1) History

A) Who/what? Interpretation of selected events

B) When? Began with Shang
C) Where? Wherever we find written documents!
D) Significance? In China, historical writings set the standards for virtue
2) Three Sages
A) Yao, Shun, Yu- legend has it that they were most virtuous rulers.
B) 2359-2205 BCE
C) eastern China (huang he River)
D) Golden Age of China, set Chinese style of historiography
3)Mandate of Heaven/Dynastic Cycle
A) All begin with shining virtue, they prosper, as they become corrupt, they
die. Corruption indicated by natural disasters. Heaven removes mandate and
places it on virtuous others.
B) throughout Chinese history- started with Shang
C) Throughout China
D) gave legitimacy to the emperor's rule
4) Duke of Zhou
A) Brother of King Wu, shown in The Metal Bound Box, acted as regent for
son of King Wu
B) 630 BCE
C) Wei River Valley
D) Exemplifies social, moral, and political questions. Successfully suppressed a
number of rebellions, placating the Shang nobility with titles and positions.
5) Sanxingdui
A) Bronze Age civilization in SW China, evidenced very different artifacts
than Shang (bronze
figures)
B) 1200 BCE
C) SW China
D) artifacts point to contact with other Neolithic civilizations not found in
North China Plain, but not Shang
6) Yangshao
A) culture of Millet farmers in North China
B) 5000 BCE
C) Yellow River Valley
D) Belief that Chinese civilization originated from them acc to Nuclear
Theory. Interactive spheres say they were just one of many
7) Divination

A) Use of oracle bones and other ceremonies to try to figure out Heaven's
will and the future. Trigrams and Hexagrams for han dynasty
B) Earliest findings from Shang Dynasty, and in Han
C) Started in Yellow River Valley
D) Belief that events were destined from Heaven, results of divinations could
influence major decisions . Showed importance of Ancestry, while still looking
toward the future.
8) Book of Songs
A) Compilation of over 300 songs describing everyday life
B) Zhou Dynasty
C) Xian/ Yellow River Valley
D) Gives a glimpse into everyday life of Chinese people. Offers perspectives of
peasants and such that werent found in other historical writings

9) Well-field System
A) System by which a plot of land was divided into 9 squares with outer ones
owned by peasants and middle one went to the government.
B) Implemented under Wang Mang (9 BCE-23 CE)
C) Eastern China
D) Money and resources going to emperor instead of feudal noblescentralization of power. Would lead to privatization of land as this system
failed.
10) Five Classics
A) Made up of Changes, History, The Odes, Spring and Autumn Annals,
Ceremonials.
B) Edited by Confucius
C) Land of Eastern Zhou
D) Part of Confucian library and major portion of civil service exams
11) Confucius
A) Teacher, unsuccessful politician, Analects about his life/teachings.
B) 551-479 BCE
C) Lu, Eastern Zhou state
D) Major philosophy, influenced many others. Influenced social order and
filial piety. Golden Rule (in negative). Lead through moral example not
stinginess.
12) Mencius
A) Follower of Confucius, said human nature is good, developed Mandate of
Heaven.
B) 371-289 BCE

C) Zou, Eastern Zhou State

D) Book was part of civil service exam, said all have potential to become
sage through study.
13) Xun Zi (Hsun-tzu)
A) Name of person/book. Legalist philosopher. Human nature is evil.
Diminished role of Heaven
B) ~ 312 BCE
C) Zhao, Eastern Zhou State
D) Teacher of Han Feizi, influences legalist philosophy and repressive rule of
Qin.
14) Warring States
A 2nd part of Eastern Zhou marked by some individual states rising to
power (Chu and Qin)
B) 453- 221 BCE
C) New states in Northwest
D) Major changes in socioeconomics (stratification) politics, economy (taxes),
and warfare (large armies, weaponry). Ushered in Qin Dynasty
15) Daoism
A) Part of the Hundred Schools, philosophy in contrast to Confucianism,
about taking no purposeful action, transcending political reality
B) Warring States period of Eastern Zhou
C) Wei River Valley
D) Huge impact on Buddhism, gave practical tactics for govt.
16) Trigrams/Hexagrams
A) Cosmology/divination- using sticks to learn the way in which man was
influenced and affected by nature.
B) Solidified by Han Dynasty
C) Eastern China
D) Basis for theoretical framework for explaining the world, provided impetus
to development of science
17)Legalism
A) Philosophy that emphasized practical problems of govt. and political
control over ethics
B) ~ 220 BCE
C) Yellow River Valley
D) Influenced Han Feizi, Shang Yang, Xunzi and repressive rule of Qin
emperor.
18) Lord Shang
A) Legalist philosopher, advocated for merit based appointments, equal
application of law (even to nobility!), mutual responsibility, legal repression

B) 338 BCE
C) Qin territory-NW
D) Probably the first legalist
19)Shihuangdi, 1st Emperor of Qin
A) Harsh ruler, moved to centralize Qin rule and sent military expeditions all
over, built palaces and tombs,
B) 221BCE
C)Wei River in NW China
D)Achievements: centralized govt, Great Wall, new residence and a half for
court affairs, prepared for death by building tombs, sent armies and
expanded territory, standardized currency, standardized written script, roads.
Failures: alienated intellectuals, applied principals for, legalists but didn't
dismiss Confucian practices, uses a vulgarized form of Daoism by folk and
popular religion- sought longevity, used forced labor and punishments, too
many projects too quickly, couldn't establish system of imperial succession.
20) Emperor Wu of the Han
A) Represents second phase of dynastic cycle (flourishes), adopts
Confucianism, fights against Xiongnu, economic reforms
B) 156-87 BCE
C) Eastern China- capitals at xian and Luoyang
D) Govt. monopolies spark Debate on Salt and Iron, starts civil service exam!
Expanded borders, oversaw beginning of Silk Road
21) Sima Qian and Records of the Grand Historian
A) Author of Shiji/Historical Records. Five parts: Basic Annals, Chronological
Tables, Treatises, Hereditary Houses, Memoirs.
B) 145-90 BCE
C) Han territory- Eastern China
D) single composite history
22) Ban Gu and History of the Former Han
A) Part of Ban family of scholars
B) 92 CE
C) Yellow River Valley
D) Surviving records show local histories
23) Wang Mang and the Xin Dynasty
A)Regent who seized power and tried to bring back Zhou order
B) 9 BCE
C) Xian
D) Unsuccessful, led to rebellions and his death led to restoration of Han
24) Lisi (LiSzu)

A) Advisor to first Qin emperor, advocated for centralization of power, mutual

responsibility, meritocracy
B) 208 BCE
C) Yellow River Valley
D) Influenced Qin emperor to adopt his policies
25) Xiongnu
A) Nomadic group caused problems for Han. skilled warriors because of
shepherd skills, easy to defend because of nomadism.
B) 200-50 BCE
C) North and NW China
D)Very expensive for Han- Paid for wars with state monopolies on salt, iron,
etc.
26) Blood Sweating Horses
A Zhang Qian said that China needed better horses to fight against enemies
B) Han Dynasty
C) Han capital-Yellow River Valley through Silk Road
D) Silk Road trading!
27) General Zhang Qian
A) Tried to recruit allies to fight Xiongnu, captured by Xiongnu, told Emperor
to get blood sweating horses
B) 138 BCE
C) Han capital- yellow River valley
D) Opens Silk Road!
28) Debate on Salt and Iron
A) Court convened to discuss Wu's economic policies. Defended by Sang
Hongyang- necessary to generate defense funds against Xiongnu. Attacked
by "Ru"- reps. of wealthy landowners- just profit motive, will corrupt peasants
and destroy agriculture!
B) 81 BCE
C) Han court
D) Ru won, San Hongyang and co. killed. Decline of central power and
economic legislation
29) Yellow Turbans Five Pecks of Rice (Celestial Masters)
A) Two major rebellions against Han.
B) Yellow Turbans- 184 CE, Celestial Masters- 125- 220 CE
C) YT- NE, CM- Sichuan
D) weakened Han Dynasty
30) Five Pecks of Rice
A) came to control parts of present-day Sichuan, a territory the size of France

that had played an important role in the expansion of Qin power. the
Celestial Masters were able to hold the prefectural capital for almost half a
century before the warlord Cao Cao (155220 c.e.) was able to extract a
pledge of fealty from the leaders of the movement in 215 c.e.
B) arose during the reign of emperor Shun (125144 c.e.), until 220
C) In Sichuan
D)the movement was seriously damaging to the dynasty, not only because
of the loss of a huge territory but also because Sichuan was the economic
breadbasket of the empire.
31) System of Mutual Responsibility
A) Society divided into units and one part is responsible for the rest
B) ~ 220 BCE Qin Dynasty
C) Throughout Qin lands
D) Essentially a spy system so people were watched and responsible for
actions committed in personal lives