Deck 10: The Flowering of Traditional China

Question 1

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.

Answer 1

Buddhism developed a much wider following among the Chinese people.

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

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

Answer 3

False

Question 4

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 5

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

Question 6

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.

Question 7

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

Question 8

In the eighth century, the Uighur kingdom adopted Zoroastrianism.​

Question 9

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 10

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

Question 11

In terms of its relations with neighboring powers, the Song

A)met their ultimate demise at the hands of the Mongols.
B)was 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 12

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 13

In the 1360s, Zhu Yuanzhang put an end to the disintegrating Yuan dynasty, establishing the Ming dynasty in its place.

Question 14

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.

Question 15

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 16

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

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

Question 17

Although the earlier Tang dynasty based the civil service examinations exclusively upon Confucian texts, the later Song also included both Daoist and Buddhist texts.

Question 18

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 19

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 20

The defeat of the Tang Dynasty was at the hands of the Uighur leader, Wu. ​

Question 21

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 22

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 23

The main purpose for the development of Neo-Confucianism was to

A)deal with the issues of the universe that had been introduced into China by Buddhism and Daoism and which were able to fit into the original Confucian value system.
B)counteract the appeal of Islamic ideas.
C)turn the Chinese people away from Buddhism, Daoism and Christianity.
D)fortify the believer's responsibility to withdraw rather than participate.
E)act as a buffer against Muslim missionaries.

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

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 26

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 27

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 28

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 29

The motives for the voyages of Zhenghe possibly included all of the following except

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

Question 30

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 31

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 32

The founder of the Mongol Empire was

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

Question 33

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 34

Khubilai Khan's capital was located in

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

Question 35

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 36

Buddhism was brought to China by

A)gurus from Angkor.
B)barbarian invasions.
C)travelers from Indonesia.
D)Chinese fleets returning from the West.
E)merchants from India.

Question 37

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 38

Published in 868 C.E., 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 39

Which of the following would you say is a more accurate depiction of the comparison between medieval Chinese and Western thought?

A)The Chinese became more individualistic, while the Europeans became more scientific.
B)Empiricism dominated Chinese thought, while introspection dominated the thinking of Europe.
C)Continuity and tradition dominated in China, while empiricism dominated in Europe.
D)China experienced constant chaos while Europe was always at peace.
E)China was eventually dominated by Islam while Europe remained mostly Christian.

Question 40

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)insured 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 41

The author compares The Romance of the Three Kingdoms to this epic tale:

A)the Mahabharata
B)the Illiad
C)a Tale of Two Cities
D)War and Peace
E)The Brothers Karamazov

Question 42

The mainstay of the Chinese administrative system was​

A)​The Civil Service Examination
B)​Feudalism
C)​State Confucianism
D)​The Department of State Affairs
E)​Legalist Departments

Question 43

Li Bo

A)was the founder of the Ming Dynasty.
B)was a historian during the Song Dynasty.
C)was a sober Confucian civil servant.
D)wrote a poem entitled "Drinking Alone in Moonlight."
E)defeated the Mongols at Wuhan.

Question 44

T​he appropriate chronological order of dynastic eras in China is as follows:

A)​Han-Qin-Sui-Tang
B)​Han-Sui-Tang-Song
C)​Qin-Ming-Sui-Tang
D)​Sui-Tang-Qin-Ming
E)​Qin-Song-Tang-Sui

Question 45

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 46

The most significant product manufactured in medieval China was ​

A)​steel.
B)​cotton.
C)​wet rice.
D)​gunpowder.
E)​silk.

Question 47

In Song China

A)a curfew required urban residents to be in their homes shortly after nightfall.
B)though city gates were closed, entertainment centers inside the walls were open all night.
C)storytellers and minstrels provided information at elegant social gatherings.
D)urban life entirely disappeared.
E)cities were governed by Qin officials.

Question 48

Under Song Dynasty administration practices, who would govern the local district?

A)​Vizier
B)​Censors
C)​Magistrates
D)​Praetors
E)​Daimyo

Question 49

Who introduced Christianity into China​?

A)​Marco Polo.
B)​Silk Road travelers.
C)​The Khanate in Russia transmitted it from the Orthodox Church.
D)​Syrian merchants.
E)​Portuguese maritime explorers.

Question 50

All of the following contributed positively to the growth of commercialism in medieval China EXCEPT:​

A)​the abbacus.
B)​the Grand Canal.
C)​banking
D)​paper money.
E)​credit.

Question 51

​What was the principle accomplishment of the Sui Dynasty?

A)​Construction of the Grand Canal
B)​Adoption of Buddhism.
C)​Welcoming Marco Polo.
D)​Conquering the Korean peninsula.
E)​Inventing paper.

Question 52

The philosophical school in opposition to Zhu Xi's Supreme Ultimate was​

A)​the Hundred Schools.
B)​the School of the Mind
C)​Manichaecism
D)​Neo-Confucianism.
E)​Daoism

Question 53

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 54

What led to the overthrow of Sui Y angdi and the collapse of the Sui Dynasty?

A)He lost the Mandate of Heaven through his licentious ways.
B)He was overthrown by the outlying aristocracy.
C)His wife's family deposed him for choosing a different some as his successor.
D)He lost a campaign in Korea and was murdered in his palace.
E)He had a religious epiphany and retired to a Buddhist sangha .

Question 55

The Southern Song dynasty ​ruled from which city?

A)​Beijing
B)​Canton
C)​Hangzhou
D)​Khotan
E)​Kaifeng

Question 56

​All of the following about women's lives in China are true EXCEPT

A)they were less desireable than male children.
B)​women who married had to move to their husband's joint families.
C)​they were permitted to enter civil service if they could pass the exam.
D)after a transition, the bridge's family had to pay the groom a dowry.
E)​footbinding was done to enhance marriageability.

Question 57

​Described as "possibly the greatest city in the world of its time," the Tang Dynasty restored the capital to which city?

A)​Chang'an
B)​Hangzhou
C)​Luoyang
D)​Canton
E)​Beijing

Question 58

What prevented an all-out attack on Western Europe by the Mongols in the early 13th Century?​

A)​Coalition of Islamic and Christian forces against the Mongols.
B)​Fire-lances and gunpowder.
C)​The death of Genghis Khan.
D)​Successful resistance by Muscovite Russia.
E)​The attractive positioning of Baghdad.

Question 59

The Grand Canal built under Sui Dy nasty rulers was notable for all of the following EXCEPT

A)transportation of food products from the South to the North.
B)rapid communications between regions of China.
C)more efficient dispatching of troops to the provinces.
D)facilitating transmission of Buddhism.
E)Emperor Sui Yangdi could survey his empire.

Question 60

Due to its messianic characteristics, this sect of Buddhism was frequently associated with revolutionary movements.

A)Tantric Buddhism
B)Chan Buddhism
C)Pure Land Buddhism
D)White Lotus Buddhism
E)Hinayana Buddhism

Question 61

Identify the following terms.
Xuanzong and Yan Guifei

Question 62

Identify the following terms.
Kaifeng

Question 63

Identify the following terms.
Sui Dynasty

Question 64

Identify the following terms.
Tang Taizong

Question 65

Identify the following terms.
Sui Yangdi

Question 66

Identify the following terms.
civil service examination

Question 67

Identify the following terms.
Grand Council

Question 68

Identify the following terms.
Uighurs, Kirghiz, and Khitan

Question 69

Identify the following terms.
Gobi Desert

Question 70

Identify the following terms.
Grand Canal

Question 71

Identify the following terms.
Tang Dynasty

Question 72

Identify the following terms.
Song dynasty

Question 73

Identify the following terms.
Song Taizu

Question 74

Identify the following terms.
State Confucianism

Question 75

Identify the following terms.
Liu Ling

Question 76

Identify the following terms.
Jurchen

Question 77

Identify the following terms.
the Southern Song and Hangzhou

Question 78

Identify the following terms.
Li Yuan

Question 79

Identify the following terms.
Chang'an

Question 80

Identify the following terms.
Yang Jian/Sui Wendi