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Ancient and Imperial China
Dynasties, philosophers, inventions and the Silk Road, from the Shang to the Qing.
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79 cards
- Yellow River (Huang He)TermRiver where early Chinese civilization began
- Yangtze RiverTermChina's longest river
- DynastyTermA line of rulers from one family
- Shang DynastyTermEarly dynasty known for bronze and oracle bones, about 1600-1046 BCE
- Oracle bonesTermAnimal bones with the earliest Chinese writing, used to ask the gods questions
- Zhou DynastyTermLong dynasty that introduced the idea of the Mandate of Heaven
- Mandate of HeavenTermBelief that Heaven gave a just ruler the right to rule and could take it away
- ConfuciusTermTeacher (551-479 BCE) who stressed respect, learning and good government
- ConfucianismTermPhilosophy of proper behavior, family loyalty and education
- Filial pietyTermRespect and care for parents and elders
- Daoism (Taoism)TermPhilosophy of living in harmony with nature, linked to Laozi
- LaoziTermTraditional author of the Daodejing
- Yin and yangTermOpposite forces that balance each other
- LegalismTermPhilosophy that strong laws and harsh punishment keep order
- Warring States PeriodTermTime of war among rival Chinese states, ending in 221 BCE
- Qin DynastyTermFirst dynasty to unite China, 221-206 BCE
- Qin Shi HuangTermFirst emperor of a unified China
- Great Wall of ChinaTermLong defensive walls begun by Qin and rebuilt by later dynasties
- Terra-cotta ArmyTermThousands of clay soldiers buried with Qin Shi Huang
- StandardizationTermQin made weights, measures, money and writing the same across China
- Han DynastyTermLong dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) that expanded China and grew trade
- Han WudiTermHan emperor who expanded the empire and started the Silk Road trade
- Silk RoadTermNetwork of trade routes linking China with the Mediterranean
- Zhang QianTermHan envoy whose travels helped open the Silk Road
- SilkTermFine cloth made by silkworms; China kept the method secret for centuries
- PaperTermInvented in China, improved by Cai Lun around 105 CE
- PrintingTermWoodblock printing began in China by the Tang era; movable type came later
- GunpowderTermDeveloped in China, first used for fireworks and later for weapons
- CompassTermMagnetic tool invented in China for finding direction
- Four Great InventionsTermPaper, printing, gunpowder and the compass
- SeismographTermZhang Heng's device (132 CE) for detecting earthquakes
- Civil service examTermTest used to choose government officials by merit
- Tang DynastyTerm618-907; a golden age of poetry, art and trade
- Li BaiTermFamous Tang poet
- Du FuTermTang poet known for poems about people's hardships
- Wu ZetianTermOnly woman to rule China as emperor, in the Tang era
- Chang'anTermTang capital, one of the world's biggest cities
- Song DynastyTerm960-1279; saw paper money, movable type and great cities
- Paper moneyTermFirst widely used in Song China
- Grand CanalTermLong waterway linking northern and southern China, begun in the Sui era
- Sui DynastyTermShort dynasty that reunified China in 589 and built the Grand Canal
- MongolsTermNomadic people who conquered China under Kublai Khan
- Genghis KhanTermFounder of the Mongol Empire
- Kublai KhanTermMongol ruler who founded the Yuan Dynasty in 1271
- Yuan DynastyTermMongol-led dynasty in China, 1271-1368
- Marco PoloTermItalian merchant who wrote about his travels in Asia
- Ming DynastyTerm1368-1644; Chinese rule restored; built the Forbidden City
- Zheng HeTermAdmiral who led huge treasure fleets across the Indian Ocean in the early 1400s
- Forbidden CityTermImperial palace complex in Beijing
- BeijingTermCapital of China from the Ming era onward
- Qing DynastyTermLast dynasty, 1644-1912, ruled by Manchus
- ManchusTermPeople from northeast China who founded the Qing
- QueueTermBraided hairstyle men were required to wear under the Qing
- Opium WarsTermConflicts with Britain in the 1800s over trade that weakened Qing China
- Taiping RebellionTermMassive 1850-1864 uprising during the Qing era
- Boxer RebellionTerm1899-1901 uprising against foreign influence
- PuyiTermLast emperor of China, who gave up the throne in 1912
- Sun Yat-senTermLeader of the 1911 revolution that ended imperial rule
- Republic of ChinaTermGovernment that began in 1912
- Chinese charactersTermWriting system in which each symbol stands for a word or idea
- CalligraphyTermArt of beautiful brush writing
- AbacusTermCounting frame with beads
- AcupunctureTermMedicine practice using thin needles in the body
- PorcelainTermFine ceramic called 'china' in English
- Terraced rice paddiesTermStepped fields for growing rice on hills
- RiceTermMain food in southern China
- MilletTermMain grain in early northern China
- TeaTermDrink used in China for thousands of years
- Chinese New YearTermMajor holiday based on the lunar calendar
- Lunar calendarTermCalendar following the Moon's phases
- Chinese zodiacTermTwelve-year cycle of animals
- DragonTermSymbol of imperial power and good fortune
- Great Wall lengthTermAll its sections together measure thousands of miles
- Shi Huangdi's tombTermLarge burial complex near Xi'an
- Xi'anTermCity near where the Terra-cotta Army was found in 1974
- Han ChineseTermLargest ethnic group in China
- PeasantTermFarmer; most people were peasants
- Scholar-officialTermEducated person who served the government
- Cultural RevolutionTerm1966-1976 political campaign in China that caused great disruption
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