The document provides a list of terms and concepts from Chinese history that the student is expected to identify and summarize. These include: 1. The civil service examination system and Jinshi degree from Imperial China which aimed to create a meritocratic government. 2. Several dynasties that ruled China such as the Liao, Jin, Yuan, and Ming dynasties as well as key figures like Genghis Khan and Khubilai Khan. 3. Significant events and locations in Chinese history like the Ming treasure voyages led by Zheng He, the construction of the Great Wall, and the Opium Wars between China and Western powers.

1. MAP items: Be prepared to locate the following on a blank map of China with
modern boundaries (similar to the one you’ve seen on your weekly quizzes):
Beijing
Guangzhou (Canton)
Hong Kong
Manchuria
Mongolia
Nanjing
Shanghai
Taiwan
Tibet
Xinjiang
The Yellow River
The Yangzi River
IDs. Be prepared to identify the following in a short paragraph (tell me who/what
it is; roughly when; and why it’s important to understanding Imperial China. All
dates should be accurate to within a century, unless otherwise indicated)
WEEK 7
Civil service examination system
Jinshi
WEEK 8
Liao (Khitan) Dynasty – 907 – 1125 AD founded by Abaoji, rapidly adopted
Chinese treaties, architecture, religion, and were often enthusiastic and
cooperative with the Chinese they ruled over. Practiced pastoral steppe
nomadism. Shaved the top of their heads leaving only the hair by their ears and
the back. Abaoji throws away the khuriltai (congress) system of selecting a leader
and goes with the Chinese method of choosing his heir. Dual Administration with
the north (nomadic) and south (chinese) North was family appointed and South
was civil service examination. Liao established five different capitals in Chinese
style that they moved between throughout the year. 1004 Chinese sue for peace
and pay “gifts” of 1-2% of war expenses as tribute to the Khitans. In the end they
never became truly Chinese like the Jin dynasty will attempt to do and leave to
central asia nomadically when the Jin take over.
Jin (Jurchen) Dynasty – 1115 – 1234 founded by Aguda, from Manchuria, not the
steppe like the Khitan. Jin also demand payments, but much more serious and
(300k oz ag, 1mn strings of coins, 300k bolts silk with dragon and phoenix
embroidery, (patterns usually reserved for the emperor) also one-time payment
worth 180 annual payments. Letters between Jin and Southern Song have Jin as
“elder uncle” and song as nephew. Slowly accept Chinese classical civilized ways
such as Dao, Way, Confucius, through fits and starts. Yellow river moves,
flooding, lost crops and revenue, lack of cooper and financial problems, Jin
eventually lose to the Mongols. Chinese historians would later argue that this

2. type of ruling was abnormal but actually it is the norm continuing on with the
Mongols and the Manchus.
Mongols 1206 – Reign of Genghis Kan, 1234 – 1276 Mongols rule north China,
1276 – 1368 Mongols rule all of China. Went from the steppe and conquered so
many places, valued skill and loyalty over family. Were ruthless when necessary
but respected those who gave inLots of horses and maybe they kept on attacking
so that they could get more lute to pacific their fighters and the rulers could keep
on ruling?
Chinggis (Genghis) Khan 1167 – 1227 – First ruler of the mongols, was
abandoned after his father died, fought his way up, and expanded into northern
china Russia and eastern Europe.
Khuriltai – How leadership for many northern step people are decided
Khubilai Khan reign of 1260 – 1294 – First Yuan Dynasty emperor (Mongol)
Yuan Dynasty 1276 – 1368 – Dynasty created from the rements of the large
Mongol empire. Upper class chinese have little way of advancement but it created
much cultural vitality. Drama & arts went way up as scholar official civil
examinations were essentially unused and the use of vernacular started to be
used more frequently. Simplify the examination system curriculum once it is
reinstated which greatly influences later chinese dynasties as for some reason this
simplified test was kept. 1330s to end in 1368, serious plague and populace
problems. Yuan lose. Also due to continual over-printing of paper money, by end
of the Yuan China wholly reverts to copper and silver.
WEEK 9
Ming treasure fleet 1405 – 1433 – meant to demonstrate Yongle’s greatness,
huge, advanced and sailed around the indian ocean
Zheng He – main captain of treasure fleets, Muslim eunuch, prisoner of war
Yongle Emperor – usurpers his nephew which died during the cue he led, 1402 –
He rechanneled the grand canal, moved the capital, created the treasure fleets,
and put together an amazing encyclopedia.
Great Wall of China – fixated on defending against the ever present mongols in
the north a larger, longer great wall is truly started. The myth of the great wall
was started by Chinese historians looking back on Sima Qian’s histories of the
Qin dynasty.
WEEK 10
Menzies thesis – Chinese went around the world, etc. Not true. It’s popular
fiction.
WEEK 11
Manchus Jurchen Peoples – started moving south into Chinese lands, but also
took up Chinese ways. Nurhaci (born 1559) to a noble family increases power at

3. the expense of the other Jurchen and Mongol tribes around 1610 – 1620.
Eight banners – The way that the Manchus organize their military in battle and in
everyday life. 1616 he declares himself “khan or ruler” of the 2nd Jin dynasty and
attacks mixed Chinese/Jurchen settlements. He treats those he conquers very
fairly incorporating them into his cause or at least causing them no harm.
Promises better rule after terrible neglect by Wanli. There are some revolts and
Nurhaci struggles to hold onto power. He dies and his 8th son Hong Taiji becomes
ruler of the Manchus. With the help of Chinese support that he supports very
strongly allows him to take over more previously Chinese area. Hong Taiji creates
another 8 banner system for the Chinese. (1640s) 1636, Hong Taiki renames his
dynasty Qing to escape the memories of servitude to the Ming Dynasty. Also
created the word Manchu to describe his peoples. 1638 China is falling apart and
Rebels 1644 take Peking. General Wu Sangui goes to defend against the rebels,
the Qing march down and eventually the Wu Sangui sides with Dorgon instead of
Rebel Li Zicheng, blah blah blah, the Manchus fight Ming Loyalists and
decendents in the south until rue is solidified in 1662
Li Zicheng
Wu Sangui
Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong)
Qing Dynasty
queue
WEEK 12-13
Jesuits
Chinese rites controversy
Macartney Mission
Great Divergence
WEEK 14
Canton or cohong system
Commissioner Lin Zexu
The Opium War (aka the First Opium War)
Treaty of Nanjing
Treaty ports
WEEK 15
Hakka
Taiping Rebellion
Hong Xiuquan
Empress Dowager Cixi
Xinhai Revolution
ESSAYS: I will ask TWO (2) of the following questions, from which you will
choose ONE (1) to answer in essay form.
*Evaluate this statement: the imperial civil service examination system was
designed to make Chinese government meritocratic, and it succeeded in this

4. regard. A successful answer will demonstrate a good grasp of how the exam
system developed and how it worked, and will support the argument with
primary sources we have read for class.
*Is the Menzies thesis about the voyages of the Ming treasure fleet convincing?
Why or why not? To answer successfully, you will need to accurately describe the
thesis and discuss, clearly and with reference to specifics, why it convinces or fails
to convince.
*How did the relationship between the Qing Empire and Western powers change
between the late eighteenth century and the turn of the twentieth century, and
what caused the change? A successful answer will support the argument with
details from primary sources we’ve read for class.
*Evaluate this statement: Han Chinese saw the Manchus who ruled China from
the mid-seventeenth century to the early twentieth century as foreign conquerors
oppressing native Han culture, not legitimate rulers of China. A successful
answer will demonstrate a broad understanding of Qing Dynasty history and will
support the argument with primary sources we’ve read for class.