Untitled Flashcards Set

W2 QUIZ ANSWERS

1. Neolithic people in the Korean peninsula invented (                    ) pottery to cook and store food. Chulmun (comb-pattern)

2. The following statements are about the stone age in the Korean peninsula. Which one is INCORRECT? In the Korean peninsula, farming started in the  Palethoic Age

3. Koindols (dolmens) indicate a growth of strict social hierarchy. They were found in many archeological sites around the world. Interestingly, however, the Korean peninsula is home to more than half of them, which proves a high level of social stratification in Korean civilization in the (                    ) Age. Bronz

4. In the Iron Age, settlers in the Korean peninsula invented a unique heating system, which uses direct heat transfer from wood smoke to flat stones beneath the room floor. Not found in other regions, it gives consistency to Korean civilization from antiquity to the present. What is this heating system called? Ondol

5. The following statements are about Old Chosŏn. Which one is FALSE? It emerged as a wall-town state in the Bronze Age

6. According to the Tangun Myth, when Hwanung, a son of Hwanin (the heavenly god), descended to the earth, a bear and a tiger prayed to him to transform them into human beings. Hwanung gave them a bundle of mugwort and twenty cloves of garlic and told them to avoid the sun for 100 days. The tiger could not observe the restraints, while the bear endured the trial. How many days did it take the bear to become a human being? 21 days

7. The following statements are about meanings behind the Tangun Myth. Identify the INCORRECT one. The bear’s role in the myth indicates that leadership was rotated among chieftains of allied clans

8. According to the video, “Spirits and Syncretism in Korean Myth,” there are three major religious traditions that have been central to the developments of Korean civilization from antiquity to the present. They have often clashed with one another. Broadly, however, they all have syncretically blended into Korean culture. Which one is NOT among them? Taoism

W3 QUIZ ANSWERS

9. The oldest surviving historical document that contains the Tangun Myth and its author. Samguk Yusa – Iryon

10. In his entire life, King (                         )  (391-413) turned Koguryŏ into a great kingdom extending over two-thirds of the Korean peninsula and much of Manchuria. In particular, by conquering the Liaodong region, he recovered the former territory of Old Chosŏn, which had been lost to the Chinese Yan 700 years earlier. Kwanggaeto

11. The following statements are about Koguryŏ (37 BC-668). Which one is INCORRECT? In 313, it reclaimed much of old Choson’s territory by occupying Hyondo, the last commandery of the Han empire

12. Paekche and Silla grew out of Mahan, Chinhan, and Pyŏnhan. Notable in these three Han federations is the separation of politics and religion. A good example is the existence of this town exclusively governed by chŏngun (religious leader). It was deemed sacred — so much so that if a criminal took refuge in it, the state authorities could not arrest him or her. What was this town called? Sodo

13. Silla at its early stage was built on a hereditary caste system called “kolpum,” which literally means “bone quality.” This bone-rank system is telling of Silla’s effort to reinforce royal authority. Which group was on top of this caste system? Songgol (sacred bone)

14. Koguryŏ, Paekche, and Silla were all a centralized aristocratic state. While the monarch’s power was consolidated via the system of centralized governance, councils of aristocracy were created to keep the royal power in check. A prime example is Silla’s top executive office created in 531. What was it? Hwabaek

15. Confucianism began to serve as the governing philosophy in the Three Kingdoms period. Koguryŏ and Silla had national academies intended to teach Confucian ethics and Chinese classical literature. Which one in the following was Silla’s national academy? Kukhak

16. Three Kingdoms saw a great advance in music culture. Particularly notable is the invention of new musical instruments. Urŭk of Kaya (later, a part of Shilla), for instance, made this instrument in the sixth century, which is seen as a centerpiece of Korean traditional music. What is the musical instrument? Kayakum

17. This question is about the clip from Mudang that we discussed during class. In the scene, the mother of a deceased son holds a twig to connect with her son’s soul. What is it called in the shamanist ritual? Spirit pole

18. According to Daniel Kister, Korean shamanist rituals have three main characteristics. Which one is NOT among them? Monotheistic

W4 QUIZ ANSWERS

19.  The following statements are about Parhae (or Balhae), the kingdom that drove Tang China out of the northern part of the Korean peninsula and the Manchurian area in the late 7th century and early 8th century. Which one is INCORRECT? It started to rapidly decline since the end of the 9th C due to continued revolts of the Malgal people 

20. The most important political and social change accompanying Silla’s unification included the weakening of the kolpum (bone-rank) system. Which statement is INCORRECT regarding the change? Hwabaek, council of aristocrats, as a new government office became more powerful than Chipsabu, Chancellery office

21. In Unified Silla, Buddhism became a religion for commoners. Who played a key role in popularizing Buddhism? Wonhyo

22. At its final stage, Silla saw the authority of the central government significantly eroded. Which social group was most responsible for the weakening of the centralized government system? Hojok (local gentry)

23. (                    ) was the commissioner of Chonghaejin, a military garrison built in the early 9th century to protect Silla's southern coast from pillage of pirates. Using the garrison as the base of international trade later on, he came to dominate maritime trade in East Asia. He is also exemplary of the growth of new social groups at the end of the Silla Kingdom. Who is he? Chang Po-go

24. A scroll of Dharani Sutra, a Buddhist scripture, was found in one of the pagodas in the Bulguksa temple. It later proved to be the oldest woodblock printing in the world. Which of the following remarks is NOT relevant to its historical and cultural significance? It attests to Tang China’s deep influence on the advance of technology in Silla

25. The following are statements about Confucianism in Silla. Which one is INCORRECT? Confucianism was central to the shaping of moral and spiritual education for the general populace

26. Identify the one in the following examples that attests to a remarkable progress in astronomical knowledge in Silla. Chomsongdae

W5 QUIZ ANSWERS

27. Taejo (Wang Kŏn) took several important measures to cement his royal authority after founding Koryŏ. Which one in the following is NOT among them? Dispatching officials from the capital to local districts

28. The political developments in neighboring countries had been crucial to that of Korean kingdoms. Koryŏ was not an exception. The following statements are about Koryŏ’s relationship with dynasties in China. Which one is INCORRECT? In the 13th C, Koryo fell to Yuan dynasty (the Mongol Empire) and lost its sovereignty

29. At its early stage, the Koryŏ dynasty had to curb the nobility to consolidate royal authority and the centralized governing system. Notable in this respect are Kings Kwangjong (949-75) and Sŏngjong (981-97). Which of the following examples is NOT among their achievements? Hopae (ID tags)

30. The following statements are about Koryŏ’s class structure. Which one is INCORRECT? Kwago was the only path to government positions in Koryo

31. Koryŏ developed many social welfare programs to stabilize the life of commoners. Which one of the following examples is NOT one of them? Hwangok (grain lending)

32. (                   ), the oldest surviving history book in Korea, was written by Kim Pu-sik, a Confucian scholar, in the Koryŏ period (1145). Treating Buddhism and primitive religions of Three Kingdoms in a negative manner, this book is considered to have laid the foundation of the Confucian view of history. Samguk sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms)

33. The following statements are about Koryŏ Buddhism. Which one is INCORRECT? As Confucianism served as the governing philosophy, Buddhism in Koryo continued to decline

34. One of the milestones in Koryŏ arts is its chŏngja (celadon). It is well known for refined structure, delicate texture, elegant color (jade green), and also this unique inlay technique. What is it called? Sanggam

35. In the 12th century, Koryŏ started disintegrating and went through a series of military rebellions and slave uprisings. Eventually, Koryŏ saw the onset of military rule in 1174. Which one of the following was NOT a contributing factor for the political change? Threats from neighboring countries

36. After solidifying military rule in the court, Choe Chung-hŏn proposed to the King “Ten Injunctions,” a series of reform measures. Which of the following was NOT among them? Restoring the free status to those who had been forced into slavery by local gentry

37. In the second half of its history, Koryŏ experienced a series of peasant and slave uprisings. Among them was an uprising led by (                             ). The revolutionary spirit of the rebellion is clarified into his famous remark: “How could these generals and ministers be different from us in origin?” His rebellion is remembered as the first anti-slavery movement in Korean history. Manjok

W6 QUIZ ANSWERS

38. Despite many national ordeals, Koryŏ achieved remarkable advance in printing technology; it produced the Tripitaka Koreana, the world’s most comprehensive and oldest woodblocks of Buddhist sutras, in the midst of Mongol invasions, and then, the world’s first movable metal type at the end of its period. What is the world’s oldest extant book printed with the movable metal type? Chikchi (An Abstract on Perceiving Buddha’s Mind) 

     39.The demise of Koryŏ coincided with the rise of this new social group. They attained political power through kwagŏ and became increasingly inclined to radical reforms. They eventually grew to be the driving force behind the birth of a new society, Chosŏn. Who were they Sadaebu (literati) 

40.   The following statements are about the land reforms by Yi Sŏng-gye at the end of the Koryŏ dynasty. Which one is INCORRECT? The land reforms were intended to benefit the royal family. 

41. (                          ) was among radical Neo-Confucian scholars and played a central role in the rise of the Chosŏn dynasty. After its birth, he led Chosŏn’s Confucianization virtually on all fronts: the government system, social order (pro-Confucianism, anti-Buddhism policy), education, and so on. Taejo, the founder of Chosŏn, trusted him more than anyone else and asked him to be the teacher of Bang-sŏk (Pang-sŏk), the youngest son Taejo chose to be his successor over other princes. But both he and the Crown Prince were killed by Bang-wŏn, Taejo’s fifth son who held a grudge against his father’s decision and took the growth of government officials to be a grave threat to the power and authority of the royal family.  Chŏng To-jŏn 

42. Taejong, Yi Sŏng-gye’s fifth son, eliminated his siblings to become the third king of the Chosŏn dynasty. Historians thus largely agree that his kingship was be tainted with fratricide, just like Cain in Genesis. Yet he is also often seen as a powerful monarch that quickly restored political order and consolidated kingship. Which one in the following is not among his efforts to stabilize royal authority? He recruited talented scholars to advance scientific knowledge. 

43. King Sejong, the fourth monarch of the Chosŏn dynasty, is widely regarded as Chosŏn’s greatest king. During his reign (1418-50), Chosŏn society witnessed great advance in various areas. Which one of the following examples is NOT his achievement?  Abolished private armies and confiscated lands from Buddhist temples. 

44. After King Sejong’s death, Chosŏn faced another bloody power struggle within the royal family. King Munjong, Sejong’s first son, died in two years of his rule. Then, Tanjong, Munjong’s son succeeded the throne. Yet it was his uncle (                         ) that dominated the court and eventually took over the throne from his nephew Tanjong. Suyang 

45. The ruling class in Chosŏn relied on this ideology as the guiding principle for the relationship with Ming. In these days, the term is often used to refer to a submissive stance toward foreign superpowers.  Sadae (serving the great)

W7 QUIZ ANSWERS

1. Chosŏn was a society built on Neo-Confucianism. It was “the” principle not only for governance but also for social order. Chosŏn inherited kwagŏ from Koryŏ, but placed much more emphasis on it. Kwagŏ was mandatory to gain a government position, and to be qualified for the final exam of the kwagŏ system, youths studied in this national academy for an extended period of time. What was this institution? Songgyungwan (national academy)

2. The following statements are about how Chosŏn was Confucianized. Which one is INCORRECT? For all the rigid restraints on women, Choson society allowed a widow to remarry

3. Despite the anti-Buddhism policy, Buddhism did not entirely disappear in Chosŏn. Instead, Chosŏn sometimes saw the rise of prominent Buddhist thinkers such as Kihwa (or Gihwa). Which of the following statements is wrong regarding him? He converted to Buddhism in opposition to Choson’s suppression of the religion

4. About one century after its establishment, Chosŏn began to face challenges such as deep divide within ruling groups, more specifically, between the meritorious elite (central establishments in Hanyang) and the local Neo-Confucian literati (oppositional groups in provinces). Since then, factional strife (tangjaeng) became a chronic problem in Chosŏn. Interestingly, while tangjaeng’s victims were mostly the local Neo-Confucian literati, they proved resilient, surviving purge after purge. What was the most important base for their perseverance? Sowon (private academy)

5. The following statements are about the profound changes Chosŏn society saw in the class structure in the 18th-19th century. Which one is INCORRECT? Due to a series of economic crises, many farmers lost their land and fell to slavery

6. For the first two centuries, Chosŏn enjoyed a relatively peaceful period in foreign relations. At the end of the 16th century, however, Toyotomi Hideyoshi unified Japan and then invaded Chosŏn in order to divert warlords from domestic affairs and also with the ambition of occupying China. Although devasted by the wars, Chosŏn could prevail in the end. But the wars entailed a few important changes, direct or indirect, in East Asia. Which one was NOT among them? Disintegration of Choson society

7. Wars with Japan and Qing resulted in some notable changes in Chosŏn society. A consequence was the rise of national consciousness and patriotic spirit, which is evident in a book Yi Su-kwang wrote in 1614. In this book, Yi advised Koreans not to overestimate China and instead to take pride in their history. This work is also known as the first book that introduced Catholicism to Korea. What is this book? Chibong yusol (Chibong’s Extensive Studies)

8. In the 17th century, Neo-Confucianism increasingly turned into dogma; it became no more than the means of factional strife within the ruling class. Consequently, a new group of intellectuals emerged with a new way of thinking. They were critical of the status quo and open to new ideas including Western civilization. What is the term for their position? Sirhak (practical learning)

9. After Chosŏn fell to Qing in the reign of King Injo, Crown Prince (        ) was taken hostage by Qing for more than 6 years. During his stay in Qing, he met a German missionary and could learn about Western society and Catholicism. When he returned to Chosŏn, he brought books on Catholicism and Western science, which incited the anger of his father King Injong. Sohyon

10. Written by Hŏ Kyun in 1607, this work marks the beginning of the hangŭl novel. It is about a talented man, who was born a sŏja and becomes frustrated with the caste system. He ultimately leaves home and becomes the leader of bandits. Later, he also founds a new state with his followers. What is the title of this novel? Hong Kil-tong chon (Tale of Hong Kil-tong)