World History 3;3, 4;4, 4;5
loess
fertile yellow soil from the river
feudalism
form of government in which the central government was weak and the local lords had most of the power and influence
clan
group of families who claim a common ancestor
expansionism
increasing the amount of territory of an empire
Laozi
known as Old Master he taught of following the Way and living in harmony with nature
warlord
local military rulers
Yangtze
located to the south of the Huang He this river was a major tributary in early China
Legalism
"a Chinese philosophy that proposed the nature of man is evil; his goodness is acquired; greed was the motive for most actions and the cause of most conflicts"
Mandate of Heaven
"in China, the divine right to rule"
Han Dynasty
"led by Liu Bang this dynasty established a Golden Age for China in which Confucianism was promoted especially in government positions"
Qin Dynasty
"led by Shi Huangdi this dynasty put an end to feudalism in China and also did not allow dissent of any kind; the Great Wall was built during this dynasty"
Huang He River
"the Yellow River; China's earliest civilizations occurred along this river"
Zhou Dynasty
"the earliest dynasty to use the Mandate of Heaven; this dynasty developed a feudal government"
Shi Huangdi (Zheng)
"the leader of the Qin Dynasty who put down dissent used the philosophy of Legalism, banned books, and built the Great Wall"
Book of Songs
early book of Chinese poetry
Wudi
a Han ruler who created a monopoly in China that allowed the government to have complete control over iron and salt
Great Wall
a defensive structure built primarily during the Qin dynasty to defend the Chinese against nomads to the North
Confucius
a philosopher who attempted to work within the government to effect change but he was rejected by corrupt government officials; he taught harmony resulted when people accepted their place in society
philosophy
a system of ideas
Silk Road
a trade route linking China to the Fertile Crescent
oracle bones
an object used by priests to ask the gods questions
calligraphy
art of fine handwriting
Shang Di
chief god of the Chinese people during the Shang Dynasty
Hanfeizi
philosopher who taught that man's basic nature was evil and his goodness was acquired
Confucianism
philosophy that taught harmony resulted when people accepted their place in society and had respect for their elders
Daoism
philosophy that taught to follow the way and avoid the unnatural ways of society
Buddhism
religion that originated in India and found its way to China around 100 A.D.
filial piety
respect of parents
Ancestor Veneration
the Chinese practice of honoring their ancestors
monopoly
the complete control of a product or business by one group or person
Shang Dynasty
the first true Dynasty of China that operated like the independent city-states of Sumer instead of a united empire
acupuncture
the insertion of needles under the skin at specific points to relieve pain or treat various illnesses
Liu Bang
the leader of the Han Dynasty who defeated the Qin and used the philosophy of Confucianism in the Government
civil service
the permanent professional branches of a government administration
dynastic cycle
the rise and fall of dynasties
Yin and Yang
two opposite forces that needed to be balanced for the well being of the Universe
The Way of Virtue
work written by Laozi having to do with the teachings of Daoism
Analects
work written by the followers of Confucius that contains his teachings
characters
written symbols representing words or ideas