The Main Idea:
Throughout most of human history China has been the largest, richest and most advanced country on the planet. It is also the oldest, having survived through 5,000 years. China’s geography isolated it from outside influence, allowing the country to develop its own ways. During the Middle Ages, China was the site of many advances in the areas of government and economics, as well as many inventions. Understanding China’s history and people is useful to us now because experts agree that China will once again be the richest and most powerful country on Earth within the next 50 years.
Classwork Packet = 150 pts.
Inventions/Discoveries Poster Project = 24 pts.
Notes (8)=80 pts.
Test
Throughout most of human history China has been the largest, richest and most advanced country on the planet. It is also the oldest, having survived through 5,000 years. China’s geography isolated it from outside influence, allowing the country to develop its own ways. During the Middle Ages, China was the site of many advances in the areas of government and economics, as well as many inventions. Understanding China’s history and people is useful to us now because experts agree that China will once again be the richest and most powerful country on Earth within the next 50 years.
Classwork Packet = 150 pts.
Inventions/Discoveries Poster Project = 24 pts.
Notes (8)=80 pts.
Test
I. The Government of Imperial China (202B.C.-A.D.1912)
A. China was ruled by emperors from the various dynasties or ruling families.
B. Emperor Han Wu Di of the Han Dynasty (202BC- AD 220) created the Civil Service
Examination system to test for good civil servants or government officials.
C. Candidates were tested on their knowledge of Confucius, a philosopher of the 6th century BC
who taught that government officials should be wise.
D. Those who passed the test got a job in the bureaucracy, or civil service (They were
government officials).
E. Chinese civil servants were called scholar-officials because to pass the Civil Service Exam they
had to be Confucian scholars.
F.The Han Dynasty fell to the Huns in AD 220 and entered the Period of Disunion, a time of
chaos when China broke up into 17 kingdoms, each ruled by a warlord.
Summary: Explain the way in which government officials were chosen in China.
A. China was ruled by emperors from the various dynasties or ruling families.
B. Emperor Han Wu Di of the Han Dynasty (202BC- AD 220) created the Civil Service
Examination system to test for good civil servants or government officials.
C. Candidates were tested on their knowledge of Confucius, a philosopher of the 6th century BC
who taught that government officials should be wise.
D. Those who passed the test got a job in the bureaucracy, or civil service (They were
government officials).
E. Chinese civil servants were called scholar-officials because to pass the Civil Service Exam they
had to be Confucian scholars.
F.The Han Dynasty fell to the Huns in AD 220 and entered the Period of Disunion, a time of
chaos when China broke up into 17 kingdoms, each ruled by a warlord.
Summary: Explain the way in which government officials were chosen in China.
II. Sui Dynasty: China Reunified (589-618)A. Buddhism was brought to China during the Han dynasty about AD 150 and became popular during the Period of Disunion because of its message of an eventual release from suffering.
B. China was reunited in 589 AD by a general named Wen Di. He declared himself Emperor and established the Sui Dynasty.
C. Chang’an was the capital of medieval China.
D. Wendi’s son Yangdi took the throne after his father’s death and made many improvements to China.
E. His greatest achievement was the Grand Canal which links the Huang He river with the Chang Jiang river.F. The Grand Canal united the economies of northern and southern China. An economy is the way in which people produce, buy and sell things.
G. China’s peasants rebelled against Yangdi and one of his generals established the Tang Dynasty.
B. China was reunited in 589 AD by a general named Wen Di. He declared himself Emperor and established the Sui Dynasty.
C. Chang’an was the capital of medieval China.
D. Wendi’s son Yangdi took the throne after his father’s death and made many improvements to China.
E. His greatest achievement was the Grand Canal which links the Huang He river with the Chang Jiang river.F. The Grand Canal united the economies of northern and southern China. An economy is the way in which people produce, buy and sell things.
G. China’s peasants rebelled against Yangdi and one of his generals established the Tang Dynasty.
III. Tang Dynasty: China's Golden age (618-907)
A. The Tang Dynasty expanded China’s empire and regained much of its old territory.
B. Emperor Tang Taizong brought about reforms to improve China’s government and reinstated
the civil service examination .
C. Empress Wu strengthened China’s military and agriculture.
D.The Tang government was an aristocracy, as only rich people could afford the schooling
necessary to pass the exam and become scholar-officials.
E. Buddhism’s popularity during the Tang dynasty was seen as a growing foreign influence.
F. Tang Wuzong ordered many Buddhist monasteries and temples destroyed in AD 845, thus
ending China’s Age of Buddhism.
G. The Tang Dynasty was also an age of invention and discovery.
H.Tea, gunpowder, the chain drive, porcelain, and woodblock printing were all invented
/discovered.
I The Tang Dynasty fell in 907 and China entered a period called the 5 Dynasties ans 10 Kingdoms.
Summary: Describe 2 accomplishments of the Tang Dynasty
A. The Tang Dynasty expanded China’s empire and regained much of its old territory.
B. Emperor Tang Taizong brought about reforms to improve China’s government and reinstated
the civil service examination .
C. Empress Wu strengthened China’s military and agriculture.
D.The Tang government was an aristocracy, as only rich people could afford the schooling
necessary to pass the exam and become scholar-officials.
E. Buddhism’s popularity during the Tang dynasty was seen as a growing foreign influence.
F. Tang Wuzong ordered many Buddhist monasteries and temples destroyed in AD 845, thus
ending China’s Age of Buddhism.
G. The Tang Dynasty was also an age of invention and discovery.
H.Tea, gunpowder, the chain drive, porcelain, and woodblock printing were all invented
/discovered.
I The Tang Dynasty fell in 907 and China entered a period called the 5 Dynasties ans 10 Kingdoms.
Summary: Describe 2 accomplishments of the Tang Dynasty
V. The Song Dynasty: A Growing Economy (960-1279)
A.Song Taizu conquered the 5 Dynasties and 10 Kingdoms and established the Song Dynasty.
B.The Song Dynasty adopted Neo-Confucianism (Confucianism mixed with Buddhist and Daoist beliefs). C.The Song created a meritocracy, or government of people with merit by sending people to school so they could pass the civil service exam.
D.The Chinese economy rose to new heights during the Song Dynasty.
E.Economic growth occurred in agriculture (farming), and commerce (trade).
F.Farmers improved irrigation with the dragon backbone pump and introduced a new fast-growing rice.
G. New roads, oceangoing trade, and canals helped increase trade with other parts of Asia.
H. Silk fabric, tea, paper, and porcelain were all items of trade.
I. The compass, gunpowder, moveable-type printing, and paper money were all invented.
Summary: Describe 2 accomplishments of the Song Dynasty
A.Song Taizu conquered the 5 Dynasties and 10 Kingdoms and established the Song Dynasty.
B.The Song Dynasty adopted Neo-Confucianism (Confucianism mixed with Buddhist and Daoist beliefs). C.The Song created a meritocracy, or government of people with merit by sending people to school so they could pass the civil service exam.
D.The Chinese economy rose to new heights during the Song Dynasty.
E.Economic growth occurred in agriculture (farming), and commerce (trade).
F.Farmers improved irrigation with the dragon backbone pump and introduced a new fast-growing rice.
G. New roads, oceangoing trade, and canals helped increase trade with other parts of Asia.
H. Silk fabric, tea, paper, and porcelain were all items of trade.
I. The compass, gunpowder, moveable-type printing, and paper money were all invented.
Summary: Describe 2 accomplishments of the Song Dynasty
VI. The Mongols – 13th Century
A.The Mongols were a nomadic people who lived in tribes and grazed their horses on the steppes, or grasslands of Mongolia and Central Asia. They were excellent horse warriors.
B.Temujin was a Mongol chief who united the tribes in the early 13th century and turned them into a well- trained army.
C.He earned the name Genghis Khan, or “great ruler.”
D.In 1206, Genghis Khan began a war of conquest and in 20 years, the Mongols conquered most all of Asia and Eastern Europe.
E.The Mongols were known for using tactics of terror and massacre against anyone who opposed them. F.The Mongol Empire became the largest in human history but only lasted for about 150 years.
G.After Genghis Khan’s death in 1227, his empire was divided amongst 4 of his grandsons.
H.The Mongols were tolerant of all religions and they encouraged trade throughout their empire, which led to the spread of knowledge and ideas.
Summary: In 3 sentences, explain who the Mongols were.
A.The Mongols were a nomadic people who lived in tribes and grazed their horses on the steppes, or grasslands of Mongolia and Central Asia. They were excellent horse warriors.
B.Temujin was a Mongol chief who united the tribes in the early 13th century and turned them into a well- trained army.
C.He earned the name Genghis Khan, or “great ruler.”
D.In 1206, Genghis Khan began a war of conquest and in 20 years, the Mongols conquered most all of Asia and Eastern Europe.
E.The Mongols were known for using tactics of terror and massacre against anyone who opposed them. F.The Mongol Empire became the largest in human history but only lasted for about 150 years.
G.After Genghis Khan’s death in 1227, his empire was divided amongst 4 of his grandsons.
H.The Mongols were tolerant of all religions and they encouraged trade throughout their empire, which led to the spread of knowledge and ideas.
Summary: In 3 sentences, explain who the Mongols were.
VII. The Mongols In China- The Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)
A.Kublai Khan was Genghis Khan’s grandson. He became the Mongol Emperor in 1260.
B.Under Kublai Khan, the Mongols conquered the rest of the Song Dynasty in southern China.
C.Kublai founded the Yuan Dynasty in 1279, which ruled China for about 100 years.
D.Kublai Khan moved the capital of the Mongol Empire from Karakorum in Mongolia to Khanbaliq (later named Beijing) in China.
E.Because China belonged to the large Mongol Empire, the Silk Road was reopened and trade increased. F.Kublai didn’t use the scholar officials, but gave many government jobs to foreigners.
G.Marco Polo was a traveler from Venice, Italy, who visited China under Kublai Khan.
H.Kublai employed Polo in his gov. and sent him on fact-finding missions around China.
I.The Mongols under Kublai conquered Vietnam and Korea but twice failed to capture Japan.
Summary: Explain who Kublai Khan and Marco Polo were.
A.Kublai Khan was Genghis Khan’s grandson. He became the Mongol Emperor in 1260.
B.Under Kublai Khan, the Mongols conquered the rest of the Song Dynasty in southern China.
C.Kublai founded the Yuan Dynasty in 1279, which ruled China for about 100 years.
D.Kublai Khan moved the capital of the Mongol Empire from Karakorum in Mongolia to Khanbaliq (later named Beijing) in China.
E.Because China belonged to the large Mongol Empire, the Silk Road was reopened and trade increased. F.Kublai didn’t use the scholar officials, but gave many government jobs to foreigners.
G.Marco Polo was a traveler from Venice, Italy, who visited China under Kublai Khan.
H.Kublai employed Polo in his gov. and sent him on fact-finding missions around China.
I.The Mongols under Kublai conquered Vietnam and Korea but twice failed to capture Japan.
Summary: Explain who Kublai Khan and Marco Polo were.
VII. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) pt. 1: Despotism
A.In 1368, a former monk named Hong Wu led a rebellion that finally drove out the Mongols. He founded the Ming Dynasty.
B.Ming Emperors were despots, or all-powerful rulers, even though they relied on scholar-officials for some jobs.
C.They regularly carried out a census, or a count of the people, so they could collect taxes accurately. D.Hong Wu was a cruel emperor who created a secret police to search out and execute people suspected of treason.
E.Ming emperors restored and rebuilt the Great Wall in northeastern China.
F.Hong Wu’s son Yong Le built an area of palaces and government buildings known as the Imperial City in the new capital of Beijing.
G.The Forbidden City was in the center of the Imperial City. Only top officials could enter the Forbidden City. The city showed off China’s glory.
Summary: Explain what the Forbidden City is and why it was built.
A.In 1368, a former monk named Hong Wu led a rebellion that finally drove out the Mongols. He founded the Ming Dynasty.
B.Ming Emperors were despots, or all-powerful rulers, even though they relied on scholar-officials for some jobs.
C.They regularly carried out a census, or a count of the people, so they could collect taxes accurately. D.Hong Wu was a cruel emperor who created a secret police to search out and execute people suspected of treason.
E.Ming emperors restored and rebuilt the Great Wall in northeastern China.
F.Hong Wu’s son Yong Le built an area of palaces and government buildings known as the Imperial City in the new capital of Beijing.
G.The Forbidden City was in the center of the Imperial City. Only top officials could enter the Forbidden City. The city showed off China’s glory.
Summary: Explain what the Forbidden City is and why it was built.
VIII. The Ming Dynasty: Exploration/Isolation
A.Ming Emperors built a large fleet of ships to collect tribute money, explore areas outside of China and to show off their power.
B.Emperor Yong Le sent the fleet on seven voyages from 1405 to 1431. Zheng He, a Muslim eunuch court official led these expeditions.
C.The voyages of Zheng He featured more than 60 ships and 25,000 sailors. The fleet traveled to SE Asia, India, Arabia, and Africa where goods were traded.
D.Chinese exploration ended as the next 2 emperors canceled any further voyages due to the extreme cost. E.China closed its doors to outsiders and entered a 400 year period of isolationism, as later emperors forbade any further trade with, or travel to, places outside of China
F.Because of its isolation, China fell behind other countries in terms of technology and military power.
Summary: Describe China's period of exploration and what happened as a result of their isolationism.
A.Ming Emperors built a large fleet of ships to collect tribute money, explore areas outside of China and to show off their power.
B.Emperor Yong Le sent the fleet on seven voyages from 1405 to 1431. Zheng He, a Muslim eunuch court official led these expeditions.
C.The voyages of Zheng He featured more than 60 ships and 25,000 sailors. The fleet traveled to SE Asia, India, Arabia, and Africa where goods were traded.
D.Chinese exploration ended as the next 2 emperors canceled any further voyages due to the extreme cost. E.China closed its doors to outsiders and entered a 400 year period of isolationism, as later emperors forbade any further trade with, or travel to, places outside of China
F.Because of its isolation, China fell behind other countries in terms of technology and military power.
Summary: Describe China's period of exploration and what happened as a result of their isolationism.