Socials 8 China Unit 3 Flashcards
After the Warring States period, who was the new emperor?
Ying Zheng gave himself the name Shi Huangdi which means First Emperor. He was 13 when he took power in Qin state, and eventually defeated all the fighting warlords.
Why is “first emperor’ a good title for Shi Huangdi?
He was the first emperor to rule over a united China
Was the Qin Dynasty long lasting?
Not in time, but it had a long lasting impact on culture and civilization.
What is a central government?
a government concerned with areas that affect an entire nation or empire, such as defense, taxes, and the economy
What does redistribute mean?
to reassign ownership, to give away to another person
What are taxes?
mandatory fees paid to the government
What are public works?
Major construction projects owned by the government
How did Huangdi change the government?
He created one central government, and divided the country into 36 districts
Who had power over the land in the Qin Dynasty?
The nobles had no power, so this was a change from the past
Who was in charge in the 36 districts?
Appointed officials were in charge
Where did the nobles have to live during the Qin Dynasty?
In the city where Huangdi could keep an eye on them
How did peasants’ lives improve during the Qin Dynasty?
Huangdi gave them all farm land by taking it away from the nobles, but the peasants had to pay taxes to the government.
What did peasants have to give in exchange for land during the Qin Dynasty?
They had to work on public works, like roads and ditches, and they also had to pay taxes
What two things did Huangdi standardize during the Qin Dynasty?
Money and writing system became the same throughout China.
What is Shi Huangdi’s greatest achievement?
The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall protected China from whom?
The nomads who would raid the northern region
What is a conscripted worker?
people forced to become laborers by the government
How many people built the Great Wall?
500000
For how long did construction continue?
2000 Years
What was the benefit of the Qin Dynasty’s central government?
They were able to organize large scale projects such as the Great Wall, standard writing and money systems, to bring prosperity to China
Why was Shi Huangdi not a popular ruler?
He was a Legalist, who believed that laws and the government were more important than people. He was a harsh ruler. He felt people only existed to serve him.
What did Shi Huangdi do to show people he did not agree with Confucianism and Daoism?
He burned their books and buried their scholars alive to try to erase their knowledge
During the Qin Dynasty how did the nobles feel?
Resentful that they lost their land and power
During the Qin Dynasty how did the peasants feel?
they resented working like slaves on public projects
During the Qin Dynasty how did the scholars feel?
They feared for their lives
What weird things did Shi Huangdi do because he was so suspicious?
He feared for his life, never slept in the same bed twice, dressed in disguise, had his own sons executed
How do they think Shi Huangdi died?
By poisoning himself with mercury trying to become immortal!!!!
Why could Shi Huangdi’s son not maintain power when his father died?
Huangdi had made too many enemies and the people revolted.
After the Qin dynasty, which dynasty came next?
The Han Dynasty.
How was the Han dynasty kinder and gentler than Qin?
They hired Confucian advisors and threw out some of the harsh Qin laws.
Who was the first leader of the Han dynasty?
Gaozu
How long did Han Dynasty last?
400 years, 4 centuries.
How did the Han emperors strengthen China?
they built roads and canals, built flood-control and irrigation (watering) projects. They built granaries to store grain in case of famine.They made trading alliances with other nations and created the Silk Road trading route
What Dynasty followed the Han dynasty?
The Sui dynasty ruled by Emperor Wen
What improvement did Wen make during the Sui dynasty?
the capital city at Chang’an became the largest city in the world with over 1 million people
Was Wen a nice guy?
No, the emperor during the Sui dynasty was very cruel, forcing people to work in harsh conditions
What did Wen strengthen during the Qin dynasty?
The Great Wall of China was rebuilt, the country was reunited, and they built the Grand Canal
What was the benefit of the Grand Canal?
it linked northern and southern China allowing crops to be moved easily to feed people in the north
