Geography of Ancient China
This desert and the Himalaya Mountains helped isolate China from other civilizations.
Deserts and mountains
This dynasty developed along the Huang He around 1600 BC and used oracle bones.
Shang dynasty
This Qin ruler unified China and based his rule on Legalism.
Shi Huangdi
This peasant-turned-emperor founded the Han dynasty in 202 BC.
Liu Bang
This philosophy emphasized filial piety and respect in five key relationships.
Confucianism
This river is also called the Yellow River because of its fertile silt.
Huang He
These ritual items were carved with questions and cracked by heat to reveal answers.
Oracle bones
Shi Huangdi standardized these two things to improve trade and prevent cheating.
Weights and measures
To qualify for government jobs, officials had to pass these tests.
Examinations on Confucianism
This philosophy taught harmony with nature and following the Dao.
Daoism
This river maintains a predictable course and helped unify China through transportation.
Chang Jiang
This Zhou belief stated that rulers could govern only if the gods approved of their rule.
Mandate of Heaven
This massive project was expanded under the Qin to protect against northern nomads.
Great Wall
Han rulers lowered these and reduced harsh punishments to create stability.
Taxes
This philosophy believed people were naturally bad and needed harsh laws.
Legalism
Ancient China developed differently from other early civilizations because these landforms cut it off from outsiders.
Natural barriers
This repeating pattern of dynasty rise and fall began under the Zhou.
Dynastic cycle
These clay figures were buried with Shi Huangdi to protect him in the afterlife.
Terra cotta warriors
This long-reigning emperor expanded the Han Empire through military campaigns.
Emperor Wudi
His teachings were collected by students in a book called the Analects.
Confucius
This fertile area between the Huang He and Chang Jiang is considered the cradle of Chinese civilization.
North China Plain
During this era after 475 BC, Zhou lords fought constantly, leading to widespread disorder.
Warring States Period
Shi Huangdi divided China into these governed regions, each run by officials he appointed.
Districts (or provinces)
Name two main achievements of the Han Dynasty
Paper and Compass
This Legalist thinker recorded the harsh ideas that influenced Qin rule.
Han Feizi