Chapter 4 Blueprint for Empire Building: China, 1200BCE-220CE 1. Why did the authors pick those dates to start and stop the discussion on China in this period? (Hint: What events happened that signified a change at 1200BCE and as 220CE in China? Answering this kind of question on each chapter will always help you in history classes and figuring out why any chapter is titled like it is will help you figure out what any author wants you to walk away with after reading the chapter. That goes with any book/chapter/author.) 2. What Chinese river valley did civilization develop? How was is similar to the Tigris/Euphrates, the Nile and Indus river valleys? 3. What grains were grown in the north? What grain was grown in the south? 4. What significant development tells archeologists that a group of people becomes “Chinese”? 5. What is the evidence that we have of writing in China? When did it develop? What was its purpose? 6. What is the most significant religious difference between Chinese culture and the other civilizations that have been covered? 7. What concept of rulership did the Zhou dynasty introduce? (This concept continue to influence Chinese history all the way to the twentieth century) 8. What technological changes brought on the Warring Period in China? 9. What philosopher came about because of the turmoil of the Warring Period? Why would a new philosophy appeal to people in something like the troubled times in China during the seventh and sixth centuries BCE? 10. What is filial piety? (Hint: You will need to use a different source than the textbook to find this answer.) 11. The chapter calls Confucianism an ethical system and not a religion. I want to reiterate that same idea. Understand that there are no supernatural beings or concepts in Confucianism. No magic, no deities, no ghosts or demons, etc. It does highlight the earlier practice of ancestor worship but that is due to the cornerstone concept of Filial Piety. It is all about how to live one’s life.
Posted on: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 01:36:21 +0000