China History Overview

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture notes on Chinese history, including geographic, philosophical, and historical terms.

Yellow River (Huang He)

Called the river of sorrow due to devastating floods that have killed many people.

Loess

Fine yellow silt that makes the Yellow River fertile.

Confucianism

A philosophy focusing on maintaining proper relationships.

Legalism

The belief in strict rules and harsh enforcement.

Dao (Tao)

A concept meaning 'the way,' associated with harmony and balance in philosophy.

Footbinding

A practice involving breaking bones in a woman's feet to show wealth, resulting in tiny Lotus shoes.

Gentry

The high landowning class in Chinese society.

Filial Piety

The duty and respect a child owes to their parents.

Pax Mongolica

A period of peace and order under Mongol rule.

Grand Canal

A major waterway that connected the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, constructed during the Sui Dynasty.

Tang Dynasty

A significant period of expansion and cultural richness in China, lasting from 618 to 907.

Kublai Khan

Grandson of Genghis Khan, he toppled the Song Dynasty and established the Yuan Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang

A peasant leader who toppled the Yuan Dynasty and founded the Ming Dynasty.

Ming Dynasty

Founded in 1368, it means 'brilliant' and is known for its cultural flourishing.

The Water Margin

A novel about an outlaw gang that sought justice.