World History: Chapter 7 China’s First Empire 221 B.C.E.- 589 C.E.

Many Chinese believed that Laozi had brought Buddhism to India because A) the Buddha had been a disciple of Laozi's. B) Buddhism was inferior to Daosim. C) Buddhism and Daoism had significant similarities. D) Buddhism had originated in China.

Confucian ideas were considered useful under the Former Han Dynasty for all of the following reasons except A) that the mandate of heaven provided an ethical justification for dynastic rule. B) that Confucian eunuchs served as tutors for the royal children. C) that Confucianism guided the interpretation and application of laws. D) that Confucianism was seen as shaping moral men.

During the Later Han's decline in the second century C.E., many peasants turned to A) their landlords for support. B) Neo-Daoist religious movements. C) Confucianism. D) None of these answers are correct.

The text identifies which of the following policies as one that would characterize every strong dynasty? A) aggressive expansion of borders B) centralized government with carefully limited expansion C) government led by military and focused on military concerns D) strict governmental control on all trade

According to the poetry of Xijun, Chinese emperors primarily used women A) to decorate their palaces according to Confucian principles. B) to serve as ambassadors and escorts for foreign dignitaries. C) as silk workers and merchants. D) as gifts to foreign rulers in return for non-aggression.

The Great Wall of China was built A) to divide China administratively into prefectures. B) to protect settled lands against nomadic raiders. C) None of these answers are correct. D) to protect the Yangtze River basin and the fertile areas of the Red River.

In the centuries following the collapse of the Later Han Dynasty, A) immigration southward came to halt. B) great aristocratic landowning families became more powerful. C) Chinese kingdoms became stronger and more stable. D) northern and southern China grew more similar.

Which of the following statements is not generally true about court eunuchs? A) they were advisors to emperors B) they came from high-status families C) they were castrated as youths D) they were servants in the emperor's harem

In 1974, a Chinese farmer found 8,000 life-sized clay soldiers that came from A) the tomb of the First Emperor. B) the Yungang Grotto. C) Xiongnu plunder. D) artisans under the Han Dynasty.

The Qin Dynasty was famous for its A) destruction of the books of Confucianism and other schools. B) All of these answers are correct. C) societal order and stability. D) harsh laws.

The novel Journey to the West based on the monk Xuangzan's pilgrimages reflects the growth of what religion in China after the fall of the Han Dynasty? A) Islam B) Hinduism C) Buddhism D) Christianity

Compared to the Romans, Chinese political unification was A) more disorganized. B) more gradual. C) more sudden. D) more law-abiding.

Select the correct chronological sequence for the following dynasties: A) Six Dynasties, Qin, Han B) Qin, Han, Six Dynasties C) Han, Qin, Six Dynasties D) Han, Six Dynasties, Qin

The great romantic epic, Tale of the Three Kingdoms, relates stories about A) the generals and the fall of the Han Dynasty. B) the arrival of Buddha in China. C) the warriors and statesmen after the fall of the Han Dynasty. D) the plight of the peasantry after the fall of the Han Dynasty.

According to Map 7-1, under the Qin Dynasty A) the Great Wall marks the northern boundary of the Qin state. B) Xian, the capital, is in the far south of Qin territory. C) the Great Wall marks the western boundary of the Qin state. D) Guangzhou, the capital, is in the far south of Qin territory.

A major concern of Neo-Daoism was A) immorality. B) a revival of Confucian classics. C) metaphysics. D) immortality

During the so-called Six Dynasties era, A) China began to trade directly with Europe and Africa by ship. B) Japan invaded and conquered most of northern China. C) China reached its greatest territorial extent ever. D) nomadic peoples repeatedly overran much of northern China.

The Ancient Roman and Han Chinese Empires had all of the following characteristics in common except A) both had formidable armed forces. B) both had legacies that would continue long after their demise. C) both were based on distinct theoretical foundations. D) both were large and culturally diverse.

The so-called "Salt and Iron" Debates were concerned with A) whether the government should have monopolies over certain goods. B) the best way to deal with the barbarians beyond the Great Wall. C) whether China should be a land- or sea-based power. D) what should be the basis of the Chinese currency.

The Han continued which practice from the Qin Dynasty? A) issuing government monopolies B) reduction of bureaucracy C) domination of Legalist policies D) suppression of scholars

Wang Mang's rule proved unsuccessful because A) nature conspired against him, producing floods and famines. B) he had tried to found a new dynasty from within without the support of an independent military. C) All of these answers are correct. D) he alienated merchants and landowners.

The popularity of stories such as the "Peach Blossom Spring" during the later Han Dynasty suggests that many Chinese A) had a deep appreciation for the personal accomplishment of their emperors. B) had become increasingly skeptical about religious explanations for natural phenomena. C) recognized the awesome power of the Chinese state. D) saw little that was meaningful in the politics of the day.

Based on Map 7-2, all the following statements about expansion under the Han are correct except: A) Han expansion went as far west as the boundaries of the Kushan Empire. B) Han expansion went as far south as Hanoi in Annam (Viet-Nam). C) Han territory stayed south of the boundary created by the great wall. D) the silk road originated in Han territory.

In his Historical Records, Sima Qian suggests that wealthy Chinese merchants A) separated their economic life from their moral values. B) applied Confucian principles of morality to their work. C) applied neo-Daoist ideas of the beauty of nature to their work. D) applied Buddhist principles of enlightenment to their work.

Military commanders were less powerful in the Chinese court than they were in imperial Rome because A) an appointment to command a Han army was given only for a specific campaign. B) they were usually placed under restraint in the presence of the emperor. C) communication lines in China were less efficient than in Rome. D) commanders were appointed in threes so each would check the other.

The first emperors of the Han Dynasty were different from the Qin Dynasty because they A) allied themselves with steppe nomads to dominate the ethnic Chinese. B) cultivated popular support by reducing taxes and legal penalties. C) practiced Legalism and were overthrown within two decades. D) were Buddhist and avoided warfare and violence.

In his Historical Records, Sima Qian suggests that wealthy Chinese merchants A) applied Buddhist principles of enlightenment to their work. B) separated their economic life from their moral values. C) applied Confucian principles of morality to their work. D) applied neo-Daoist ideas of the beauty of nature to their work.

China was susceptible to frequent earthquakes, so a seismograph invented under the Han Dynasty used which of these mechanisms? A) two chemicals are separated inside an urn; when shaken they produce a distinct glow B) a suspended weight moves a lever which drops balls into a frog's mouth C) a magnetic arm moves a writing instrument across a piece of parchment D) specially colored wooden dragons float in a vat of colored water

Which of the following was NOT among the economic policies initiated by Emperor Wudi? A) taxes levied on government officials B) debasement of the currency C) taxes levied on merchants D) "ever level" granaries

Which of the following was NOT a major development in south China after the fall of the Han Dynasty from 220 to 589 C.E.? A) the absorption of tribal peoples into Chinese culture and society B) the penetration and spread of Buddhism C) economic stagnation and riots especially in the capital of Nanjing D) large scale immigration of Chinese fleeing to the north

The reign of this Chinese ruler best fits the Confucian description of the second phase of the dynastic cycle: A) Gaozu B) Wang Mang C) Han Wudi D) Li Si

The Ancient Roman and Han Chinese Empires had all of the following characteristics in common except A) both had formidable armed forces. B) both were large and culturally diverse. C) both had legacies that would continue long after their demise. D) both were based on distinct theoretical foundations.

Since the early third century C.E., the Chinese population has referred to itself as A) a Mandate of Heaven. B) the Qinese people. C) the Han people. D) the Xiongnu peoples.

Which of the following best describes the Qin Dynasty? A) It was the most creative age in Chinese art and literature. B) It undermined Chinese unity and led to centuries of Manchurian dominance. C) It produced great achievements but at great human cost. D) It was the longest and best-loved government in Chinese history.

A primary tenet of Buddhism is A) seek pleasure in life. B) respect authority. C) life is suffering. D) nirvana is unattainable.

Buddhism was introduced to China A) None of these answers are correct. B) during the Later Han Dynasty. C) by the Qin Dynasty. D) during the Former Han Dynasty.

In the view of Confucian historians, the last rulers of any dynastic cycle tended to be A) economically weak and militarily strong. B) politically weak and morally culpable. C) economically secure yet morally culpable. D) militarily weak and corrupt.

One of the most important areas of scholarship during the Han Dynasty was A) sociology. B) biology. C) astronomy. D) history.

Which of the following was not among the major contenders for power during the Han Dynasty? A) court officials B) the regent C) court eunuchs D) the empress dowager

The enemies of the Chinese dynasties were nomadic tribes known as A) the Li Su. B) the Xiongnu. C) the Xian. D) the Zhou.

In her Admonitions for Women, Ban Zhao suggests that, compared to men, Chinese women should be A) more subservient. B) more knowledgeable about the world. C) more independent. D) more attentive to their appearance.

In the centuries following the collapse of the Later Han Dynasty, A) Chinese kingdoms became stronger and more stable. B) great aristocratic landowning families became more powerful. C) northern and southern China grew more similar. D) immigration southward came to halt.

Buddhism spread A) from the Southern Qi then to the Northern Wei, then to India and later to Japan and Korea. B) from India to the Southern Qi, then to the Northern Wei, and from there to Korea and Japan. C) from the Northern Wei then to the Southern Qi, then to India and later to Japan and Korea. D) from India to the Southern Qi and Northern Wei, and from there to Korea and Japan.

The Qin Dynasty collapsed A) after more than two hundred years of security and stable rule. B) because of a break in the Great Wall. C) following decades of gradual decline under weak rulers. D) because their harsh rule and burdensome demands alienated most people.

Chinese Buddhism was distinct from Buddhism in India for all of the following reasons except A) Indian Buddhism was less regulated by the government. B) Indian Buddhism was more focused on the sutras and meditation. C) Chinese Buddhism was more focused on ancestor worship. D) Chinese Buddhism was more syncretic and unified.

The Qin overthrew the previous Zhou dynasty around A) 150 B.C.E. B) 250 B.C.E. C) 50 C.E. D) 200 C.E.