Agrarian-centered-Agricultural, a society whose economy is based on farming.
Beijing-The Chinese word for "Northern Capital"; The site of the Imperial city during the later dynasties.
Block Print-The ealiest form of the printing press; developed by the Chinese during the Tang dynasty
Confucianism-The teachings invented by Confucius, which were introduced into Chinese religion. It propogated devotion to parents, family and friends, expansion and training of the mind, self control, and fairness to others as well as the guidelines for civilized behavior.
Grand Canal— Started during the Sui dynasty and expanded during the Yuan dynasty (Mongol Rule), the Grand Canal is a series of waterways which connect the city of Hangzhou in the south with Beijing> in the north. It is the world's longest canal system.
Great Wall- A wall which protected the land known as China proper, from attack. It is a 5,000-kilometer long wall, made up of the many walls around the seven states that existed before the Empire was established.
K'ung Fu-tzu—The man later known as Confucius who developed confucianism
Legalist—A school of thought which propagated a strict impersonal set of laws governing all human activity: to have an all-powerful ruler who would see that the laws are carried out, and to create social order with a centralized government based on a healthy economy.
Manchu- People residing north of who conquered the Chinese empire and established the last dynasty of the Chinese empire called the Qing
Mongols—invaders who ruled China and established the Yuan dynasty
Nanjing—The Chinese word for "Southern Capital"
Neo-Confucian— First appearing in the Song dynasty, it is the mix of the major philosophies of the time including: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. This became the Empire's official ideology for many centuries.
Paper— First appearing in 105 AD in China this invenion is attributed to Ts'ai Lun who served under the Han Emperor Ho Ti. The art of paper making was confined to China for about 500 years.
Porcelain—A Chinese invention. A hard white translucent substance used to make ceramic vessels.
Scholar-officials- A well-educated class of people who were career officials. They performed duties for the state without any real power or land delegated to them; became widely spread and gained prestige starting with the Song dynasty.
Shang— The first Chinese dynasty that any proof of has been found.
Shi Huandgi-Chinese word which means "first Emperor". The title the first Emperor of China aquired, which before that time was reserved for gods and mythological sages.
Silk route- The ancient trade route which linked China and Imperial Rome. It was 4000 mi long and well protected, so trade caravans would not be robbed.
Sorghum—A crop from the corn family; made into grain, it is the staple food for much of China.
Taoism-A school of thought developed by Lao-Tzu which teaches that the individual should ignore society and try and become one with the patterns of the universe.
Universal Man— The Chinese high standard for what a man should be able to do, including the qualities of scholar, poet, painter, and statesman.
Vassals— Lords during pre-Empire China, which ruled large land holdings given to them by the king.
Xia—Supposedly China's first hereditery ruling family. Unfortunately, no evidence of this exists.
Yuan-The dynasty established by Kublai Khan during the Mongol rule of China. The first alien dynasty to rule all of China proper.
Zhou-The last dynasty of Pre-Empire China
Zhu Xi-Chinese philosopher who created neo-confucianism