Chapter 7 Vocabulary Terms Ancient China
Dec 13, 2015
1. dynasty - line of rulers from the same family
2. Aristocrat - nobles whose wealth came from the land they owned
3. Pictograph - a character which stands for an object
4. ideograph-a kind of character used in Chinese writing that joins two or more
pictographs to represent an idea
5. bureaucracy-a group of appointed officials who are responsible for different areas of government
6.social class - includes people who share a similar position in society
7. filial piety - children’s respect for their parents and older relatives
8. Legalism - Chinese philosophy developed by Hanfeizi which taught that humans are naturally evil
and needed to be ruled by harsh laws
9. Acupuncture - Chinese practice of easing pain by sticking thin needles into patients’ skin
10. Warlords - military leaders who run a government
11. tenant farmers - people who pay their rent by giving the landlord a portion of their crops
12. Silk Road - a large network of trade routes that stretched 4000 miles from
western China to Southwest Asia
13. Daoism – Chinese philosophy introduced by Laozi that promoted a peaceful society by encouraging people to seek inner peace and live in harmony with nature.
14. Confucianism – System of beliefs introduced by the Chinese thinker Confucius that taught that people needed to have a sense of duty to their familyand community in order to bring peace to society.
15. Dao – The force that guides all things.
16. Dao De Jing – The book containing the writings of Daosim.
17.Mandate of Heaven – A formal order that
gave Chinese kings the right to rule.
18.Oracle Bones – Object used by priests tocontact the spirits and ancestors before
making important decisions.
19. Abacus – An ancient Chinese calculator used to solve math problems.