Unit 5 Notes: Ancient China

Question 1

Geography of China

Answer 1

Western side is mountains and deserts
most people live on eastern side with plains

Question 2

yellow and yangtze river

Answer 2

bright orange water color because of the large amounts of loess in it.

Question 3

Loess

Answer 3

very fertile soil
makes yellow and yangtze river orange

Question 4

Xia dynasty (shay)

Answer 4

first dynasty (legendary)
2070-1600 BCE
no archeological evidence of its existence
when they take over the yellow river they use it as irrigation and create first civilzations

Question 5

Shang Dynasty (shong)

Answer 5

1600-1050 BCE
Capital is Anyang
first civilization with written record
record written on ‘bamboo annals’
war-like civilizations
used bronze and copper as weapons
violent people
cut off most prisoners heads
warriors and heros owned the land - peasants worked the land.
defeats competing tribes
first to use chariots

Question 6

Oracle Bones

Answer 6

questions were written on tortoise shells
they would put the shell in fire and wait until it cracks
they would dechiper the cracks to find answers to important questions
(like having your palm read)

Question 7

Zhou Dynasty (joe)

Answer 7

1050-246 BCE
used iron
used feudalism

Question 8

Feudalism

Answer 8

allows rich and powerful people to own the land while peasants worked the land

Question 9

Mandates of Heaven

Answer 9

belief that Gods rule everything
“the Gods are mad at us” whenever something goes wrong in their lives

Question 10

Warring States Period

Answer 10

475-221 BCE
Uses professional infantries
invented crossbow

Question 11

Taoism

Answer 11

an ancient Chinese philosophy and religion that instructs believers on how to exist in harmony with the universe. balances their chi’ (energy)

Question 12

Confucianism

Answer 12

Stressing the importance of correct behaviour, loyalty and obedience to hierarchy, Confucianism is a system of ethics. Confucianism focused on education as a means of attaining worth and status

Question 13

Legalism

Answer 13

strict, literal, or excessive conformity to the law.
dependence on moral law rather than on personal religious faith.

Question 14

Qin Dynasty

Answer 14

221-206 BCE
Shi Huangdi
Legalist
imprisoned, tortured, killed anyone who opposed his philosophy
authoritarian government/dictatorship
burning of books critical of legalism
took power from lower rulers and gave land to the poor - forced everyone else to live in capital city,
started 36 military districts.
high taxes
forced labor

Question 15

First emperor

Answer 15

Shi Huangdi

Question 16

Great Wall

Answer 16

Shi Huangdi connected walls and built the great wall.
25ft high, built a road at the top.
forced labor and many died while building it

Question 17

Qin Collapse

Answer 17

Quick Collapse (206 BC)
anger over high taxes, forced labor caused people to rebel.
civil war - people want power

Question 18

Han Dynasty

Answer 18

206 BCE - 220 AD
Qin dynasty falls apart after Shi Haungdi dies
Lui bang leads a rebellion and takes over.
lui bang becomes new emperor 20 years later

Question 19

Lui Bang

Answer 19

Illiterate farmer/peasant that climbs his way up and becomes emperor
restructures centralized government
lowers taxes
lessens punishments
ends legalist policies
starts confucian system
appoints confucian advisors
bases leaders on education, not power/forcefulness/money or connections

Question 20

Wudi

Answer 20

Emperor during Han dynasty
Expands china
Strengthens government and economy
improves roads, canals, communication ect.
Conquered most of Asia from greece to korea
silk becomes precious and an expensive commodity
Starts state-run monopolies:
grain production
buys all grain when it’s cheap and abundant
sells extra when it’s expensive and in shortage
managed economic stability

Question 21

Silk Road

Answer 21

During Han Dyansty
Built during Wudi’s reign
built the Silk Road - 4000 miles
Road that splits in many directions to connect all of asia through trade routes.
new foods and products such as silk and spices get traded into China
Wudi starts trade relays to improve speed of trade

Question 22

Wang Mang

Answer 22

9-23 AD
Usurper/disrupter
- most people don’t like the change Wang Mang brought compared to Wudi
Starts land distribution
loses power because of big floods and rebellions.

Question 23

Han Dynasty Achievements

Answer 23

started chemistry, botany, astronomy, zoology, fine arts improves, invented acupuncture
invents paper and is kept a secret for 500 years. paper makes them very rich

Question 24

Han Collapse

Answer 24

220 AD
“Age of Division” 220-589 AD

Question 25

Sui Dynasty

Answer 25

581-618 BCE
built the Grand Canal - greatest achievement
taxes due to grand canal building leads to rebellion. emperor is killed
Uses written exams to test the competence of leaders
dynasty ends early due to the oppressive taxes and rebellions

Question 26

Tang Dynasty (Tong)

Answer 26

618-907
expansion
peace and stability
land redistribution
use confucian principles
well educated officials - very effective government

Question 27

Collapse of Tang Dynasty

Answer 27

lose the mandate of heaven
high taxes - due to war expenses
battle of Talas River - Muslims attack Chinese and defeat them.
Rebels burn the capital city and kill the young emperor.

Question 28

Song Dynasty

Answer 28

960-1279
Found in present day Southern China.
Moves Capital to southern China
Continued cultural progress

Question 29

Song Advancements

Answer 29

Mechanical clock
porcelain
moveable type
gunpowder
compass
paper currency

Question 30

China’s Golden age - from Tang and Song Dynasty

Answer 30

Foreign cultural exchange:
buddhism
vietnamese rice
tea
japan - emulates chinese culture and lifestyles

Question 31

Golden Age cultural changes

Answer 31

middle class - social movement
women - goal is to be a trophy wife, and don’t bring real value to families
elite status based on education and competence, not money and land owning.