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AP World History vocab Flashcards

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2928161042Zhou dynasty(1122 - 256 B.C.E.) First of Chinese classical civilizations. Ruled through alliances with regional princes. Extended territory to Yangzi River and promoted standard Mandarin Chinese language.0
2928166595Qin Shi Huangdi and the Qin dynasty(221-202 B.C.E.) The Qin dynasty was characterized by the centralization of state rule that resulted in the elimination of local and regional political competitors. It expanded the boundaries of China to include Hong Kong. The Great Wall of China was built in this era.1
2928174149Shi HuangdiChina's "First Emperor" who gave that country its name. Under his brutal rule, Hong Kong was annexed and the Great Wall of China was built.2
2928175972Han dynasty(202 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) Followed the Qin dynasty. Expanded China's possessions to include Korea, Indochina, and central Asia. Era generally characterized by stability, prosperity, and peace. Contemporary of and often compared to the Roman Empire.3
2928177487Wu TiBest-known Han ruler. Supported Confucianism in the state bureaucracy.4
2928180601MandarinMandarin became the official state language of the Zhou dynasty and as such was the most-used state language in the world. Helped bring greater cultural unity to classical China.5
2928182203DynastyA time period during which a family rules through a succession of members.6
2928185669Mandate of HeavenConfucian idea in which a good ruler was thought to have a divine right to rule.7
2928188579Era of Warring States(402 - 201 B.C.E.) Time period between the Zhou and Qin dynasties in which regional rulers formed independent armies and reduced emperors to little more than figureheads.8
2928190493Great WallStone wall extending across northern China, built during the Qin dynasty as a defense against northern nomads9
2928191951LegalismPhilosophy that gained ground during the Zhou and was dominant during the Qin dynasty which was rooted in the belief that laws should replace morality and a ruler must provide discipline to maintain order.10
2928205777MandarinsEducated bureaucrats who were one of the three main social groups of ancient China.11
2928209307"Mean People"General category of people identified as ancient China's lowest social group who performed unskilled labor.12
2928210949PatriarchalismIdeas that social organization should be ordered with the male as the head of the family and institutions.13
2930929994Confucius, a.k.a. Kung Fuzi(c. 551-478 B.C.E.) Chinese philosopher who wrote an elaborate political philosophy that became the core of China's cultural and political thinking for centuries. Those who adopted his teachings saw him not as a deity but as a master of ethics.14
2930935147DaoismA spiritual alternative to Confucianism that emphasized the harmony in nature and life. True understanding comes from withdrawing from the world and contemplating the life force.15
2930941582Silk RoadThe most famous of the trading routes established by pastoral nomads connecting the Chinese, Indian, Persian, and Mediterranean civilizations; transmitted goods and ideas among civilizations.16

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