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AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

AP WORLD HISTORY CHAPTER 8 Flashcards

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5005622027Mandate of HeavenChinese belief that the emperors ruled through the mandate, or approval, of heaven contingent on their ability to look after the welfare of the population.0
5005622028Dynastic CycleIn China, a dynasty would remain in power only as long as it was providing good government. When a dynasty went into decline, and began to abuse its power, it was said to lose the Mandate of Heaven, or the favor of the gods. A strong leader would usually emerge to claim the Mandate, and establish a new dynasty. The dynastic cycle would then begin again.1
5005622029Dynastya line of hereditary rulers of a country2
5005622030Ancestor Worshipthe custom of venerating deceased ancestors who are considered still a part of the family and whose spirits are believed to have the power to intervene in the affairs of the living3
5005622031Oracle Bonesa bone used in early China especially during the Shang dynasty 1765-1123 B.C. in divination by writing a question upon it, heating it, and divining the answer from the resultsnt cracks4
5005622032EunuchCastrated males, originally in charge of the harem, who grew to play major roles in government; eunuchs were common in China and other societies5
5005622033Period of Warring StatesThe 250 years between 475 and 221 BC. The Zhou Dynasty was divided between 8 states. These states had frequent wars until 221 BC when Qin conquered them all.6
5005622034Kong Fuzi (Confucius)Philosophy, based on the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Kong Fuzi (551-479 B.C.E.), or Confucius, that emphasizes order, the role of gentlemen, obligation to society, and reciprocity7
5005622035Analectsa collection of short literary or phisophic extracts8
5005622036Junzi (superior individuals)Gentlemen or superior person and employed by both the Duke of Wen in the I-ching and Confucius in his works to describe the ideal man9
5005622037Ren (benevolence)the Confucian virtue denoting the good feeling a virtuous human experiences when being altruistic. Ren is exemplified by a normal adult's protective feelings for children. It is considered the outward expression of Confucian ideals10
5005622038Li (propriety)Confucian concept often rendered as "rituals," "proper conduct," or "propriety." From customary patrerbs, li cane to mean conventional norms, yielding a new concept of an internalized code of civility that defined proper human conduct11
5005622039Xiao (filial piety)"filial piety", or "being good to parents", a virtue in Chinese culture12
5005622040Mencius(fourth century BCE) was a Confucian philosopher. Often referred to as the "Second Sage" of Confucianism (meaning second in importance only to Confucius himself), Mencius is best known for his claim that "human nature is good."13
5005622041DaoismAlso known as Taoism. A Chinese philosophy based on the writings of Lao-tzu (6th century BC) advocating humility and religious piety14
5005654004Laoziancient Chinese philosopher and writer. He is known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, and as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions15
5005667357Dahdejingthe central Taoist text, ascribed to Lao-tzu, the traditional founder of Taoism. Apparently written as a guide for rulers, it defined the Tao, or way, and established the philosophical basis of Taoism16
5005677689Dao(in Chinese philosophy) the absolute principle underlying the universe, combining within itself the principles of yin and yang and signifying the way, or code of behavior, that is in harmony with the natural order. The interpretation of Tao in the Tao-te-Ching developed into the philosophical religion of Taoism17
5005680388Wuweian important concept of Taoism and means natural action, or in other words, action that does not involve struggle or excessive effort. Wu wei is the cultivation of a mental state in which our actions are quite effortlessly in alignment with the flow of life18
5005691625Legaliststrict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit19
5005708622Han Feiziwas an influential political philosopher of the Warring States period "Chinese Legalist" school20
5005717978Qin Dynastythe Chinese dynasty (from 246 BC to 206 BC) that established the first centralized imperial government and built much of the Great Wall21
5005734642Shihuangdi (Shi Huangdi)First Chinese Emperor. A ruler from the western state of Qin united and subjugated the Warring States and formed China in 221 B.C. He declared himself the first emperor of China and named himself Shi Huangdi (meaning First Emperor)22
5005743300Terra Cotta Armya collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China23
5005747684Han Dynastythe second imperial dynasty of China. Founded in 206 BC when the rebel leader Liu Bang successfully ended the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty lasted for four centuries and is considered a golden age in Chinese history24
5005753124Liu BangEmperor Gaozu (born Liu Bang; 256 or 247 - 1 June 195 BC) was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty25
5005757712Han WudiEmperor Wudi was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China. He ruled from 141 to 87 BC. During his reign, between about 130 and 110 BC, the Han ruling court and the army started winning major battles, and they conquered Xiongnu territory and greatly expanded the empire's territory in the north and west26
5005764926Imperial Universitythe national central institution of higher learning in Chinese dynasties after the Sui. It was the highest institution of learning in China's traditional educational system, with the function of administration of education27
5005781372Xiongnua confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Asian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD28
5005786526Moralistsa person who has strong feelings and opinions about what is right and who tries to control the moral behavior of other people29
5005796347Sericulturethe production of silk and the rearing of silkworms for this purpose30
5005799101Wang Mangthe founder of a short-lived dynasty replacing the Western Han dynasty. After the expansive reign of emperor Han Wu-ti the disparity between the wealth of the landowners and poverty of the peasants grew. Towards the end of the 1st century BC a series of peasant revolts threatened to overthrow the state31

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