Han Dynasty
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
What do you call the network of trade routes connecting China to Central Asia and Southwest Asia
Silk Road
Why were the Han so willing to rule differently from the Qin?
They knew that the Qin lost power because of their cruel policies.
first Chinese emperor; Qin dynasty
Shi Huangdi
Why was the Great Wall built only along China’s northern border?
He wanted to defend the empire from Nomads living to the north.
Why is Ban Zhao considered to be an exceptional woman?
She received a good education and became a historian in the royal court
in a society that relegated women to the home and domestic tasks. (Yet,
she was a product of her times because she still accepted and embraced
the idea that a wife must serve her husband.)
What is a valuable natural thread made by worms; used for fine cloth
Silk:
What were two strengths of the Han civil service system?
Positions were not handed down from father to son; exams were required to obtain positions.
Shi Huangdi divided China into 36 political divisions
36 provinces:
How did standardization unify China?
He standardized many aspects of daily life to unify China’s economy and culture. He used the same systems throughout the empire. He had everyone use the same system of weights and measures in trade, in transportation he standarized the length of the axles on all vehicles. The most important was that one written language system was used throughout the empire.
a therapy that uses needles to cure sickness and stop pain
acupuncture
What do you call a person who holds or is invested in an office or position, as in government officials
officials
Why was the Silk Road so important to China and the rest of the world? (Think
beyond the idea of trading goods. What else was traded?)
The trade routes were a path for the exchange of ideas. New inventions and different religions traveled to and from China. For example, Buddhism traveled east to China from India, where Confucianism and Daoism traveled west from China.
huge wall, 1500 m. long, built to keep out invaders, ran east-west along Qin emperor’s northern border
Great Wall of China
How did Shi Huangdi organize the government to give the emperor more control?
He organized China into 36 provinces and then divided them into counties. The county leaders reported to the province leaders who then reported back to the emperor.
machine used to detect earthquakes
seismometer/ seismograph
What do you call various types of food
cuisine
What advantage did the Chinese have in the Silk Road?
They were the only ones who knew how to make silk. As long as they controlled silk production, they would have a valuable good to trade with other peoples.
system of governing with strong laws and harsh punishments
Legalism
Why was centralization an effective way to govern China?
One system that everyone had to follow made it easier to maintain order over great distances.
Why did Wudi create state monopolies?
Wudi used the profits to pay for his military activities; they helped keep important producers and merchants from becoming too powerful.
government workers selected based on skills and knowledge
civil service
Who is the General who overthrew the Qin Dynasty; started the Han Dynasty
Han Gaozu
to ban certain ideas
censor
Shi Huangdi was a harsh ruler, but he unified China. Were harsh laws an acceptable
way to unify a nation? Why or why not?
Possible answer could be that to make all the changes he needed he had to be very strict and harsh. Others may feel many of these changes could have been done without being so harsh and cruel.
*Think about the fact that he thought his empire would last forever, but it collapsed about three years after he died.
Han society excelled in the traditional arts and made many scientific advances. Name at least 3 of each of these advances:
Areas of advancements in traditional arts:
The prosperity of Han China helped support the arts: painting, sculpture, music, poetry, garden design, and calligraphy
Advancements in science and technology:
~Inventors created the seismometer/ seismograph, wheelbarrow, and paper.
`~Astronomers calculated the length of the solar year.
Doctors developed herbal medicines and acupuncture