Ancient China

Yangtze River

River in southern China; known for growing rice

Yellow River

river in northern China also known as the "River of Sorrows"; home of China's earliest civilizations- known for growing wheat and millet

mandate of heaven

belief during the Zhou Dynasty- idea that heaven chose China's ruler and gave him or her power

Xi'an

present name of the capital city of the Qin Dynasty

Great Wall

built during the Qin dynasty by Shi Huangdi- barrier that linked earlier walls that stood near China's northern border

sundial

device that uses the position of shadows cast by the sun to tell the time of day

seismograph

device that measures the strength of earthquakes

acupuncture

practice of inserting fine needles through the skin at specific points to cure disease or relieve pain

Shi Huangdi

strict ruler during the Qin dynasty- he built the Great Wall of China and the Terra Cotta Army

Liu Bang

first emperor of the Han Dynasty- wanted to free people from harsh rule

Wudi

Han leader who made Confucianism part of government policy

Laozi

Founder of Daoism- believed people should flow through life like water

Daoism

philosophy that believed that people should live in harmony with nature and one another

Confucius

philosopher that taught importance of moral values and loyalty and respect for one's family

Shang Dynasty

first dynasty, created the first writing system, and used jade and bronze

Zhou

the longest lasting Chinese dynasty- several philosophies developed during this time- believed in the Mandate of Heaven

Qin Dynasty

united China after the Warring States Period- strict laws with harsh punishments- unified money, writing and weights and measurement- where the word China came from

Han Dynasty

organized society based on Confucianism- leaders Liu Bang and Wudi- strict class system

oracle bones

developed during the Shang dynasty- heated and used to predict the future

Analects

Book that collects the writings and sayings of Confucius

yin yang

Daoism term for the opposite forms of nature that work together to bring balance and harmony

Silk Road

trade routes that went all the way from China to the Middle East

Warring States Period

After the Zhou dynasty ended, local rulers went to war with each other

dynasty

a powerful family that produces a series of rulers over several generations

Confucianism

became the official policy during the Han dynasty

Buddhism

philosophy that originated in India but came to China on the Silk Road

calendar

Shang created this based on the cycles of the moon

silk

a delicate cloth in high demand in Rome and other parts of Europe