Classical China
This "First Emperor" unified China following the Warring States period and ruled with a philosophy of absolute obedience
Shi Huangdi
This Mauryan leader converted to Buddhism and promoted non-violence after witnessing the slaughter during the conquest of Kalinga
Ashoka
This 4,000-mile network of trade routes linked China with India, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean
The Silk Roads
This Chinese philosophy emphasizes social order through "Filial Piety" (respect for parents) and the "Five Relationships"
Confucianism
Also known as the "River of Sorrows," this river is famous for the silt it deposits
Huang He (Yellow River)
This Qin philosophy taught that humans are bad by nature and must be controlled through strict laws and harsh punishments
Legalism
Which dynasty is credited with creating the Golden Age of India, due to its great scientific and cultural achievements?
The Gupta Dynasty
This luxury item, created from the cocoons of worms, was so valued in Rome that it was traded for its weight in gold
silk
Followers of this belief system seek "The Way" and believe that the natural order is more important than the social order
This massive mountain range to the southwest acted as a natural barrier, isolating China from India
The Himalayan Mountains
To select officials based on merit rather than family connections, the Han Dynasty introduced this rigorous system based on Confucian classics
Civil Service Exam
A mathematical concept that enabled more complex computations
The concept of zero
This Han invention, made from wood pulp, facilitated the spread of literacy and the duplication of religious texts
To ensure his laws were the only authority, Shi Huangdi famously ordered this act against the records of his opponents in 213 BCE
The Burning of Books
This rigid social hierarchy in India was based on birth and offered no social mobility between its various levels
The Caste System
This massive architectural feat was built on China’s northern border using the labor of soldiers and convicts to protect against invaders
The Great Wall of China
These written laws, carved onto pillars and rocks throughout India, offered moral advice and promoted the welfare of the empire's subjects
The Edicts of Ashoka
This process describes the spread of ideas, customs, and technologies, such as Buddhism traveling from India to China
Cultural diffusion
This school of Buddhism, known as the "Great Vehicle," focuses on compassion and the vow to save all sentient beings
Mahāyāna Buddhism
This wind-blown, fertile yellow soil allowed Chinese farmers to grow enough food to support a large population
loess
This historical pattern describes the rise, decline, and replacement of Chinese dynasties as they gain or lose the "Mandate of Heaven"
The Dynastic Cycle
He was the most famous writer of the Gupta court, known as the "Shakespeare of India" for his plays and poetry
Kalidasa
During the 1200s and 1300s, this period of "Mongolian Peace" allowed trade to flourish across most of Asia
Pax Mongolica
In Mahāyāna Buddhism, this enlightened being deliberately postpones final liberation (Nirvana) to stay in the world and help others
Bodhisattva
These were the four main social groups of the Hindu Caste system
Priests, Warriors, Merchants/Farmers, and Laborers