Deck 10: The Flowering of Traditional China

Question 1

When Marco Polo visited China the country was under the control of the

A) Han dynasty
B) Ming dynasty
C) Mongols
D) Japanese
E) Song dynasty

Answer 1

Mongols

Question 2

The name given to the Asian region northwest of traditional China that was pacified by the Tang was

A) Xinjiang.
B) Korea.
C) Japan.
D) Silla.
E) Bactria.

Answer 2

Xinjiang.

Question 3

Which of the following statements is not a valid observation about the Sui Dynasty?

A) It employed Buddhism as a unifying force in the country.
B) It was responsible for the building of the Grand Canal, connecting the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers.
C) It permanently incorporated Korea into the Chinese domain.
D) It came to an abrupt end with the assassination of its emperor.
E) Its policies helped the lower Yangtze region become a major part of China's economy.

Answer 3

It permanently incorporated Korea into the Chinese domain.

Question 4

The Sui Dynasty

A) lasted from the ninth until the eleventh centuries.
B) designated Daoism as the only official state ideology.
C) completed the new Grand Canal system linking the Yellow the Yangtze river valleys.
D) burned the literary works of Confucius and all non-Buddhists.
E) moved the capital to Canton.

Question 5

Empress Wu

A) made a significant contribution to the civil service examination system.
B) achieved nothing positive during her rule.
C) deposed her courtiers at the age of 80 and went on to rule another eight years.
D) found a rationalization for her rule in a Daoist sutra.
E) was assassinated on her fortieth birthday.

Question 6

Much of the Silk Road trade was carried by traders from

A) Central Asia.
B) India.
C) southern China.
D) Japan.
E) eastern Europe.

Question 7

The Turkish-speaking tribal group that ultimately overthrew the Tang were the

A) Mongols.
B) Magyars.
C) Uighurs.
D) Jurchens.
E) Kirghiz.

Question 8

Civil service examinations

A) were administered in every provincial town under the Tang and Song dynasties
B) heavily favored aristocrats during the Tang dynasty
C) were phased out during the Song dynasty
D) did not become a practice in China until the 16^thcentury
E) None of the above.

Question 9

Which of the following was not an economic factor in medieval China?

A) The central government monopolized certain commodity manufacturing.
B) Technological advances increased the scope and wealth of the economy.
C) The introduction of the use of paper currency, credit, banking, and the abacus furthered commercial development.
D) The Sui dynasty closed the Silk Road.
E) Blast furnaces were developed.

Question 10

In terms of its relations with neighboring powers, the Song

A) met their ultimate demise at the hands of the Mongols.
B) were able to maintain a permanent dominance over the Jin Dynasty of the Jurchens.
C) reconquered the northern region controlled by the Uighurs.
D) learned from the mistakes of the Tang and avoided a similar fate.
E) conquered Japan, the first time that this had happened.

Question 11

Under the Tang, ____ accepted tribute status.

A) India
B) Japan
C) Korea
D) Nepal
E) Indonesia

Question 12

The Song political system

A) restored Legalism as its supporting official philosophy.
B) was able to solve the problem of nomadic invasions by using its new fire-lance to exterminate nomadic cavalry.
C) developed the equivalent of a modern cabinet within its Department of State Affairs.
D) dissolved its entire military structure to save money for trading activities.
E) was run by a female emperor during the late Yuan dynasty.

Question 13

As a result of early Tang rule,

A) Chinese cultural development was stifled.
B) Buddhist influence helped to produce a blossoming of Chinese culture.
C) Buddhist monastic activities were curtailed.
D) internal weakness became endemic throughout China.
E) Nestorian beliefs became dominant in the Yangtze Valley.

Question 14

Rice became the main food crop in China during which dynasty?

A) Han
B) Ming
C) Tang
D) Song
E) Sui

Question 15

All of the following contributed to the fall of the Tang except

A) the increase of power of the landed families.
B) instability along the northern frontiers.
C) invasion by the Mongols.
D) a rebellion in 755 which captured Chang'an.
E) local military commanders taking power from the central government.

Question 16

One of the main reasons for the demise of the Tang Dynasty was its inability to effectively solve the problem of land distribution. Which of the following statements can serve as a valid explanation for this policy failure?

A) The increasing concentration of land in the hands of the rich and politically influential, coupled with rising food production, led to increasing pressure on the land distribution system.
B) The receipt of large, permanent land grants by government officials fundamentally strengthened the system but undermined the concept of the Mandate of Heaven.
C) Equality in land distribution was successfully maintained through the tax regulations of the central government.
D) Mongol invaders destroyed the Chinese government's bureaucratic infrastructure.
E) Empress Wu confiscated all land, distributing it to illiterate and unprepared peasants.

Question 17

Of the following Chinese dynasties, which one was the most recent?

A) Song
B) Ming
C) Han
D) Tang
E) Sui

Question 18

The Sui emperor was a(n) ____ ruler.

A) indifferent
B) benevolent
C) tyrannical
D) timid
E) popular

Question 19

In medieval China, the tribute system

A) was a domestic policy used by Tang rulers to exact taxes from local villages.
B) was a method by which Mongol rulers dealt with the Han Chinese.
C) maintained a working trade relationship between the Chinese and foreign merchants and rulers.
D) was first introduced by the Manchu Dynasty.
E) was maintained in opposition to the tenets of Confucianism.

Question 20

Over the course of the three centuries after the fall of the Han and before the rise of the Sui Dynasty,

A) China experienced a period of tranquility and order.
B) Confucianism grew in popularity.
C) Buddhism developed a much wider following among the Chinese people.
D) Daoism disappeared in China.
E) Islam made its first appearance in China.

Question 21

Which Mongol conquest was most successful?

A) Indonesia
B) Siam
C) Vietnam
D) China
E) Japan

Question 22

In 755, a rebellion that briefly gained control of Chang'an undermined the ____ Dynasty.

A) Tang
B) Song
C) Sui
D) Yuan
E) Ming

Question 23

State Confucianism

A) was actually an unusually militant form of Buddhism.
B) expressed a traditional, activist element in Chinese philosophy.
C) was brought to China by Japanese merchants.
D) renounced the newer ideas advanced by Mencius and Loming-Tzu.
E) was strongly influenced by Daoism.

Question 24

All of the following factors contributed to the end of Mongol rule in China except

A) excessive military expenditures.
B) insufficient incoming receipts from taxes.
C) internal strife, aggravated by growing famine.
D) inferior abilities among the successors to Khubilai Khan.
E) the plague that killed millions of Mongols in 1241 and 1242.

Question 25

The Silk Road connected

A) India and South-East Asia.
B) India and China.
C) China, South-East Asia, and Europe.
D) China, India, and the Middle East.
E) Europe and the Middle East.

Question 26

The Chinese civil service examination system

A) included a quota system to insure that over one-half of those who took it were peasants.
B) ensured that those passing all levels of the exams would receive life-long pensions.
C) was designed to keep the "scholar-gentry" from taking the advanced examinations.
D) was no longer used after the early 600s.
E) was unable to solve the problem of officials using their positions to help their relatives.

Question 27

Khubilai Khan's capital was located in

A) Samarkand.
B) Chang'an.
C) Khanbaliq.
D) Hangzhou.
E) Karakorum.

Question 28

The Mongols were able to maintain control in China for an extended period because they

A) rapidly assimilated into Chinese society.
B) maintained a system of harsh reprisals for Chinese noncompliance.
C) created a totally new political system that the Chinese found refreshingly appealing.
D) maintained commercial policies that were conducive to Chinese prosperity.
E) outlawed the subversive ideas of Confucius.

Question 29

The founder of the Mongol Empire was

A) Ogilvai Khan.
B) Khubilai Khan.
C) Atta Khan.
D) Genghis Khan.
E) Tamerlane.

Question 30

What contributed to the demise of the Yuan Dynasty?

A) Religious disputes
B) The death of its most accomplished emperor
C) A prolonged famine
D) A foreign invasion
E) Excessive military spending

Question 31

More than anything, technological advances in societies appear to depend on the

A) native intelligence of a population.
B) prevailing climatic conditions.
C) degree of political centralization.
D) extent of contact with other cultures.
E) available natural resources.

Question 32

The Chinese familial ideal was a

A) nuclear family.
B) childless family.
C) family with at least ten children.
D) joint family with at least three generations living under one roof.
E) matriarchal family.

Question 33

In the Chinese civil service examination system,

A) stress was placed on geometric and foreign language skills.
B) under the Song, Confucian doctrine had been replaced by Buddhist teachings as the sole contents of the exam.
C) in comparison to other civilizations, the process provided a means for upward social mobility.
D) the elimination of all bureaucratic shortcomings was achieved.
E) the establishment of the Censorate eliminated all possibilities of official wrongdoing.

Question 34

In the Chinese civil service examination system,

A) candidates from southern China always received the highest positions.
B) the system entirely eliminated aristocratic influence in the government bureaucracy.
C) the Song severely restricted the eligibility for taking the exams.
D) many candidates who passed the first examination did not go on to a higher level.
E) very few of the successful candidates came from the landed gentry.

Question 35

Zhu Yuanzhang completed the task of overthrowing the ____ Dynasty.

A) Song
B) Han
C) Tang
D) Yuan
E) Ming

Question 36

The Mongols

A) were, under Genghis Khan, aggressive traders virtually obsessed with making profits.
B) ruled China, by means of the Yuan Dynasty, for four hundred and thirty-seven years.
C) established their capital in China at Nanjing.
D) destroyed the Chinese economy by outlawing all trade.
E) made use of Chinese institutions in governing China.

Question 37

Affluent Chinese during the Tang Dynasty

A) had fewer luxuries than during the Han and Qin dynasties.
B) could engage in mock Samurai battles.
C) had new forms of entertainment and means of communication.
D) resided exclusively in cities.
E) resided only in the countryside.

Question 38

The Popes and Great Khans of the Mongol empire

A) tolerated each other's religious views because of the great distance that separated them
B) both believed that their respective actions were sanctioned by heaven
C) had no cause for disagreement as Popes were religious leaders and Khans were secular leaders
D) were too distant in terms of geographic location to have dealings with one another
E) None of the above.

Question 39

Wu Zhao

A) was the founder of the White Lotus sect.
B) translated The Way of the Dao into Khitan.
C) was the Chinese name of Marco Polo.
D) was the founder of the Ming Dynasty.
E) became empress of China.

Question 40

With the increase in trade and urban activities during the Tang and Song eras,

A) the rural population declined.
B) a landed gentry class assumed a position of social and economic dominance.
C) the social stagnation of the population became institutionalized.
D) the scholar-gentry provided considerable financial support to Christians.
E) most of the population resided in urban areas.

Question 41

What best characterizes the medieval Chinese family?

A) It was female-dominated.
B) Its ideal state was that of a joint group of at least two generations.
C) Its moral foundation was filial piety.
D) The ideal of filial piety was abandoned.
E) Most families lived on isolated farmsteads.

Question 42

The motives for the voyages of Zheng He possibly included all of the following except

A) trading profits.
B) curiosity.
C) to seek information on an earlier emperor who might have escaped into exile.
D) military conquest.
E) all of the above

Question 43

According to the Confucian 'School of Mind',

A) knowledge based on experience is superior knowledge.
B) every person, rich or poor, needs an education.
C) pain needs to be overcome by mental strength.
D) the mind and the universe are a single unit.
E) knowledge gained by self-searching is inferior to an investigation of the outside world.

Question 44

All of the following are correct about the Ming dynasty except

A) it extended its rule into Mongolia and Central Asia.
B) there were no contacts with Vietnam or Korea.
C) the Great Wall was strengthened.
D) there was considerable internal reform, including increased manufacturing.
E) a series of fleets were sent across the Indian Ocean, including all the way to Africa.

Question 45

During the Han Dynasty, Chinese literature was stimulated by the invention of

A) a vernacular language.
B) paper.
C) bronze-block printing.
D) kabuki.
E) sake.

Question 46

The most famous stretch of the Great Wall of China today was built under which dynasty?

A) Ming
B) Qin
C) Song
D) Tang
E) Han

Question 47

The most effective expression of literature from the Tang to the Ming dynasties was in the form of

A) technical books of instruction for artisans and peasants.
B) general prose.
C) historical narratives.
D) poetry.
E) encyclopedic gazettes.

Question 48

What did Chinese parents expect from their children, above all else?

A) Obedience
B) Affection
C) Financial success
D) Independent development
E) Love

Question 49

The fundamental purpose of Neo-Confucianism was

A) to preserve the essentials of the traditional Chinese way of life in the face of Western advances.
B) to re-assess the worth of the individual within traditional Chinese society.
C) to broaden the base of literacy in Chinese society.
D) to unite the metaphysical speculations of Buddhism and Daoism with the pragmatic Confucian approach to society.
E) to diminish the disproportionate influence of the aristocracy.

Question 50

The Chinese concept of history has traditionally been different from that of the West in that the Chinese tended to have a

A) cyclical concept of time.
B) short-term view of history.
C) linear view of history.
D) a disregard for history.
E) a finite notion of time.

Question 51

The Confucian scholar who was the primary proponent of the idea that the correct way to transcend the material world was self-cultivation through the "investigation of things" was

A) Zhu Xi.
B) Wang Yangming.
C) Fa Xua.
D) Tang Wo.
E) Shao Yung.

Question 52

Of the three philosophies competing for attention in medieval China,

A) Manichaeanism had the largest following.
B) Confucianism triumphed because it adhered to the Chinese social need to support the concepts of hard work and filial piety.
C) Buddhism prevailed because of its divine visions.
D) Daoism triumphed because of its philosophical underpinnings.
E) neither Buddhism nor Daoism ever offered an alternative to restrictive Confucian theology.

Question 53

Chinese critics of Buddhism saw it as a threat to

A) White Lotus teachings.
B) Pure Land teachings.
C) Chan teachings.
D) Daoist teachings.
E) Confucian teachings.

Question 54

Published in 868 CE, this ____ is the earliest printed work known to exist.

A) Buddhist text
B) Census analysis
C) edition of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms
D) copy of the travelogue of Zheng He
E) Daoist text

Question 55

The Buddhist sect that stressed the role of devotion was

A) Chan.
B) the Pure Land Sect.
C) Tantrism.
D) the White Lotus Sect.
E) the Black Leopard Sect.

Question 56

Under the ____ Dynasty, China extended its rule into Mongolia and Central Asia.

A) Han
B) Ming
C) Tang
D) Song
E) Sui

Question 57

What was most commonly depicted in traditional Chinese painting?

A) Historical scenes
B) Military scenes
C) Still lifes
D) Portraits
E) Landscapes

Question 58

Due to various technical aspects of the Chinese language, its poetry had

A) a brevity in the amount of lines used and the number of words in each line.
B) a high degree of vagueness which repelled most Chinese.
C) a verbosity to its construction.
D) an incompatibility with music.
E) little impact on Chinese culture.

Question 59

Zheng He and his fleet sailed as far west as

A) the west coast of India.
B) the west coast of Africa.
C) the eastern Mediterranean.
D) the east coast of Africa.
E) the east coast of India.

Question 60

Neo-Confucianism

A) was greatly aided in its intellectual development by Wu Zhao.
B) under Zhu Xi, divided the world into a material world and a transcendent world.
C) maintained that the world is illusory unless one possesses a rare variety of karma.
D) was a translation of the Master's works into Japanese.
E) succumbed to a revived Buddhism.

Question 61

Tantrism emphasized the importance of magical symbols and ritual.

Question 62

The defeat of the Tang Dynasty happened in the early tenth century.

Question 63

Although the Sui dynasty ruled only a short time, its successes included the construction of the Grand Canal, linking the Yangtze and the Yellow rivers.

Question 64

Tea emerged as China's national drink under the Tang.

Question 65

Zhu Xi was a leading figure in the School of Mind.

Question 66

The Tang Dynasty witnessed a flowering of Chinese culture.

Question 67

The early Tang sought to enhance the power of the landed nobility.

Question 68

The Tale of the Marshes is a sentimental tale of day-to-day peasant life.

Question 69

The novel began to appear under the Tang dynasty as part of a new literary movement.

Question 70

After the third century CE collapse of the Han dynasty, China fell into a long period of division and civil war.

Question 71

Foot binding was common for women of all social classes in northern China.

Question 72

During its final decades, the Song rulers were forced to pay tribute to the Jurchen peoples.

Question 73

The Mongols succeeded the Ming as the rulers of China.

Question 74

By the Tang and Song eras, the gentry had replaced the aristocracy as the political and economic elite of Chinese society.

Question 75

During the Han, the Chinese mastered the art of manufacturing steel.

Question 76

In the 1400s, after the Ming admiral, Zhenghe, had successfully led several large sailing expeditions to the coast of Africa and throughout Southeast Asia, the voyages were discontinued and were never revived.

Question 77

Most scholars think it likely that Zheng He circumnavigated the globe.

Question 78

In the 1280s, Venice's Marco Polo visited the city of Nanjing, the capital of the Yuan dynasty.

Question 79

The Sui Dynasty was China's longest dynasty.