Transcript Ancient China

Ancient China
Chapter 7 Review
How did the floods along the
rivers help the Chinese?
They deposited silt, making the
land ideal for growing crops.
What steps did Shi Huangdi
take to unify China?
He standardized laws, writing,
and weights and measures,
created a money system, and
made trade easier.
How did Shi Huangdi change
China's old political system?
He claimed all power and did
not share any power with the
lords.
Who was Laozi?
famous teacher credited with
writing the basic text of
Daoism
How did Shi Huangdi prevent
future revolts in his territory?
He had soldiers destroy city
walls and take all the residents'
weapons.
Why do you think the decline
of the Zhou weakened the
Chinese family structure?
There was no strong
government to stop power
struggles within families
What happened to China after
the death of Shi Huangdi?
The government began to fall
apart and the country fell into a
civil war.
What were ancient China's two
great rivers?
the Huang He and the Chang
Jiang
Why is the Huang He
sometimes called China's
Sorrow?
It often floods, killing people
and destroying land.
What information have burial
sites provided about the culture
of early China?
information about works of
art, differences in social order,
and possibly belief in an
afterlife
Why were the ancient stories
about the Xia rulers important?
explained geography that
influenced lives and told of
kings who helped people
solve problems by working
together
What did Legalists believe society
needed?
strict laws to keep people in line,
punishments that fit the crimes,
and holding citizens responsible
for the crimes of others
Why did Confucius believe that
China needed to return to
ethics?
He was upset by disorder and a
lack of decency in society.
What was Confucius's view
about how a family should be
structured?
Fathers should set an example,
children should obey parents,
and family members should be
loyal to each other.
What changes did Liu Bang
bring to China?
He freed people from harsh
government policies, lowered
taxes, made punishments less
severe, gave blocks of land to his
supporters, and used educated
officials to help him rule.
Why did Shi Huangdi standardize
many elements of Chinese life?
to ease trade, communication,
and travel and to make the
Chinese people feel more like a
nation
According to ancient stories, what was the first
Chinese dynasty, and who was its founder?
Xia dynasty; Yu the Great
What is Daois?
a philosophy that stresses living
in harmony with the Dao, the
guiding force of reality
How did the Zhou use the
mandate of heaven to justify
their overthrow of the Shang?
They claimed that heaven no
longer gave the Shang
permission to rule, because
the Shang were bad rulers.
What was the Zhou dynasty?
The longest-lasting Chinese
dynasty, which began in 1100s
BC.
What advances were made
during the Shang dynasty?
he development of China's
first writing system, use of
oracle bones, war chariots,
the use of bronze, and the
development of a calendar
What was the Warring States
period?
a time marked by many civil
wars and fights for territory
among Chinese lords because of
a lack of a strong government
Why did the king's armies not
rush to help him when invaders
reached the capital in 771BC?
They had been tricked by the
king who was lighting fires to
entertain a friend, so they did
not take the signal seriously.
How did the new Zhou political
order affect society?
It granted land to nobles, and
required peasants to work the
nobles' land.
How did Wudi strengthen
China's government?
He took lands from lords,
raised taxes, placed the supply
of grain under government
control, made people take
exams and get
recommendations for
government service.
What were the social classes
in Han China?
upper - emporer, royal court,
scholars; second class - peasants;
third class - artisans; lowest merchants
Why were wealthy merchants in
the lowest class?
did not produce anything of their
own, only bought and sold goods
made by others
How were Han social classes
different than most social
divisions?
They were not based on
wealth or power.
What were Confucius's ideas
about family
?
The father was the head of the
family and had absolute power;
wives and children had to obey
their husbands and fathers.
Why were sons more highly
valued than daughters?
Sons carried on the family line
and took care of parents as they
got older, while daughters went
to live with their husbands'
families.
What were some of the cultural
and scientific achievements of
the Han?
artwork, poetry, history, paper,
sundial, acupuncture, and the
seismograph
How did the 'fu' style of poetry
differ from the 'shi' style?
Fu poetry combined prose and
poetry in a long work of
literature, while shi used short
lines of verse that could be
sung.
What were two inventions that
helped farmers become more
productive during the Han
dynasty?
iron plow and wheelbarrow
How did the wheelbarrow aid
farmers?
It allowed a single person to
carry more than 300 pounds at a
time.
Why do you think the Chinese
were so determined to keep
how they produced silk a secret?
Other countries would have been
able to make the silk themselves if
they knew the secret, thereby
making the Chinese silk trade less
valuable.
For what items did the Chinese
trade?
horses, gold, silver, and precious
stones
What led to China making
contact with other cultures?
the Chinese empire became
prosperous
How would you compare the
weather patterns in the
northeastern and eastern
sections of China?
the northeast is cold and dry, the
eastern section gets heavy rainfall
From what country did Buddism
come to China?
India
What were some of the
difficulties traders on the Silk
Road faced?
bandits trying to steal cargo
and water; harsh weather such
as blizzards, heat, and
sandstorms
How did the political environment
in China lead to the acceptance of
Buddism?
As the government became less
stable, hunger and violence
became widespread. The
Chinese embraces Buddism
because it offerd relief from
suffering.
How is Buddism's spread into
China an example of diffusion?
It represents the spread of one
idea from one culture to
another, and the resulting
change in the culture.
In what way were Legalism and
Confucianism similar?
Both philosophies were
intended to help society.
Two great rivers flow from east
to west in China. What does
this reveal about the
geography of China?
Mountain ranges there tend to
run from east to west.