Social Studies Test Chpt. 15, 16, 17 and 18

Tributary

A conquered country or territory that pays tribute to the conqueror

Identify TWO characteristics of urbanization in Imperial China.

#1. China's cities at this time were crowded, exciting places. The streets are filled with rich landowners, merchants, traders, moneylenders, and visiting peasants eager to sell their surplus crops. Signs in the market area identify the goods sold in each shop. #2. In the entertainment area musicians, jugglers, acrobats, and puppeteers perform outdoors. People are enjoying the theater. They are visiting with friends in restaurants and teahouses. Food vendors carrying trays of food on their heads provide plenty to eat.

List at least TWO ways in which China was affected by thriving trade during the Yuan dynasty.

#1. Foreign contacts allowed skills and information to flow from China and spread to other parts of the world. Europeans, for example, learned about the Chinese inventions of gunpowder and printing. #2. Persians brought their advanced knowledge of astronomy, mathematics, medicine, and water management. Jamal al-Din, a Persian astronomer, introduced new and better astronomical instruments. He also helped to develop a new calendar and set up an observatory, a special building for the study of astronomy. #3. Muslim and Persian doctors established new hospitals.

Identify TWO results of growth in trade and commerce in Imperial China.

#1. It resulted in the growth of the merchant class. #2. Business brought increased prosperity, giving China the highest living standard in the world at that time. Third, many commercial centers grew into big cities.

Identify TWO characteristics of trade and commerce in Imperial China.

#1. Let's take a trip on the waterways of China in the 13th century. Our first stop is a market town along a canal. The canal is crowded with barges loaded with rice and other goods. The barges are sailed, rowed, or pushed along with the help of long poles. Oxcarts and pack animals trudge along the roads and over the bridges that cross the canal. Peasants are coming to town to sell their surplus crops and animals, as well as items they have made at home, such as silk and charcoal. On the streets and bridges, merchants have set up small shops to attract customers who are visiting the city. Street peddlers sell goods from the packs they carry. You also see "deposit shops" where merchants trade long strings of copper coins for paper money. Paper money is much easier to carry around, but unlike copper, it has no value in itself. If there is too much paper money in circulation, it loses its value. For this reason, the government controls the amount of paper money that is available. It also threatens to cut off the heads of counterfeiters who print fake money. #2. Let's continue our journey to a port city on the eastern coast. In the harbor, men are loading silk, ceramics, sugar, and rice into large sailing vessels called junks. These ships are big enough to hold several hundred men. Their sails are made of bamboo matting. The junks will soon depart for Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, the East Indies, and even Africa. They will return loaded with indigo for making blue dye, spices, silver, ivory, and coral.

Identify TWO reasons for urbanization in Imperial China.

#1. One answer is that the growth of commerce encouraged people to move to cities and towns. There, people could make a living as merchants, traders, peddlers, and shopkeepers. #2.Landowners left their farms because they preferred the shops and social life of the cities. More people brought still more opportunities for business and jobs, and cities grew even larger.

Identify TWO reasons for growth in trade and commerce in Imperial China.

#1. One reason for the growth of trade and commerce was that wealthy landowners were eager to buy luxuries. The demand for luxuries encouraged an increase in trade, as well as an increase in the number of Chinese artisans, who made silk and other goods. #2. Commerce was also helped by water transportation. A vast network of rivers and canals connected different parts of China. Innovations in navigation helped increase foreign and overseas trade. Navigational charts and diagrams, along with the magnetic compass (a Chinese invention), made it easier for sailors to keep to their routes on long voyages.

Identify TWO characteristics of agricultural changes in Imperial China.

#1. Small farms cover every bit of suitable land. Terraced hillsides spread as far as you can see. Rice grows on the terraces in flooded fields called paddies. Elaborate irrigation systems crisscross the paddies, bringing water where it's needed. #2. Although rice is the main crop, peasants grow tea, cotton, and sugar. They also grow mulberry trees. The leaves feed silkworms. In the southern hill area, you see tea plants. The Chinese had once used tea only as medicine. But by the 9th century, tea was the national drink. Tea drinking became a social custom, and teahouses became popular. To meet the demand, farmers grew more tea.

Identify two examples of Imperial Chinese discoveries and/or inventions in the area of disease prevention

#1. Sometime around the 10th century, the Chinese discovered how to inoculate people against smallpox, a dreaded infectious disease. Inoculation is a way of stimulating a person's immune system to fight a particular disease. It works by exposing the person to a disease-carrying substance. To inoculate people against smallpox, Chinese physicians took a small part of a scab from an infected person and made it into a powder. Then they inserted the powder into the nose of the person they wanted to immunize, or protect against the disease. #2. During the Song dynasty, the Chinese discovered another way to prevent the spread of disease. A Chinese monk recommended steaming the clothes of sick people. He believed that the steam would prevent others from becoming ill. The idea was sound, because hot temperatures kill many germs. Today, people boil medical instruments to kill disease-causing germs.

Identify two examples of Imperial Chinese discoveries and/or inventions in the area of exploration and travel

#1. The Chinese developed the first compass as early as the 3rd century B.C.E. The first Chinese compasses were pieces of a magnetic mineral called lodestone. #2. The Chinese also found ways to improve bridges. For example, in 618 C.E., a Chinese engineer completed a new type of arched bridge. In Europe, Roman-designed bridges rested on arches that were half-circles. The new Chinese bridge used arches that were a smaller part, or segment, of a circle. This made the bridges broader and flatter than semicircular arches could. Called a segmental arch bridge, the new type of bridge took less material to build and was stronger, as well. The segmental arch bridge is one of China's most prized achievements. Bridges of that design stretch over expressways around the world.

Identify two examples of Imperial Chinese discoveries and/or inventions in the area of everyday objects

#1. The Chinese developed the first mechanical clock in about the 8th century. The new clock was more accurate than earlier timekeeping devices, such as sundials and hourglasses. The Chinese devised a wheel that made one complete turn every 24 hours. Dripping water made the wheel turn. Every quarter hour, drums would beat; and every hour, a bell would chime. The sounds let people know what time it was. #2.Game cards were invented in China in about the 9th century. Printers used woodblock printing to make the cards from thick paper. Famous artists drew the designs that appeared on the backs of the cards. Europeans were introduced to card games by the late 1300s. Today, card games are played throughout the world.

Identify two examples of Imperial Chinese discoveries and/or inventions in the area of industry

#1. The Chinese invented the art of papermaking The earliest Chinese paper was probably made from hemp and then the bark of the mulberry tree. Later, the Chinese used rags. #2. The invention of paper made another key development possible: printing. In about the 7th century, the Chinese invented a technique called woodblock printing. The printer first drew characters (symbols) on paper. He then glued the paper to a wooden block. When the glue was dry, the printer carved out the wood around the characters, leaving the characters raised on the wood. In the 11th century, during the Song dynasty, the Chinese invented movable type. Movable type consists of separate blocks for each character. Printers made their type by carving characters out of clay and baking them. To print, they selected the characters they needed and placed them in an iron frame in the order they would appear on the page. When the printing job was done, the type could be removed from the frame and rearranged to use again.

Identify two examples of Imperial Chinese discoveries and/or inventions in the area of military technology

#1. The Chinese who first made gunpowder were alchemists, people who practiced a blend of science and magic known as alchemy. Alchemists experimented with mixtures of natural ingredients, trying to find a substance that might allow people to live forever. They also searched for a way to make gold out of cheaper metals. #2. Rocket technology was developed in China during the Song dynasty. Rockets were powered by a black powder made of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. At first, rockets were used only in fireworks. Later, the Chinese used them as weapons. They even developed a two-stage rocket for their armies. The first stage propelled the rocket through the air. The second stage dropped arrows down on the enemy.

Identify TWO reasons for agricultural changes in Imperial China.

#1. The first was the movement of farmers to the fertile basins of the Chang Jiang in southern China. The move to the south changed what farmers grew. Northern farmers had cultivated wheat and millet. These crops grew well in the north's cold, dry climate. In contrast, the south's climate was warm and wet. Wetlands covered most of the Chang Jiang valley. These conditions were ideal for cultivating rice plants, which need a lot of water. #2. Production increased with new and better farming techniques and tools. An improved plow and harrow, a tool used to level plowed ground, made it easier to prepare fields for planting. Farmers also began using fertilizer to produce larger crops. A device called a chain pump, which used containers attached to a loop of chain to move water, helped farmers irrigate land at the edges of lakes, marshes, and rivers. To grow rice on hillsides, farmers created flat areas called terraces. More and more land was devoted to farming, and landowners became wealthier.

Identify TWO results of urbanization in Imperial China.

#1. The growth of cities changed the way many ordinary Chinese lived. Cities were vibrant centers of activity, from buying and selling, to hobbies and board games. Public-works projects provided employment for many city dwellers. #2. Urbanization also stimulated culture, giving artists an audience of wealthy, leisured people. Paintings produced during the Song period are considered some of the finest in the world.

Identify TWO results of agricultural changes in Imperial China.

#1. The shift to growing rice was an important development for medieval China. First, it increased food production. The new abundance of food helped to support a larger population. For the first time, China's population grew to more than 100 million people. #2 With ample food, peasants could take time away from farming to weave silk, cotton cloth, and other products to sell or trade. Rice farmers could also market their surplus rice. Landowners became rich enough from growing rice to buy luxury items. All these changes encouraged the growth of trade.

Bureaucracy

A highly complex body of workers with many levels of authority

Dynasty

A line of rulers descended from one family

What happened to China when the Han dynasty lost the Mandate of Heaven?

A long period of disunity and conflict followed. No new dynasty took over from the Han. Instead, China broke apart into separate kingdoms, just as Europe did after the fall of Rome. Nomadic invaders ruled the north. Several short-lived dynasties ruled the south.

Warlords

A military leader operating outside the control of the government

Aristocracy

A ruling class of noble families.

Economy

A system of managing the wealth and resources of a community or region

Gunpowder

An explosive powder made of saltpeter and other materials

Why did people in medieval China want government jobs?

As government officials, they enjoyed certain privileges, such as being excused from taxes and military service.

Imperial

Belonging or related to an emperor

During the Ming dynasty, identify ways that hiring scholar-officials hurt China.

China's civil service system may also have stood in the way of progress. The exams did not test understanding of science, mathematics, or engineering. People with such knowledge were therefore kept out of the government. Confucian scholars also had little respect for merchants, business, and trade. Under the Ming dynasty, this outlook dominated, and trade and business were not encouraged. In addition, the bureaucracy became set in its ways. Its inability to adapt contributed to the fall of the Ming in 1644.

According to the Mandate of Heaven, when can people overthrow the emperor?

Chinese believed that Heaven supported the dynasty for as long as an emperor ruled well. Natural disasters such as floods, famines, plagues, and earthquakes were taken as signs that Heaven was displeased. If an emperor ruled badly and lost the Mandate of Heaven, the people could overthrow him.

Mandate of Heaven

Chinese rulers based their right to govern on this mandate. According to this idea, Heaven had chosen a particular dynasty to rule. The Chinese believed that Heaven supported the dynasty for as long as an emperor ruled well.

Civil Service Exam

Civil service examinations: a test given to qualify candidates for positions in the government

According to emperors and scholars, knowledge of the ideas of Confucius would produce what type of government official?

Confucius taught that people must act properly in five important relationships: ruler and subject, father and son, older sibling and younger sibling, husband and wife, and friend and friend. Except for friends, one person in each relationship is above the other. Those above should be kind to those below. Those below should respect and obey those above. In particular, subjects must be loyal to their rulers. Song emperors and scholars believed that officials who had studied Confucius would be rational, moral, and able to maintain order.

Describe how attitudes and policies changed toward the end of the Tang dynasty in regard to trade routes

Despite this distrust of foreigners, the Chinese continued to trade with other lands. By the end of the Tang dynasty, trade was shifting from the Silk Road. A flourishing sea trade developed between China, India, and the coastal cities of Southeast Asia.

Mongols

Foreign rulers of China from Mongolia who established the Yuan dynasty

Describe how attitudes and policies changed toward the end of the Tang dynasty in regard to foreigners

Foreigners and their beliefs became less welcome in China. The government placed restrictions on foreigners when a people called the Uighurs (WEE-gourz) began attacking China from across the border. In cities, violence broke out against foreign merchants. Many Chinese resented their prosperity.

Describe the role of foreigners in China during the Yuan dynasty. Then, explain how the Chinese felt about this

Foreigners enjoyed high status under the Yuan rulers. Foreign merchants were given special privileges. Unlike Chinese merchants, they could travel freely and didn't have to pay taxes. They also spoke other languages, which the Chinese were forbidden to learn. Kublai Khan appointed many visiting foreigners to official positions in his government. The most famous was Marco Polo, a young Italian merchant and adventurer who traveled throughout China. Under Kublai Khan, life was more pleasant for Mongols and foreigners, such as Marco Polo, than it was for the native Chinese. The Chinese were at the bottom of the social order. They resented the restrictions placed on them. They also disliked being ruled by foreigners, especially since a few foreign government officials were harsh and dishonest. The Chinese hated a Muslim finance minister named Ahmed so much that they assassinated him. The resentment that built up under Yuan rule helped make the Chinese suspicious of further contact with foreigners.

Whom did Kublai Khan choose to fill important government positions?

He chose other Mongols whom he felt he could trust. Some of these people were his relatives. (He got ride of the Civil Service Exams that were based on Confucius) But there weren't enough Mongols to fill every job. Besides, many were illiterate, or unable to read and write. Kublai and later Mongol emperors needed people who could handle the paperwork of a complex government. They were forced to appoint trusted foreigners to government positions, even some Europeans. Chinese scholars were appointed only as teachers and minor officials. Other Chinese worked as clerks, and some of them rose to important positions. Without the examination system, however, there was a shortage of capable administrators. In 1315, the Mongols restored the exam system. Even then, they set limits on who could take the exam, favoring Mongol and other non-Chinese candidates.

Maritime (or Maritime Trade)

Relating to the sea (Travel and trade on the sea)

Movable Type

Individual characters made of wood or metal that can be arranged to create a printing job and then be used over again .

During the Ming dynasty, identify ways that hiring scholar-officials helped China.

It provided a well-organized government. The education of its scholar-officials emphasized moral behavior, justice, kindness, loyalty to the emperor, proper conduct, and the importance of family. These values helped to unify Chinese culture. The civil service system gave poor men who were ambitious and hard working the chance to be government officials. At the same time, it ensured that officials were trained and talented, not merely rich or related to the emperor.

List at least THREE countries with whom China had contact during the Tang dynasty (through traders, merchants, missionaries, or visitors).

Merchants, missionaries, and other visitors came to China. Thousands of Arabs, Turks, Persians, Tibetans, Indians, Jews, Koreans, Japanese, and other foreigners lived in seaports and in Chang'an Traders also traveled by sea between China and Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and India

Describe what happened as the Ming dynasty turned inward in the mid-1400s.

Ming rulers wanted to protect their people from foreign influences, so they forbade travel outside China. All contact between Chinese people and foreigners had to be approved by the government. The Ming dynasty and its scholar-officials wanted a strongly unified state based on a single ruler and traditional values. The huge and complex government bureaucracy was staffed by scholar-officials chosen by examinations. The outlook of the scholars dominated Chinese thought and government into the 20th century. The Ming desire for uniformity made it difficult for the government to change in response to new conditions. In the end, it became too rigid to adapt. Peasant rebellions helped to bring down the government in 1644, ending the Ming dynasty.

Meritocracy

Rule by officials of proven merit

What belief led China to acquire tributaries during the Ming dynasty?

The Ming saw China as the oldest, largest, most civilized, and most important country in the world. Other nations, they felt, should acknowledge China's superiority by paying tribute.

Commerce

The buying and selling of goods; business

During the Tang dynasty, why did aristocrats continue to hold most government offices?

The civil service exams favored aristocrats. The tests were supposedly open to all except for certain groups, such as merchants, actors, and beggars. In theory, any man could attend the university where students prepared for the exams. In reality, however, only the wealthy could afford tutors, books, and time to study. As a result, aristocrats held almost all offices in the early part of the Tang dynasty.

Ming

The dynasty that ruled China after the overthrow of the Yuan

Currency

The form of money used in a country

Urbanization

The growth of cities

Describe how attitudes and policies changed toward the end of the Tang dynasty in regard to Buddhists

The wealth of Buddhist monasteries also brought resentment. Some people, it was said, became monks just to avoid paying taxes. In addition, influential Chinese began attacking Buddhism as a foreign religion. In 843, the Tang government, which needed money, began seizing Buddhist property. Thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns were forced to give up their way of life. Monasteries, shrines, and temples were destroyed. Precious metals from statues were melted down and turned over to the treasury. The persecution of Buddhists lasted only a few years, but it greatly weakened the power of the monasteries.

Emperor

The political leader of a territory containing several countries or groups of people.

Explain the purpose and result of Zheng He's expeditions

The purpose was to display China's power, to give gifts, and to collect tribute. The result ofZheng He's expeditions were that ships returned laden with precious cargo. From India they brought sashes made of gold thread, decorated with pearls and gems. They also carried medicinal herbs, dyes, spices, gems, pearls, and ivory. There were even exotic animals such as zebras, ostriches, lions, leopards, and giraffes aboard. Another result was that thirty or more of the places he visited became tributaries of China.

What happened to Chinese scholars under Mongol rule?

They were appointed only as teachers and minor officials. Others worked as clerks, and some of them rose to important positions.

Who were scholar-officials?

They were politicians and government officials appointed by the emperor of China to perform day-to-day political duties from the Han dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912 (They had to take the Civil Service Exams)

Mass -produce

To make quantities of an item by using standardized designs and dividing steps of production among the workers.

Inoculate

To protect against disease by transmitting a disease-causing agent to a person, stimulating the body's defensive reactions