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| 6142680404 | Sima Qian | (145-86 B.C.E.) Author of Records of the Grand Historian, a history of China from ancient legendary times to the first century B.C.E. Lived during the Han dynasty. | 0 | |
| 6142683174 | First Emperor of the Qin dynasty | Founder of the Qin dynasty (221-207 B.C.E.) and the first ruler to unify ancient China. Eliminated regional differences by creating a single body of law and standardizing weights and measures. | 1 | |
| 6142683175 | Shang dynasty | China's first historic dynasty. The earliest surviving records dat to 1200 B.C.E., during the Shang. The Shang king ruled a small area in the vicinity of modern Anyang, in Henan province, and granted lands to allies in noble families. | 2 | |
| 6142684992 | oracle bones | The earliest surviving written records in China, scratched onto cattle shoulder blades and turtle shell bottoms, or plastrons, to record the diviners' interpretations of the future. | 3 | |
| 6142686739 | ancestor worship | The belief in China that dead ancestors could intercede in human affairs on the behalf of the living. Marked by the frequent rituals in which the living offered food and drink to the ancestors in the hope of receiving help. | 4 | |
| 6142688666 | Zhou dynasty | The successor dynasty to the Shang that gained the Mandate of Heaven and the right to rule, according to later Chinese historians. Although depicted by later generations as an ideal age, the Zhou witnessed considerable conflict. | 5 | |
| 6142688667 | Mandate of Heaven | The Chinese belief that Heaven, the generalized forces of the cosmos (not the abode of the dead), chose the rightful ruler. China's rulers believed that Heaven would send signs before withdrawing its mandate. | 6 | |
| 6142692223 | Confucius | (551-479 B.C.E.) A teacher who made his living by tutoring students. Known only through The Analects, the record of conversations with his students that they wrote down after his death. | 7 | |
| 6154304997 | Confucianism | The term for the main tenets of the thought of Confucius, which emphasized the role of ritual in bringing out people's inner humanity (a quality translated variously as "benevolence," "goodness," or "man at his best"). | 8 | |
| 6142692224 | Daoism | A Chinese belief system dating back to at least 300 B.C.E. that emphasized the "Way," a concept expressed in Chinese as "Dao." The Way of the Early Daoist teachers included meditation, breathing techniques, and special eating regimes. | 9 | |
| 6142694289 | Legalism | A school of thought originating in the fourth century B.C.E. and associated with Qin dynasty rulers, that emphasized promotion for officials and soldiers alike on the basis of merit and job performance, not heredity. | 10 | |
| 6142694290 | Qin dynasty | (221-207 B.C.E.) The first dynasty to rule over a unified China; heavily influenced by Legalist teachings that promoted soldiers and officials strictly on the basis of accomplishment, not birth. | 11 | |
| 6142696763 | Han dynasty | (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) The immediate successor to the Qin dynasty. Han rulers denounced Legalist governance but adopted much of the Qin blueprint for empire. Because of its long rule, the Han dynasty was a model for all subsequent dynasties. | 12 | |
| 6142696764 | Imperial Academy | Established in 124 B.C.E by the Han emperor, Emperor Wu (r. 140-87 B.C.E.), to encourage the study of Confucian texts. | 13 | |
| 6142698222 | Ban Zhao | (45-120 C.E.) A historian and the author of Lessons for Women, a book that counseled women to serve men and advocated education for girls starting at the age of seven. | 14 | |
| 6142698223 | Xiongnu | Nomadic people north of China whose military strength derived from brilliant horsemanship. Regularly defeated the Han armies in battle until 60 B.C.E., when their federation broke apart. | 15 |
