Deck 3: China in Antiquity

Question 1

The eastern frontier of China remained the great fault line of Asian conflict for over two thousand years.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

In early Chinese history, villages were organized by nuclear family units rather than by clans.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Inscriptions on ox and chicken bones or turtle shells were used for divination and to communicate with the gods.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Which of the following is not a true statement?

A)All evidence indicates that the first agricultural villages in China developed only along the Pearl River.
B)Ancient Chinese villages evolved over thousands of years to form the first unified state under the Qin.
C)Chinese topography caused its civilization to develop apart from advancements in other parts of Asia.
D)Nomadic attacks from the north were an ongoing factor in the development of China.
E)Early Chinese literature was didactic and elitist.

Question 5

The Bao-jia system was the practice of organizing several family units into larger groups of five and ten families that would exercise mutual control and surveillance.

Question 6

Legalism was the political philosophy of the Qin dynasty.

Question 7

The Qin dynasty had problems with the nomadic Xiongnu from Central Asia.

Question 8

What "modern" idea was advanced by Confucius over two thousand years ago?

A)To the victor go the spoils.
B)A virtuous government will sadly but inevitably make its people corrupt.
C)Government depends on the will of the people.
D)Barbarians must not be accepted but crushed by military power.
E)Political democracy is the only form of government.

Question 9

Confucius' interest in philosophy was essential theological and transcendent.

Question 10

Justification for overthrowing Shang dynasty rulers was known as

A)Divine retribution
B)the will of Di
C)veneration of the king
D)the Mandate of Heaven
E)legitimate revolt

Question 11

The introduction of irrigation for agriculture​ is credited to a ruler in the Xia dynasty.

Question 12

Ancient Chinese civilization originated in the valleys of the

A)Yellow and Yangtze rivers.
B)Yangtze and Mekong rivers.
C)Indus and LuMai rivers.
D)Lo Min and Hainan rivers.
E)Nanjing and Hunan rivers.

Question 13

Shang religious beliefs were unique for deifying their emperors. ​

Question 14

The beginnings of civilization in China were

A)delayed by the marauding raids of the Xia.
B)under the political organization of the Qin.
C)the result of a concentrated development of Kunming bureaucratic arrangements.
D)came from the Shang dynasty's exploitation of the nomads.
E)possibly first experienced under the Xia dynasty.

Question 15

Which of these ancient civilizations survived, intact, until the twentieth century?

A)Egyptian.
B)Aztec.
C)Hittite.
D)Chinese.
E)Aryan.

Question 16

Chinese political philosophy justifies overthrowing a ruler if he has lost the Mandate of Heaven. ​

Question 17

The Shang dynasty

A)came to power immediately after the Han dynasty.
B)was the only one in ancient China to master the widespread use of steel and the printing press.
C)established its capitals at Lhasa and Samarkand.
D)was the first to employ over half of its people in various types of heavy manufacturing.
E)equipped its army with two-horse chariots.

Question 18

During the late Zhou, economic wealth began to replace noble birth as the prime source of power and influence.

Question 19

Ancient Chinese villages were organized on the basis of

A)nuclear family units.
B)race.
C)clans.
D)phratries.
E)religion.

Question 20

Which of the following was true about Shang government?

A)The government was ruled by a king so powerful that he needed only a handful of officials to administer all of China.
B)The king had an army of two million soldiers to help him govern.
C)The territorial divisions of the empire were under the control of subordinate rulers who came from the Japanese islands.
D)The king was viewed as an intermediary between heaven and earth.
E)The local chieftains were responsible for defending the empire.

Question 21

A core belief in the need to force people to behave properly through the use of restrictive regulations was the foundation of the philosophy of

A)Confucianism.
B)Legalism.
C)Daoism.
D)Tangism.
E)Huangism.

Question 22

The lengthiest dynasty in Chinese history was the

A)Shang.
B)Qin.
C)Zhou.
D)Han.
E)T'ang.

Question 23

According to the Zhou concept of the Mandate of Heaven,

A)the king was expected to rule in a compassionate and effective manner because he was selected by the gods to rule in order to maintain the order of the universe.
B)the king, as a god, was the arbiter of the use of power on earth.
C)the gods ruled that all must obey the king without question.
D)the chief priest was the supreme ruler.
E)territorial chieftains chose kings from the members of the Grand Assemblage.

Question 24

Although not technically rejecting aristocratic rule, Confucius believed that a primary basis for granting the right to participate in government should be

A)merit.
B)birth.
C)wealth.
D)force.
E)moral insight.

Question 25

The term "the Dao" in China means

A)intellectual brilliance.
B)the Way.
C)karma .
D)incredible beauty.
E)the How.

Question 26

The conversations between Confucius and his disciples are found in the

A)Book of Changes .
B)Book of Histories .
C)Analects .
D)Book of Songs .
E)Way of the Dao .

Question 27

Which of the following statements is correct about the nature of the Zhou merchant and slave classes?

A)Merchants were independent operators and slaves were a majority of the population.
B)The merchants traded only in domestic goods and the slaves worked only in irrigation.
C)The merchants were the property of the local lord and the slaves were probably individuals who had been seized in warfare.
D)The merchants became the de facto rulers who humanely freed their slaves.
E)Under the Zhou the merchant classes were enslaved by the emperors.

Question 28

Daoism

A)became the philosophy of government under the Qin Dynasty.
B)was first established by Mencius.
C)has the Dao De Jing as its primary document.
D)has the same view of the nature and meaning of life as Confucianism.
E)counseled hard work and determined purposefulness for its followers.

Question 29

During the Zhou dynasty, China

A)abolished slavery in order to increase agricultural production.
B)large-scale water control programs were undertaken to regulate the flow of rivers and distribute water to the fields.
C)continued to consider merchants as the property of the Buddhist monasteries.
D)moved from a largely agricultural to an industrial society.
E)was conquered by the Aryans.

Question 30

The "well field system"

A)was an animistic belief designed to protect the health of the land.
B)allowed peasants plots of their own to work, as well as working the lands of their lords.
C)was developed only in the first century, in response to the rise of socialist thought.
D)was a water-diversion system which insured that every farm had the amount of water it needed.
E)was originally developed by Aryan invaders to improve agricultural productivity in western China.

Question 31

The first fully unified government in Chinese history was that of the

A)Mauryans.
B)Zhou.
C)Qin.
D)Han.
E)Shang.

Question 32

"If the government seeks to rule by decree, and to maintain order by the use of punishment, the people will seek to evade punishment and have no sense of shame. But if the government leads by virtue and governs through the rules of propriety, the people will feel shame and seek to correct their mistakes." This statement reflects the ideas of

A)Legalism.
B)Doaism.
C)Zhouism.
D)Confucianism.
E)Qin Shi Huangdi.

Question 33

In early China, it was believed that the universe was divided between two primary forces,

A)the sun as the yang and the moon as the yin .
B)the sun as the yin and the moon as the yang .
C)the sun as the tin and the moon as the tang .
D)the sun as the tang and the moon as the tin .
E)heaven as the qing and earth as the ming .

Question 34

What types of people would have been most likely to prefer the philosophy of Daoism?

A)Those who liked a community-oriented approach to living.
B)Those who wanted to strive for an improvement in the quality of communal life.
C)Those who liked an individualized approach to life that advocated a natural way of going along with the flow of events.
D)Those who preferred a rigid dogma of rigid regulations and strict behavior patterns.
E)Those who believed in multiple reincarnations.

Question 35

The Qin dynasty

A)permitted all philosophies to compete freely for public acceptance.
B)had a shy, highly religious Buddhist as its first ruler.
C)lasted exactly four hundred years.
D)carried out public book burnings.
E)developed the first direct democracy in human history.

Question 36

Probably the most significant explanation for the fall of the Qin dynasty is that the

A)army turned against the attempt of the emperor's wife to seize power.
B)factionalism and resentment created by Qin Shi Huangdi's policies created internal weaknesses that undermined the dynasty's survival after his death.
C)eunuch system created a new base that resulted in an internal seizure of power.
D)humanitarian nature of Qin Shi Huangdi's policies produced a vulnerable and weakened empire.
E)Yellow River flooded all of South China.

Question 37

Confucius

A)was a cousin of Siddhartha Gautama.
B)was deified by the Chinese government within five years after his death.
C)assumed that all humans had their own Dao.
D)was a Qin emperor.
E)followed a Legalist philosophy.

Question 38

The benevolent monarchy described in the Rites of Zhou

A)endured in practice throughout the dynasty's long reign.
B)continued to grow in significance as the dynasty developed.
C)degenerated, in practice, into a fractious arrangement of despotic and exploitive local rulers.
D)reflected the enhancement of the intelligence and morality of the Zhou rulers.
E)in time, developed into a highly centralized structure.

Question 39

In ancient Chinese popular belief,

A)necessary rituals had to be performed after the death of a relative in order to prevent dead relatives from becoming haunting ghosts.
B)spirits were viewed as being present only in the heavenly bodies.
C)the many philosophies that explained the nature of things and gave people solace and emotional inspiration were outlawed by the government.
D)Daoism never developed a religious dimension.
E)ritualism always led to moralism.

Question 40

The major nomadic threat to the Qin came from the

A)Xiongnu.
B)Mongols.
C)Manchus.
D)Han.
E)Jin.

Question 41

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Gobi Desert and the Tibetan Plateau

Question 42

​One of the most important reasons for the decline of the Zhou Dynasty was

A)​inability to fight off incursions of nomadic attackers.
B)​loss of the Mandate of Heaven following extensive flooding, causing famine and death.
C)​loss of centralization
D)​rebellion against goverment control of key commodities like salt.
E)​rise of rival religious clans.

Question 43

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Yangshao and Longshan cultures

Question 44

​The earliest distinction between Yangshao and Longshan cultures is found in

A)​the main staple of agriculture
B)​the metals each used
C)​emphasis on a specific local god
D)​distinctions in pottery styles
E)​which had the first surviving samples of writing

Question 45

Ancient Chinese literature served the purposes of

A)fostering universal oral communication, cohesion, and literacy.
B)inculcating morality and political instruction.
C)moralizing and deification.
D)increasing the power of the merchant class and aiding the peasants.
E)entertainment and escape.

Question 46

The primary means of transporting goods in the Han Empire was

A)​an interconnected and patrolled system of roads.
B)horse trading posts for caravans to facilitate speed
C)​routes designated for trade use only
D)​a vast canal system
E)​accompanying Imperial army guards to prevent theft

Question 47

​By the Zhou period, the most common form of economic exchange was:

A)​bronze
B)​jade
C)​barter
D)​iron coins
E)​shells

Question 48

​The legendary king credited with Chinese writing was

A)​Huang Di
B)​Fu Xi
C)​Shen Nong
D)​Sima Qian
E)​Gaoxi Han

Question 49

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Fu Xi, Shen Nong, and the Yellow Emperor

Question 50

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Xia Dynasty

Question 51

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Shang Dynasty

Question 52

​Confucian philosophy was most concerned with

A)​maintaining order in the universe
B)​appeasing Shang Di in accordance with the Mandate of Heaven
C)​explaining the metaphysical world
D)​political and ethical behavior
E)​ritual ceremonies to achieve a balance between Yin and Yang

Question 53

​"Attaining one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the pinnacle of excellence. Subjugating the enemy's army without fighting is the true pinnacle of excellence..." is most reflective of which philosopher in Zhou China?

A)​Lao Tzu
B)​Confucius
C)​Mencius
D)​Legalism
E)​Sun Tzu

Question 54

The terra-cotta figures near the Qin First Emperor's burial mound demonstrate the

A)use of ceramics as a sculpture medium, replacing the ivory-casting of the Shang.
B)huge expenditures that were devoted to afterlife preparation for the monarch.
C)continuation of the Shang practices of human sacrifices.
D)freeing of the individual soul under the influence of Doaism.
E)transience of human life.

Question 55

​Contrary to the philosophy of Legalism, Mencius believed that

A)​People were inherently good and did not need to be coerced by the government.
B)people should not do to others what they would not want done to them. ​
C)​people were inherently selfish and must be forced to behave and do their duties.
D)​one should avoid conflict and wasting energy.
E)​the government that governs less, governs best.

Question 56

Significant military technology assisting the decline of the late Zhou​ period included all of the following EXCEPT

A)​foot soldiers
B)​seige warfare
C)​cavalry
D)​crossbows
E)​trebuchets

Question 57

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Yellow and Yangtze Rivers

Question 58

Which of the following was NOT a cause of increased agricultural production in the Zhou period?

A)Iron plowshares
B)​The collar harness.
C)​leaving fallow land to rest.
D)​fertilizer
E)​crop rotation

Question 59

A primary factor that contributed to the significant role of the family in Chinese life was the

A)female-dominated nature of ancient life.
B)labor-intensive demands of crop cultivation.
C)merit-based structure of Chinese government.
D)highly centralized organization of Qin government.
E)density of the population in the Yangtze valley.

Question 60

The Chinese written language maintained its unique quality because of

A)the ambiguity of its characters.
B)its unifying role within the society.
C)the isolationist nature of ancient China.
D)its adoption by the peoples of northern India.
E)its rejection by the Koreans and Japanese.

Question 61

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
yang and yin

Question 62

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
"the Hundred Schools"

Question 63

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Yi Jing/Book of Changes

Question 64

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Zhou Dynasty

Question 65

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Mandate of Heaven

Question 66

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
the Silk Road

Question 67

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
the Analects

Question 68

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
silk

Question 69

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Xinjiang corpses

Question 70

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
oracle bones

Question 71

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Diffusion Hypothesis

Question 72

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
"the old hundred names"

Question 73

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Xian

Question 74

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Confucius

Question 75

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Rites of Zhou

Question 76

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
veneration of ancestors

Question 77

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Anyang

Question 78

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
"human-heartedness"

Question 79

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
Tian or T'ien

Question 80

Instructions: Identify the following terms.
"well field system" and "big rat"