Deck 5: New Civilizations and Empires in Western and Central Asia

Question 1

What is a nature-based philosophy de-emphasizing the role of government and also known as the Way ?

A)Confucianism
B)Daoism
C)Legalism
D)Buddhism
E)Hinduism

Answer 1

Daoism

Question 2

Early Chinese dynasties were able to maintain their position by controlling which items?

A)weapons and religious objects
B)historical chronicles and sturdy horses
C)trade and local strongmen
D)Yellow River and Yangtze River
E)scholars and bureaucracy

Answer 2

weapons and religious objects

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the Yellow River?

A)It was benevolent like the Nile.
B)It was in an under-populated area.
C)It was tamer than the Yangtze.
D)It was subject to damaging floods.
E)It was located on the border between China and Mongolia.

Answer 3

It was subject to damaging floods.

Question 4

Which of the following statements is true about China during the Shang Dynasty?

A)The people lacked the skills of metalworking, which made trade with other areas necessary.
B)It was a mainly rural, agricultural society.
C)The people were protected from invasion by China's steppes and deserts.
D)China was isolated to a great degree, but not as much as Egypt or Mesopotamia.
E)The Chinese rulers were heavily influenced by the Egyptian concept of dynastic rule.

Question 5

What is the best description of metal technology in early China?

A)highly developed
B)used, in the main, for practical purposes
C)beautiful but unimaginative
D)difficult to master
E)inferior to that of other early civilizations

Question 6

In what way might a ruler lose the mandate of heaven ?

A)adultery or incest
B)failing to personally lead his armies in battle
C)failing to stop invaders
D)excessive taxation
E)disrespect to mandarins

Question 7

Which of the following ideas most represents the teachings of Confucius?

A)Only aristocrats could be gentlemen.
B)The rich owed nothing to the poor.
C)The state was like a well-run family.
D)Gentlemen should avoid politics.
E)The family was more important than the state.

Question 8

All of the following statements were true of literacy in China EXCEPT

A)Great emphasis was placed on literacy and education.
B)Being literate made one qualified to serve the royal state bureaucracy.
C)Literacy was rare and the ability to read and write carried prestige.
D)Literacy was judged by one's ability to read oracle bones.
E)To be considered literate, a student had to memorize 5000 logographs.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about Chinese religion is true?

A)Ceremonial objects were constructed out of iron.
B)Confucianism became the major religion of China.
C)Religious rituals were conducted by the ruler.
D)The ancient gods were part of the peasants' daily worship.
E)The Chinese worshipped clan ancestors and nature spirits.

Question 10

Which of the following was NOT a means of artistic expression during the Zhou Dynasty?

A)poetry
B)ceramic pottery
C)calligraphy
D)silk weaving
E)jade wares

Question 11

What was one of the major impacts of the Yellow River flooding?

A)The floods provided much-needed water for irrigation, on a regular and easily-managed basis.
B)It caused massive destruction to Chinese crops regularly, with resultant famines.
C)The flooding caused political fragmentation, as the people could not agree on the best method for flood control.
D)It led to the collapse of the Xia civilization.
E)The Chinese began the development of major flood control projects, including a vast system of levees.

Question 12

Which statement describes the yin-yang principle?

A)The female was associated with white and the male associated with black.
B)The female is active and the male is passive.
C)The female is passive and the male is active.
D)The universe is balanced.
E)The female and male encompass one energy.

Question 13

What was the general status of peasants during the Zhou period?

A)The peasants were enslaved on a hereditary basis.
B)They were mired in a share-cropping existence, with no protection from the central government.
C)They were hard working, but not miserable, and sometimes even prosperous.
D)They lacked needed equipment and work animals such as horses.
E)They were happier than the aristocrats, because they controlled their own lives.

Question 14

Why do we know so much more about the Zhou than the Shang?

A)There is better archaeological evidence on the Zhou than the Shang.
B)The Zhou developed extensive literature and written records.
C)The information came from Confucius and Laozi.
D)The Zhou were wealthier.
E)The Zhou traded more extensively with outsiders.

Question 15

In which of the following ways was China different from other early civilizations?

A)The earliest settlements were along rivers.
B)There was a real lack of dependence on agriculture.
C)They lacked a system of writing.
D)They were more isolated than others.
E)They lacked any real governmental structure.

Question 16

Which invention led to Chinese success in both warfare and agriculture?

A)horse harness
B)war chariot
C)iron plow
D)sternpost rudder
E)iron cannon

Question 17

What seems to have been the primary purpose of the oracle bones?

A)medicinal
B)divination
C)legal
D)agricultural
E)literary

Question 18

How did the Chinese use oracle bones?

A)to help determine their next emperor
B)to communicate with departed ancestors about important family matters
C)to maintain agricultural records
D)to help them decide which crops to plant
E)to help the emperor determine how the ancestors thought the society should be run

Question 19

Who do most historians agree was China's greatest single cultural force?

A)Laozi
B)Sun Yat Sen
C)Confucius
D)the mandarins
E)Mozi

Question 20

All of the following statements were true of Chinese silk EXCEPT

A)Silk was specifically associated with women.
B)Silk was prized for both its usefulness and beauty.
C)Silk was used for writing, painting, and currency.
D)The Chinese government held tight control over silk production until 221 B.C.E.
E)Taxes were paid in silk.

Question 21

Most of the Chinese philosophies arose in which of the following time periods?

A)Xia
B)Hundred Schools Period
C)Shang
D)Early Zhou
E)Era of Warring States

Question 22

The earliest form of writing in China was on ____________________, which diviners read to determine the ancestors' will.

Question 23

Which of the following is the correct chronological order for the events?

A)Zhou Dynasty, Xia Dynasty, Shang Dynasty, Era of Warring States, Hundred Schools Period
B)Era of Warring States, Xia Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty, Shang Dynasty, Hundred Schools Period
C)Hundred Schools Period, Zhou Dynasty, Shang Dynasty, Xia Dynasty, Era of Warring States
D)Xia Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty, Shang Dynasty, Era of Warring States, Hundred Schools Period
E)Xia Dynasty, Shang Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty, Hundred Schools Period, Era of Warring States

Question 24

The ____________________ proved to be China's longest-lived and most formative dynasty.

Question 25

The central valley of the ____________________ was the cradle of China's earliest civilization.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT   a reason silk production in China was important?

A)its use as payment for taxes
B)as a material useful for writing and painting
C)as payment of bribes
D)as payment for public health and education
E)as currency for purchasing war horses

Question 27

According to Confucius, the chief virtues for members of society who served in public roles were  ____________________ and  ____________________.

Question 28

____________________ was a philosophy that believed government's role was to restrain and guide people toward a well-ordered society.

Question 29

What would be the best description of the purpose of the group of government officials known as the mandarins?

A)They made and changed laws according to Confucian principles, with or without the support of the Emperor.
B)They had the task of implementing Confucian laws concerning the family.
C)They opposed the teachings of Confucius, calling for the acceptance of the ideas of Laozi instead.
D)They were educated in Confucian teachings and became the administrative class.
E)They oversaw the implementation of Confucian ideas in the Chinese educational system.

Question 30

Chinese written language that was not related to the spoken word and had no picture equivalents was called ____________________.

Question 31

In the sixth century B.C.E., ____________________ was used to make improved plowshares, which led to an increase in both population and economy.

Question 32

What is the best description of the beliefs of the followers of Moism?

A)harsh punishment inflicted on the weak
B)a return to nature
C)"an eye for an eye"
D)following an inconsistent philosophy with no real philosopher
E)the golden rule that people should treat others as they themselves wished to be treated

Question 33

Which of the following products provided the most wealth for early China?

A)copper
B)tea
C)silk
D)salt
E)iron

Question 34

What political views did the Daoist emphasize?

A)People get the government they deserve.
B)People are naturally evil and need the restraint of government.
C)People should be enslaved to ensure peace.
D)People should be provided only minimal guidance and correction.
E)People should defer to their rulers, who are naturally much wiser.

Question 35

The highly educated corps of Confucian officials were known as ____________________.

Question 36

To what use did the Chinese rulers apply most of the revenue from the tax on salt?

A)to extend and develop the Silk Road
B)to build the Great Wall
C)to support large armies
D)to extend the Grand Canal
E)to promote the silk industry

Question 37

____________________ was a philosopher who created a doctrine of universal love, similar to the golden rule, as a solution to turbulent times.

Question 38

How did the first Zhou rulers justify their overthrow of the Shang?

A)by maintaining strict surveillance over the people
B)by introducing the concept of the mandate of heaven
C)by convincing the people that they ruled through a mandate from heaven
D)by keeping most of the population illiterate and tied to the land
E)by monopolizing the trade in metals, salt, and silks

Question 39

Which of the following statements best describes Daoism in its early stages?

A)Daoism was an outgrowth of the Legalist cause.
B)It began as a mysterious, supernatural religion.
C)It was a philosophy of the educated classes.
D)Daoism was mostly a superstition of the peasants.
E)It represented an attempt to implement Confucian ideas.

Question 40

The Dao de Jing expounds on the philosophy of ____________________.

Question 41

Term for identification: Mandarins

Question 42

Term for identification: Hundred Schools Period

Question 43

What were the lasting contributions to Chinese government, culture, and society during the Zhou Dynasty period?

Question 44

Term for identification: Confucius

Question 45

Explain the importance of agriculture, manufacturing, and trade to the Chinese economy.  What were some of the high-demand production goods associated with China?

Question 46

Term for identification: Legalism

Question 47

Trace the development of China from the Shang Dynasty to the Era of Warring States including the significant concepts and individuals during the time period.

Question 48

Term for identification: Zhou Dynasty

Question 49

Explain how geography impacted Chinese history in the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

Question 50

Using examples, explain the importance of education and literacy in Chinese culture.

Question 51

Term for identification: Shang Dynasty

Question 52

Term for identification: Era of Warring States

Question 53

Term for identification: Laozi

Question 54

Term for identification: Daoism

Question 55

Compare and contrast Confucianism with Daoism, Legalism, and Moism. What are the common denominators of these philosophies? How do these philosophies differ? Which philosophy was most significant? Justify your answer with examples.

Question 56

Term for identification: Tian