China: The Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han Dynasties

The use of the term "west" is a reference to

the US and Europe

The use of the term "east" is a reference to

China

The attitude of the US and Europe

progression

The attitude of China

cycle, repetition

The ten Chinese dynasties took place over a time period of

5000 years

The government of the Shang dynasty is

feudalistic

The Shang dynasty is known for their work in

bronze

The longest dynasty

Zhou

dynasty in power during the Mauryan empire

Zhou

The wise kings in power during the very beginning of the Zhou Dynasty

Sage Kings

the most important man in Chinese history

Confucius

The Zhou government is

feudalistic

Chinese become aware of the cyclical pattern during the

Zhou dynasty

China became unified with a centralized government during this dynasty

Qin

China's namesake

Qin dynasty

cultural peak of China was during the

Han dynasty

dynasty in power during the end of the Roman Republic as it becomes the Roman Empire

Han Dynasty

The approximate amount of ethnicities in China

150

The large ethnic diversity often led to

racial discrimination

The namesake of the Chinese people themselves

Han Dynasty

The only distinctly Chinese group

Hans

Dynasty whose rule was only by that of a father and son; both were assassinated

Sui

Dynasty that built the canal connecting the two major rivers

Sui

The two major rivers of China

Yellow, Yangtze

This dynasty was a hyper empire

Tang

A dynasty in which very little occurs

Song

Chinese ruled by Mongols

Yuan

Had the largest empire in history

Mongolia

Mongol rule is considered a Chinese dynasty because they

adopted Chinese customs and bureaucracy

When the Ming dynasty closes China's borders, they miss

The Renaissance, Scientific Revolution

Second dynasty of foreign rule; the Manchus

Qing

China is left behind in development due to them

missing the Industrial Revolution

the Qing dynasty collapses around

World War II

the collection of dynasties as a whole is referred to as

Imperial China

After the collapse of the last dynasty, China has a short period of time in which it's a

republic

China's title under communism

People's Republic of China

China's communist leader

Mao Zedong

__% of China's land is arable

12

China's small villages governed by

a council of elders (continuity)

irrigation allowed the Chinese to

drain floodwaters

a common artistic theme in China

Landscape paintings on silk

A mythological figure; credited with being the original genius and engineer; responsible for the invention of the wheel, ships, armor, pottery, and silk

Emperor Huangdi

The most important Chinese commodity

silk

The value of silk was kept high and monopolized by the Chinese by them

keeping the skill making technique a secret

silk robes demonstrated

social status

The only evidence of the Chinese written language

writing on oracle bones

The reason ancient Chinese texts couldn't be preserved

were made of paper, disintegrated

The Shang Dynasty comprised of

5 or 6 families

The emperor gives land to nobles and in return, they pledge loyalty and military allegiance

feudalism

Shang kings were buried with

the royal court, high members of royal army

member of society who commits suicide in order to be buried with the king (whether voluntarily or not)

retainer

Considered to have the best bronzework

Shang

trade of this was monopolized by the government during the Shang dynasty

bronze

the "religion" of Chinese dynasties

veneration of ancestors

the job of women in dynastic China

uncomplaining obedience

respect for everyone older than you (specifically fathers)

Filial Piety

Oracle bones and bronze casting were used in the

Shang Dynasty

an extended family with whom you'd live

clan

the sage king venerated by Confucius

Duke of Zhou

The first ruler of the Zhou dynasty

Duke of Zhou

In the dynastic cycle: after the new dynasty starts,

the government makes reforms and increases efficiency

In the dynastic cycle: after the government makes reforms,

the lives of common people improve, taxes are reduced, farming is encouraged

In the dynastic cycle: after the common people's lives improve,

problems begin, such as invasions and feudal warlord uprisings

In the dynastic cycle: after the problems start,

taxes increase, conscription starts, farming is neglected

In the dynastic cycle: after the start of conscription, and the neglect of farming,

the government increases its spending, corruption increases

In the dynastic cycle: after the increase in government spending,

natural disasters occur

In the dynastic cycle: after the natural disasters,

The poor lose respect for the government and join the rebels

In the dynastic cycle, after the poor join the rebels,

the rebels find a strong leader, unite, and attack the emperor

In the dynastic cycle: after the rebel groups unite,

the emperor is defeated

In the domestic cycle: after the emperor is defeated,

a new dynasty starts

A type of labor in which one is neither free nor enslaved

conscription

A privilege that must be given to a leader in order for them to be allowed to rule

Mandate of Heaven

Requirements of the Mandate of Heaven

demonstrate leadership by both ability and virtue

a dynasty's leadership must be justified by

succeeding generations

A right of the people that demonstrates the power of their will

ability to revoke the Mandate of Heaven

justification for revoking the Mandate of Heaven

leader displays negligence and abuse

controlled not bronze, but iron

Zhou Dynasty

In a well field system, the plot of land in the middle is tended by _______, and reaped by __________.

peasants, nobles

In a well field system, the plots of land on the side are tended by _______, and reaped by ___________.

peasants, peasants

an agricultural discovery that helps to let the land become more full of nutrients

letting the land "rest" (keep it fallow)

evidence of trade (usually silk) can be found as far as

Greece

the cultivation of wet rice leads to

population growth

a limited money economy is present in the

Zhou dynasty

Bartering had a tendency to be preferred to money by many people because

an item's value is understandable to anyone, while a coin's is not

Zhou money is made of

iron

Term given to the end of the Zhou dynasty (period in which many scholars lived)

Hundred Schools Era

The hundred schools era occurred during

civil wars

wrote the book "The Art of War

Sun Tzu

contemporary of Confucius; scholar

Sun Tzu

the oldest military treatise in the world

The Art of War

Confucius was born into a

poor, but noble family

craves "harmonious society

Confucius

Confucius was loyal to

the Zhou

Confucius greatly admires

the early Sage Kings

Why did Confucius die poor?

His arrogance and demands for high pay prevented him from getting a job

The job Confucius wanted

political advisor for the government

man who taught "the magic of rituals

Confucius

What is the magic of rituals?

There is no need for discussion, argument, or violence.

If everyone performs rituals,

everyone will know how to behave

Literally translates to "The Way

The Dao

The goal when following Confucius's teaching

to find a way to get to the path

Main component for harmonious society

humaneness

The idea that you want not only yourself, but everyone around you to succeed. In this you avoid both self-sacrifice and self-focused competition
(we're all doing this guys, by like sharing notes over Facebook and stuff, js)

humaneness

The man who teaches rituals

the father

the first Confucian relationship

ruler <-> subject

the second Confucian relationship

father <-> son

the third Confucian relationship

husband <-> wife

The fourth Confucian relationship

older brother <-> younger brother

The fifth Confucian relationship (only one with some equality)

older friend <-> younger friend

If everybody knows their place in society and acts according to, it will benefit the group" ~_____________

Confucius

The mutual respect for others taught by Confucius is not synonymous with

equality

society based on merit

meritocracy

Confucius believed in this kind of society

meritocracy

The order of importance for determining the relationship between two people

status age gender

The Conversation

Analects

The teachings of Confucius compiled after his death by his students

Analects

Confucius believed in ________ before _______

principle, profit

Confucius had no value for

merchants

Confucius's disciple

Mencius

starts with the assumption that all people are basically good

Mencius

According to Mencius, If someone does something bad, ___________ is the answer.

education

good people will mend their ways in accordance to their inherent goodness" ~ __________

Mencius

the most important example of proper behavior

the emperor

social relationships are based on

rites, rituals

religious rituals were important for

social reasons

The Chinese class analogous to the Indian Brahmin (priests) was the

Scholar-Gentry

The best and brightest worked

for the government

The Chinese class analogous to the Indian Kshatriyas (warriors) were the

Peasants

Peasants were considered to have a high contribution to society because they

fed the people

The Chinese class analogous to the Indian Vaishyas (merchants) were the

Artisans

The Chinese class analogous to the Indian Shudras (field workers) were the

Merchants

Elite soldiers, generals, administrators, and generally anyone in the military who didn't kill were part of this class

Scholar-Gentry

The Chinese class analogous to the untouchables were the

soldiers (infantry, anyone who was actually fighting)

Confucius didn't believe in being brought into nobility by

accident of birth

Domestic slaves only existed from

their lack of ability to pay debt

The opposite of Confucianism

Legalism

believed people were inherently bad, and selfish

Legalism

used Legalism

Han Fei

the philosophy used by the Qin

Legalism

Everyone punished for the fault of one

collective responsibility

intellectualism and literacy discouraged under

legalism

philosophy in which law is the supreme authority and replaces morality

legalism

philosophy in which the ruler must rule with a strong, punishing hand

legalism

philosophy in which war is the means of strengthening a ruler's power

legalism

collective responsibility is a major theme in

legalism

The main philosopher of Daoism

Lao Zi

rumored to be Confucius's teacher

Lao Zi

The text of Daoism

The Dao De Jing

the reason for suffering, according to Daoism

effort to control nature, as opposed to accepting our role as part of nature

philosophy that believed in Yin and Yang

Daoism

Yin-Yang represents

balance (not opposites)

the moon (Daoism)

Yin

the sun (Daoism)

Yang

China doubles in territory during this dynasty

Qin

During the Qin dynasty, there's a switch from a _________ to a __________ form of government.

feudalistic, centralized

The Qin dynasty was expected to last for

1000 years

The Qin dynasty lasted for

14 years

The First Emperor (Qin)

Shi Huangdi

using the military, THIS GUY forces the relocation of nobles to a central location

Shi Huangdi

the choice offered to men of military age in the Qin dynasty

join the emperor's army or die

Biggest portion of the Great Wall of China built in _____dynasty (not the restoration)

Qin

2 Purposes of the Great Wall of China:

defense, keeping people from leaving

this form of labor was used to build the Great Wall of China

conscriptive labor

90% of the population during the Shang, Zhao, and Qin dynasties are

peasants

During the Qin dynasty, approximately ___% of the population was involved in conscriptive labor at any one time

17

Good things (: from the Qin dynasty

specialization of jobs/bureaucracy, military expansion, standardized writing (unifies dialects), standardized weights and measures, builds many roads, great wall

Aside from the great wall, conscriptive labor was used in the

creation of the Terra Cotta Army

reasoning behind the Terra Cotta army:

without the use of retainers, the military will remain strong throughout the "1000 year dynasty

was paranoid about assassination

Shi Huangdi (with good reason, he was kinda mean)

reason for book burnings

supported mass illiteracy, ideas of Confucius in contrast to theirs (Qin)

The two types of books spared in the book burnings

medicine, agricultural

punishment for scholars attempting to save books

buried alive

these guys hated Shi Huangdi

nobles, scholars, peasants (so everyone)

Craved by Shi Huangdi, he departs on a quest to search for it

Immortality Ship

Irony associated with Qin Dynasty

Shi Huangdi was obsessed with immortality, but the pill he was taking in order to achieve this was slowly killing him (mercury)

Man who've been castrated

Eunuchs

Eunuchs usually work close to the king as

it ensures all children were from his DNA

murdered Huangdi's most capable son

Eunuchs

The will forged by eunuchs grants Huangdi's throne to:

his incompetent son

The stress and overwhelmingness of the throne granted to Huangdi's incompetent son pushes him to

commit suicide

The end of the Qin dynasty culminates in

complete chaos (fighting over rule)

gets the Mandate of Heaven after the collapse of the Qin dynasty

Liu Bung

Liu Bung comes from a _______ background

peasant

was a police officer for the Qin government

Liu Bung

during Liu Bung's claim to the Mandate of Heaven, someone else attempts to take it. This causes him to kill him and burn the palace. This is a tragic burning, called

The Second Book Burning

The Second Book Burning was tragic because

the palace library held the last copies of all of the books burned in the First Book Burning

the knowledge in the burned books was retained by

Confucian scholars who had memorized the text and later rewrote it

Largest dynasty as far as territory (until Ming)

Han

Capital of the Han dynasty

Chang'an

during the Han dynasty, population increases from 20 million to ___ million.

60

Main philosophy of the Han dynasty

Confucian

Paper was invented during the

Han Dynasty

prior to the invention of paper, everything was written on

silk

Silk Road Trade develops during the

Han Dynasty

The first time the East and West are connected

Silk Road Trade

The Han dynasty adds the territories of modern-day

korea, vietnam

The Han dynasty is present during the _________ ___________ in India following the collapse of the ___________ _________.

power vacuum, mauryan empire

During the 500 year power vacuum in India, the _____ _____ goes through there, while ___________ comes to China.

silk road, Buddhism

form of government in Han China

Bureaucracy

___ different levels of government, associated with pay grade, in Han China

18

Most influential Han Emperor

Wudi

started public schools

Emperor Wudi

Han public schools were

funded by the government, not available to everyone

The exam whose pass rate determined who is eligible for government jobs

Civil Service Exam (continuity)

Those who passed the civil service exam were the

elite

Though success was based on merit, and merchants generally were not valued, it was not too difficult to

buy your way into nobility

The revival of Landscape Painting occurs during the

Han Dynasty

since everyone was being taught the same philosophies, and preparing for the same test,

thought in China was unified

The endless continuity of Chinese tradition causes them to become

left behind from the rest of the world