population therefore were citizens living in the region but were not considered part of the census. The census underlined family as a one core of society, even though the man was considered the leader of the family. At a time of Christianity and Buddhism, family was at the foundation of Roman and Han China social order, and so the census and the floating population were two clear examples of the value of family in these empires.
Banu Migrations
The Bantus spread rapidly eastward and southward and absorbed hunter-and-gatherer groups already in these regions. Adapting their agricultural techniques to widely different environments, the Bantus’ skill in agriculture allowed them to thrive whether in tropical forests, highlands, or high grassland.
“The Street of the Dead”
Marking the city’s center was the huge royal compound or Ciudadela; the grandeur and refinement of its stepped stone pyramid, the Temple of the Feathered serpent influenced Mayan pyramid builders. From it radiated the awesome promenade known as the Street of the Dead, which culminated in the Pyramid of the moon. Here foreign warriors and dignitaries were mutilated, sacrificed, and often buried alive to consecrate the holy structure.
