Social STudies Test 😭🫪

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What is bureaucracy?

A system of government with many departments led by appointed officials.

Be able to explain the importance of scholar-officials

Highly educated men who passed civil service exams to run the government; they replaced powerful noble families.

Be able to explain the merit system

Hiring and promoting people based on talent and skill rather than wealth or family status.

What is urbanization?

The growth of cities.

What is a money economy?

An economy where people use currency (paper money/coins) rather than bartering.

What advances in farming took place during the Tang and Song?

Development of fast-ripening rice (Champa rice) and improved irrigation (pumps/terraces).

Why did trade and industry expand during this time?

Use of the Grand Canal, improved ships (junks), and the invention of the magnetic compass.

The Tang dynasty was the greatest era of what art form?

The Tang was the golden age of Poetry.

How did the rulers of China’s Song dynasty sometimes try to keep peace with neighboring enemies?

Song rulers often paid tribute (gifts/money) to neighboring enemies to avoid war.

What led to the fall of the Tang?

Drought, famine, high taxes, and frequent rebellions by military leaders.

Who was Genghis Khan?

The "Universal Ruler" who united the Mongol tribes and started the conquest of Eurasia.

How did the Mongols grow such a huge empire?

Using superior horsemanship, high-speed cavalry, and psychological warfare/terror.

What was the name of the Mongol dynasty in China?

The Yuan Dynasty

Be able to explain the social hierarchy in Yuan China

Mongols at the top, then other foreigners, then Northern Chinese, and Southern Chinese at the bottom.

What important thing did the Mongols do for trade in China?

They reopened and protected the Silk Road, making trade safer and more frequent.

What did Hongwu do during his reign?

The first Ming emperor; he restored the civil service, moved the capital to Nanjing, and became a cruel despot.

How did the tributary system work?

Neighboring countries paid money/gifts to China to recognize its power and gain trade rights.

What happened in China AFTER Yongle’s death?

China turned inward (isolationism), stopped major voyages, and banned large shipbuilding.

Who was Zheng He?

An admiral who led seven massive naval voyages to show China’s power and collect tribute.

Be able to explain Daoism

Follow the "way" of nature; focus on balance and withdrawal from society.

Be able to explain Buddhism

Belief that life involves suffering caused by attachment; goal is to reach Enlightenment/Nirvana.

Who founded Buddhism?

Siddhartha Gautama.

How did Buddhism decline?

Lost government support because it was seen as a "foreign" religion that didn't pay taxes.

Be able to explain Confucianism

Focus on ethics, respect for elders (filial piety), and social order through stable relationships.

How did Chinese inventions reach Europe?

Moved along the Silk Road via Muslim traders (e.g., gunpowder, paper, compass).

Be able to explain Japan’s climate and geography

A mountainous archipelago (island chain) with little farmland; very rainy with many earthquakes/volcanoes.

How did Prince Shotoku attempt to unify Japan under his leadership?

He promoted Buddhism and Confucianism to give the government a moral foundation and central power.

What is a kami?

A spirit or holy being that represents an aspect of nature (trees, rocks, mountains) or an ancestor.

What did Japan borrow from other cultures?

Borrowed the writing system (kanji), government structure, and religion (Buddhism) from China and Korea.

What is a shogun?

The supreme military commander who held the real power in Japan.

Be able to explain feudalism in Japan

A social system where landowners granted land in exchange for military service or labor.

Who were the daimyo?

Large landowners/lords who hired samurai to protect their estates.

Who were the samurai?

Highly trained warriors loyal to the daimyo.

What is the code of Bushido?

"The Way of the Warrior"; a strict code of loyalty, honor, and bravery.

Be able to explain how Mongols threatened Japan

Kublai Khan tried to invade Japan twice (1274 and 1281).

Be able to explain the battles between the Samurai and Mongols invaders

The Japanese were saved both times by massive storms called Kamikaze ("divine winds") that wrecked the Mongol ships.

How did life change for women when Confucianism was introduced?

Their status declined; they lost the right to inherit property and were expected to obey men.

Be able to explain the Shinto religion

Japan’s traditional religion based on the worship of kami and nature.

Who wrote the Tale of Genji?

Written by Murasaki Shikibu; considered the world’s first novel.

What is Kabuki and who in Japan would likely attend a Kabuki performance?

A form of drama with stylized makeup and song; attended mostly by commoners/townspeople.

Explain how the Silla Empire turned Korea into one of the most advanced civilizations of the world at that time.

United the Korean peninsula; adopted Chinese government styles but kept their own "bone rank" (caste) system.

What is celadon?

A famous type of Korean pottery known for its unique blue-green glaze.