Ancient China Vocabulary

WARLORD A military commander exercising civil power by force, with his own army

ARISTOCRAT A member of an upper class of society, usually made up of hereditary nobility

ANCESTOR A person that someone is descended from

PICTOGRAPH A symbol in a writing system based on pictures

IDEOGRAPH A symbol in a writing system that represents a thing or an idea

BUREAUCRACY A group of nonelected government officials

HEREDITARY Having title or possession by reason of birth

MANDATE OF HEAVEN The belief that the Chinese king’s right to rule came from the gods

DAO Chinese system of beliefs which describes the way a king must rule

CONFUCIANISM A system of beliefs based on the teachings of Confucius

DAOISM A Chinese philosophy concerned with obtaining long life and living in harmony with nature

LEGALISM A Chinese philosophy that stressed the importance of laws

FILIAL PIETY The responsibility children have to respect, obey, and care for their parents

CENSOR An official who watches others for correct behavior

CURRENCY Something, such as coins or paper, that is used as a medium of exchange

CIVIL SERVICE The administrative service of a government

TENANT FARMER A farmer who works land owner by someone else and pays rent in cash or as a share of the crop

ACUPUNCTURE Originally, a Chinese practice of inserting fine needles through the skin at specific points to treat disease or relieve pain