BONES, BRONZE, AND BEGINNINGS
This dynasty used oracle bones to communicate with ancestors and make decisions about war and harvests.
Shang dynasty
This philosopher believed society could be repaired through moral education and respect for elders
Confucius
This is the title Ying Zheng invented for himself in 221 BCE, refusing the old title of king.
Huangdi, or Emperor
When Gaozu died, real power passed to this woman, who governed China for fifteen years.
Empress Lü
This line from Romance of the Three Kingdoms describes the repeating pattern of Chinese history.
"What has long been divided must unite, and what has long been united must divide"?
These objects were originally sold in medicine shops as "dragon bones" before scholars realized they were ancient writing.
oracle bones
In "The Useless Tree," Zhuangzi argues that the tree survived because it couldn't be cut down for lumber. What is his larger point?
being useful to the state can be dangerous
Qin Shi Huang standardized three things across the empire. Name one and explain why it mattered.
writing script / weights and measures / axle widths (with a correct explanation)
The Han paid this to the Xiongnu every year to buy peace on the northern frontier.
tribute / heqin
The Yellow Turban Rebellion and Chen Sheng's rebellion had something important in common. What was it?
both were triggered by ordinary people pushed past their limit by a state that demanded too much
The Shang made bronze weapons and ritual vessels, but ordinary people could not own them. What does this tell us about Shang society?
bronze marked status and power
Legalism argued that people respond only to reward and punishment. Name one specific Qin policy that put this idea into practice.
collective responsibility / military ranks based on enemy heads / harsh punishments for late labor service / any other
The Shuihudi bamboo strips gave historians a direct window into Qin law. Why is this source different from Sima Qian's account
they are actual Qin legal texts rather than a Han historian's account written after the fact?
Han Wudi took control of iron and salt to fund his campaigns. Why did this hurt ordinary people most?
oron and salt were daily necessities farmers could not live without
The Three Kingdoms period ended differently from the Warring States period. What was different?
unification did not last / a fourth power emerged from within
The Zhou replaced the Shang's supreme god Di with a new concept called Tian. What was the key difference between the two?
Di was a personal ancestral spirit while Tian was an impersonal moral force that judged all rulers
Confucius and Zhuangzi both lived through disorder but proposed opposite responses. What did each believe a person should do?
Confucius believed in restoring order through moral conduct, while Zhuangzi believed in stepping aside from the state's demands entirely
Why was controlling the south harder than controlling the north — and what did the Qin build to solve the supply problem?
the terrain and climate were unfamiliar and locals resisted, so the Qin built the Lingqu Canal
Sima Qian is our main source on Empress Lü. Why should we be careful trusting his account?
he was writing after her clan had already been declared enemies of the dynasty
The Mandate of Heaven was useful for rulers — but it contained a built-in danger. What was it?
it made righteous rebellion always possible
The Xia dynasty appears in traditional Chinese history before the Shang, but historians treat it differently. Why?
the Xia has no confirmed archaeological evidence
The Han officially adopted Confucianism but scholars argue they never abandoned Legalism. What evidence supports this?
the Han kept harsh punishments and the commandery system — Confucian language masked a Legalist structure
Many Qin inscriptions say the people were "at great peace." Give two pieces of evidence that might go against this.
corvée labor, the Chen Sheng rebellion, book burnings, or harsh punishments from the Shuihudi texts
The Han claimed to have simplified the Qin legal code to three articles. What does the evidence suggest actually happened?
they kept harsh punishments and performed mercy selectively — the simplification was more about appearance than reality
From Shang oracle bones to the Three Kingdoms, name one thing that stayed the same— and does that actually make this distinctively Chinese history?
any well-reasoned answer