China: Chapter 5 vocabulary

warlord

a military commander exercising civil power by force, usually in a limited area

aristocrat

a member of an upper class of society, usually made up of hereditary nobility

ancestor

a person that someone is descended from

pictograph

a symbol in a writing system based on pictures

ideograph

a symbol in a writing system that represents a thing or an idea

bureaucracy

a group of non-elected government officials

hereditary

having title of possession by reason of birth

Mandate of Heaven

the belief that the Chinese king's right to rule came from the gods

Dao

Chinese system of beliefs which describes the way a king must rule

Confucianism

a system of beliefs based on the teachings of Confucius

Daoism

a Chinese philosophy concerned with obtaining long life and living in harmony with nature

Legalism

a Chinese philosophy that stressed the importance of laws

filial piety

the responsibility children have to respect, obey and care for their parents

censor

an official who watches others for correct behavior

currency

something, such as coins or paper money, that is used as a medium of exchange

civil service

the administrative service of a government

tenant farmer

a farmer who works land owned by someone else and pays rent in cash or as a share of the crop

acupuncture

originally, a Chinese practice of inserting fine needles through the skin at specific points to treat disease or relieve pain