Chinese History Flashcards

Flashcards about Chinese history from 1200-2000 CE. The flashcards are in a vocabulary style.

Sui Dynasty

Dynasty that reunited China after the Warring States period following the fall of the Han Dynasty.

Grand Canal

A vast waterway connecting northern and middle China economically, constructed during the Sui Dynasty.

Tang Dynasty

Dynasty that established the lasting state system of China and expanded its borders into Central Asia.

Edicts Against Buddhism

Edicts initiated in Tang China by Emperor Wuzong, banning and demolishing many Buddhist shrines and temples.

Song Dynasty

Considered the Golden Age of Imperial China, characterized by flourishing population, land, and economics.

Neo-Confucianism

A revived and renewed focus on Confucianism, reinforced in the Song Dynasty.

Foot binding

A sexist practice and sign of upper-class women, restricting their mobility and symbolizing feminine beauty and dependence on men.

Tribute System

A system where trade with China was granted only by offering immense gifts and submission to the Chinese emperor.

Middle Kingdom

The idea that China saw itself as the 'civilized' center of the world, with other cultures viewed as inferior.

Tribute states

States in Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia that provided tributes to China in return for guarantees of sovereignty and protection.

Chinese Diaspora

The dispersal of thousands of Chinese traders across East and Southeast Asia, forming Chinese-based trade cities and settlements.

Yuan Dynasty

Dynasty started by Kublai Khan; a period of Mongol rule in China.

Ming Dynasty

Dynasty that overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and ruled as the last Han Chinese dynasty.

Zheng He

Chinese admiral who led a massive fleet around the Indian Ocean and Africa to demonstrate Chinese power and collect tributes.

Qing Dynasty

The last dynasty of China, established by invading northern Manchu people.

Opium Wars

Wars in the 1830s and 1850s where imperialism in China was forced by Britain, France, and other Western powers.

Spheres of Influence

Economic imperialism imposed by Western powers, Russia, and Japan in the 1890s.

Boxer Rebellion

Rebellion in response to European, American, Japanese, and Russian imperialism in 1898, supported by the Qing government.

Self-Strengthening Movement

Movement begun for independent industrializing, advocating for industrial, economic, and militaristic reforms in the model of the West.

Sino-Japanese War

War in 1895; Korea and Taiwan lost to industrialized Japan; China humiliated as a result.

Chinese Revolution

Revolution in 1911 that overthrew the Qing Dynasty.

Chinese Civil War

Civil war between nationalists (Chiang Kai-shek) and communists (Mao Zedong).

Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward

Failed attempts by Mao Zedong to industrialize or reinvigorate China.

Tiananmen Square

Student protests put down by force in 1989 showing the limits of political freedom.