| A | B |
|---|
| Clan | group of families who claim a common ancestor |
| Zhou Dynasty | “the earliest dynasty to use the Mandate of Heaven; this dynasty developed a feudal government” |
| Shang Di | chief god of the Chinese people during the Shang Dynasty |
| Loess | fertile yellow soil from the river |
| oracle bones | an object used by priests to ask the gods questions |
| calligraphy | art of fine handwriting |
| dynastic cycle | the rise and fall of dynasties |
| feudalism | form of government in which the central government was weak and the local lords had most of the power and influence |
| Huang He River | “the Yellow River; China’s earliest civilizations occurred along this river” |
| Shang Dynasty | the first true Dynasty of China that operated like the independent city-states of Sumer instead of a united empire |
| Yin and Yang | two opposite forces that needed to be balanced for the well being of the Universe |
| Mandate of Heaven | “in China, the divine right to rule |
| Book of Songs | early book of Chinese poetry |
| Yellow River | also known as Huang He and River of Sorrow this river was the location of china's earliest civilization |
| 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” |
| Daoism | philosophy that taught to follow the way and avoid the unnatural ways of society |
| 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 |
| philosophy | a system of ideas |
| filial piety | respect of parents |
| 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 |
| Confucianism | philosophy that taught harmony resulted when people accepted their place in society and had respect for their elders |
| Laozi | known as Old Master he taught of following the Way and living in harmony with nature |
| Hanfeizi | philosopher who taught that man’s basic nature was evil and his goodness was acquired |
| Buddhism | religion that originated in India and found its way to China around 100 A.D. |
| 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” |
| Han Dynasty | “led by Liu Bang this dynasty established a Golden Age for China in which Confucianism was promoted especially in government positions |
| 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 |
| Monopoly | the complete control of a product or business by one group or person |
| Expansionism | increasing the amount of territory of an empire |
| Shi Huangdi | “the leader of the Qin Dynasty who put down dissent used the philosophy of Legalism, banned books, and built the Great Wall” |
| Liu Bang | the leader of the Han Dynasty who defeated the Qin and used the philosophy of Confucianism in the Government |
| Silk Road | a trade route linking China to the Fertile Crescent |
| warlord | local military rulers |
| acupuncture | the insertion of needles under the skin at specific points to relieve pain or treat various illnesses |
| civil service | the permanent professional branches of a government administration |
| characters | written symbols representing words or ideas |
| Ancestor Veneration | the Chinese practice of honoring their ancestors |
| Xia Dynasty | earliest dynasty of China; it was thought to be a legend |
