Chapter 10 Ancient China Flashcards

Aristocrat

A member of the upper class

Bureaucracy

Daoism

Philosophy about obtaining long life and living in peace with nature

Filial piety

Responcibilities of children to respect/obey their parents

Legalism

Stresses the importance of laws

Loess

Thick layers of rich soil

Mandate of heaven

Belief that the king’s right to rule comes from the gods

Oracle Bones

Used as a way to communicate with the ancestors

Silk Road

A network of trade routes

Warlord

A military commander who uses civil power through force

What was the Huang He? And what was its importance?

• Huan He(yellow river) was a river that helped farmers grow a lot of food(especially wheat), and it flooded and killed millions due to the floods

• Huang He Valley was the greatest wheat producing region

Why is the Huang He nicknamed “China’s Sorrow?”

Because of the millions of lives lost due to the enormous floods

What is the role of loess in Chinese Agriculture?

Loess helped farmers grow large amounts of food on a small amount of land

What is the importance of ancestors in ancient Chinese religious beliefs?

• Wisdom came from ancestors

• Ancestors helped kings make difficult decisions

Why and how did the Shang Dynasty use oracle bones?

Priests heated Oracle bones and interpreted the cracks

What were the main beliefs of the Confucius?

• Following your ancestors would bring peace to China

• Duty: everyone has duties based off of their role in society; filial piety

• Honesty, respect, learning, and good character

What is the importance of duty, respect, and social order in confucianism?

• Helps people become better citizens and leaders

• Inspires others to do the same

What were Confucius’s beliefs about who should qualify for gov. positions?

A leader should be honest, loyal, and a hard worker

What are the basic beliefs of Daoism?

• To go with the flow and not against the way things are

• Life works best when we stay peaceful and quiet

• Less laws = better

• Best rulers don’t control everything

What is the importance of nature, simplicity, and harmony in Daoism?

• It frees people from worldly desires

• Helps people look at peace and balance in the world

What are the main beliefs of Legalism?

• The only way to keep order is with strict laws and harsh punishments

• leaders should have all power; use rewards/punishments to control people

What are the roles of laws and punishments in maintaining order?

Laws and punishments helped controlled people and kept them in check

What is the Period of Warring States?

• Aristocrats became so powerful that they ignored the king’s commands and began fighting with one another for even more power

• 200 years later, aristocrats formed their own states where they forced farmers to serve as soldiers

Why did Chinese thinkers develop different philosophies about gov. and society?

To stop the fighting from the Warring States and bring order to their society

What are religious practices and communication with ancestors? (Shang Dynasty)

• For kings: they needed to ask the gods and their ancestors before they made important decisions

• - Asked for help using Oracle bones

• 
  

What is the Mandate of Heaven’s connection to the right to rule?

The Mandate of Heaven is the idea that the king’s right to rule came from the gods

What is the role of aristocrats and warlords? (kind of already answered this tbh)

• Aristocrats: passed on their land to family members

• Warlords: military leaders who lead their own armies

How did the Qin Dynasty unify China?

• Qin took direct control of China’s provinces

• Created a dynasty

• Created a currency

• Censors

What is the importance of standardizing laws, currency, and writing?

To help unite everyone???

What is the role of a strong central gov.?

To maintain order

What are some major achievements and contributions of the Han Dynasty?

• Iron plow, iron tools, water wheels, wheel barrow, silk, paper, rudder

• Acupuncture + other medical breakthroughs

• SIlk road

What is the organization and role of officials?(han Dynasty)

• Looked for dedicated and talented people for civil service

• And some other stuff???

What are some important inventions and technological advancements?(Han Dynasty)

• Cast iron plow

• iron tools

• Water wheels

• Wheel barrows

• Silk

• Rudder

What is the development of trade and the importance of the Silk Road?

• Merchants went from trading just luxury goods to many different goods

• Silk Road was the main trade link between Asia and Europe

• Served as a way to spread knowledge, culture, and religions

What is the lasting influence of the Han Dynasty on Chinese civilization?

Filial piety

What is the importance of the rudder, stirrup, horse harness, and iron plow?

• Horse harness+stirrup: allowed soldiers to ride around the battlefield and shoot weapons

• iron plow: broke up soil easily

• Rudder: a new way to sails of ships

How did Chinese inventions improve transportation, trade, agriculture, or everyday life?

• Agriculture: iron plow(broke up soil easily) and the water wheel(used to grind more grain)

• Transportation: rudder(new way to move the sails of ships)

• Trade: Silk and paper

• Everyday life: Wheel barrow(carries heavy materials) and iron tools/techniques(drained swamps and directed water to parched fields)

Why was the Han Dynasty unique and why was it an important period in ancient Chinese history? Include 3 specific characteristics/achievements; explain why each was important. AND include one example of how the Han Dynasty influenced society or gov.

• Why it was unique: _________

• Why it was an important period in Chinese history: ___

• 3 achievements of the Han Dynasty: __________

• How the Han dynasty influenced society/gov: _______

• Why it was unique: chose dedicated and talented people over family members.

• Why it was an important period in Chinese history: was what became of the Qin dynasty after people revolted

• 3 achievements of the Han Dynasty: acupuncture- helped manage pain and renewed the body, the Silk Road- increased trade dramatically(especially for silk and paper), and the iron plow which broke up soil easily

• How the Han dynasty influenced society/gov: filial piety- empathizes the respect and obedience of children