world history- ancient china

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

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

warlord

local military rulers

Yangtze river

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"

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

"the leader of the Qin Dynasty who put down dissentused the philosophy of Legalism, banned books, and built the Great Wall"

Book of songs

early book of Chinese poetry

Emperor 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

philosophy

a system of ideas

Silk road

a trade route linking China to the Fertile Crescent

Yellow River

also known as Huang He and China's Sorrow this river was the location of china's earliest civilization

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

filial

piety respect of parents

Buddhism

religion that originated in India and found its way to China around 100 A.D.

civil

service the permanent professional branches of a government administration

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

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