Chapter 6 Ancient China Key Terms and People

jade A hard gemstone

oracle A prediction

lords People of high rank

peasants Farmers with small farms

ethics Moral values

Confucianism An influenced by Chinese teacher Confucius. Believed that people needed to return to moral values and proper conduct. Confucianism refers to the teachings of Confucius

Confucius Chinese teacher founded Confucianism. Believed that people needed to return to moral values and proper conduct.

Daosim/Taoism Stressed living in harmony with the Dao or “the way” , the guiding force of all reality. Founded by Laozi

silk A soft, light, highly valued fabric

Silk road 4,000 mile long network of trade routes stretched westward from china across Asia’s deserts and mountain ranges through the Middle East until it reached the Mediterranean Sea

Laozi Teacher of Daosim

legalism The belief that people were bad by nature and needed to be controlled

Shi Huangdi Legalist follower. Emperor of the Qin Dynasty. Created a strong government Unified china by enforcing: -Standard writing system -same money throughout china Improved irrigation and farming

Great Wall A barrier that linked earlier walls across China’s northern frontier

Sundial Uses the position of shadows cast by the sun to tell time of day

seismograph A device that measures the strength of earthquakes

acupuncture The practice of inserting fine needles through the skin at specific points to cure disease or relieve

diffusion The spread of ideas from one culture to another