Chinese Civilization
I. Fill in the blanks.
1. The Chinese Civilization flourished along the banks of the Hwang Ho River.
2. The Shang Dynasty was the first dynasty of China.
3. Tea was first cultivated in China and later became a popular beverage.
4. Romans considered silk from China as precious as gold.
5. The pottery with glaze made in China is also known as porcelain.
6. Confucius gave a moral code of conduct to the Chinese.
7. The three main religions practiced in China were Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
8. The Chinese used pictograms and phonograms which made writing complex.
9. Taoism is a religion of unity and opposites, popularly known as Yin and Yang.
10. The Shang Dynasty was followed by the Chou Dynasty.
11. The Chinese society was hierarchical in which slaves were at the bottom of the hierarchy.
12. The Chinese transported silk to Central Asia and the Mediterranean region through the Silk Route.
13. In CE 132, the world's first seismograph was invented by Zhang Heng.
14. The Great Wall of China is the world's largest military structure.
II. Match the columns.
=
|
1. Chinese Script |
a. fortune telling. [3] |
|
2. Confucius |
b. raising silk worm. [4] |
|
3. oracle bones |
c. seismograph. [6] |
|
4. sericulture |
d. pictogram. [1] |
|
5. compass |
e. religious teacher. [2] |
|
6. Zhang Heng |
f. sea navigator. [5] |
III. Choose the correct option.
1. In the Chinese society _______ had a special position.
a. nobles. [ ]
b. merchants. [ ]
c. soldiers. [✓]
d. farmers. [ ]
2. The Shang Dynasty came in power around ______ .
a. 1600 BCE [ ]
b. 1765 BCE [✓]
c. 1200 BCE [ ]
d. 1100 BCE [ ]
3. Which of these was not used by the Chinese as a means of transport?
a. cart. [ ]
b. boats. [ ]
c. horse drawn carriages. [ ]
d. power driven carriages. [✓]
4. The main item of export on the silk rout was _____ .
a. spices. [ ]
b. silk. [✓]
c. copper. [ ]
d. porcelain. [ ]
5. Oracle bones were used for the purpose of ______ .
a. farming. [ ]
b. fortune telling. [✓]
c. cooking. [ ]
d. making weapons. [ ]
IV. State whether true or false.
1. Wooden carved blocks were used by the Chinese for printing. [T]
2. China was the third country in the world to make paper. [F]
3. The Chinese Civilization began during the Catholic Age and continued till the Iron Age. [F]
4. Astronomical clock tower, abacus, umbrella, kites and wheelbarrow are some inventions that can be credited to the Chinese Civilization. [T]
5. Taoism was declared the state religion of China. [F]
V. Answer these questions.
1. How did Hwang Ho help the Chinese Civilization to flourish?
= Hwang Ho was considered both a blessing and a curse for the ancient Chinese. It was called 'China's sorrow', as every year it flooded and caused destruction and and deaths. At the same time, it brought prosperity for the Chinese people by turning the soil fertile by the deposition of silt. This helped the Chinese farmers to carry out agriculture.
2. What was the main occupation of the Chinese people?
= Agriculture was the main occupation of the Chinese people. Crops such as rice, wheat, barley and millet were grown. The Chinese people were the first to cultivate tea.
3. What were the main items of trade in ancient China?
= The main items of trade in ancient China were silk, tea, paper and chinaware.
4. What do you understand by sericulture? In what ways was silk important in Chinese economy?
= Sericulture is the rearing of silkworms to get silk.
China was the first country in the world to raise silkworms and make silk. They became excellent masters of sericulture. The silk weaving technology was mastered by the Chinese and remained their secret for a long time. It was their main item of export.
5. Write a brief note on Confucianism.
= Confucius was a great Chinese philosopher who laid the foundation of a popular religious movement called Confucianism. His teachings are primarily a moral code of conduct than a religion. He taught moral values such as love for all, respect for elders, hard work and honesty. Confucianism became the state religion of China and a guiding ideology in many countries.
6. Among the three religious philosophies followed in China, which of these had its origin in India? How did it spread to China?
= Among the three religious philosophies followed in China, Buddhism had its origin in India.
Buddhism was first brought to China from India by missionaries and traders along the Silk Route that connected China with Europe, in the late Han Dynasty.
7. What were the main teachings of Taoism?
= Taoism originated in China around 2000 years ago. It is a religion of unity and opposites, popularly known as Yin and Yang. Taoism promotes achieving harmony with nature and self-development.
8. Why is the Great Wall of China regarded as an architectural marvel?
= The most spectacular and world famous Chinese architectural construction was the Great Wall of China. The construction of this wall began under emperor Shih-huang-ti, in the third century BCE and continued till the Ming Dynasty. Stretching approximately 6700 km from east to west of China, it is the world's largest military structure. It was built to protect the country from frequent barbarian attacks. Later rulers made the wall longer and stronger. Today, it is regarded as one of wonders of the world.
9. List at least three important inventions that belong to the Chinese Civilization.
= Three important inventions that belong to the Chinese Civilization are -
i) Paper.
ii) Gunpowder.
iii) Seismograph.
10. What was the role of the Shang and Chou dynasties in the Chinese history?
= Shang Dynasty:- The Chinese Civilization began during the Bronze Age and continued into the Iron Age. The first Chinese dynasty that came to power around 1765 BCE was known as the Shang Dynasty which ruled till 1122 BCE. The Shang Dynasty is created with developing a writing system that is still in use and showed great artistry in bronze.
Chou Dynasty :- The Shang Dynasty was followed by the Chou Dynasty which ruled from the twelfth century BCE to the third century BCE. During this period, the Chinese Civilization reached its peak. It was during this time that a great teacher, Confucius, put forth a code of ethics that dominated that Chinese thought and culture for several centuries. The Chou Dynasty was followed by many other dynasties.
11. What are the main characteristics of the Chinese script?
= The early Chinese developed a complex form of writing based on pictograms and phonograms. The Chinese language did not have any letters, it used 40,000 word pictures. This made their script very complicated and difficult for the common people. So the masses in ancient China remained illiterate, while a small privileged group enjoyed learning. Writings have been found on stone, bronze, bamboo strips, silk, and later also on paper. For writing, the Chinese used fine brush, rather than pen.
12. Why is the Yellow River referred to as 'China's sorrow'?
= The Yellow River referred to as 'China's sorrow', as every year it flooded and caused destruction and deaths.
13. State two major achievements of the Shang Dynasty.
= The Shang Dynasty is credited with developing a writing system that is still in use and showed great artistry in bronze.
14. List the handicrafts made by the ancient Chinese.
= Handicrafts such as lacquer, woodwork, lather processing, textiles, jade carvings, bronze objects and making gold and silver wares were also mastered by the Chinese.
15. Name the main countries with which ancient China had trade relations.
= The Chinese merchants traded with Japan, India, Egypt and Mesopotamia.
16. What are oracle bones?
= The most common example of early Chinese writings is found on the oracle bones, which were used for telling fortunes and keeping records in China.
VI. Write short notes.
1. Great Wall of China.
= The most spectacular and world famous Chinese architectural construction was the Great Wall of China. The construction of this wall began under emperor Shih-huang-ti, in the third century BCE and continued till the Ming Dynasty. Stretching approximately 6700 km from east to west of China, it is the world's largest military structure. It was built to protect the country from frequent barbarian attacks. Later rulers made the wall longer and stronger. Today, it is regarded as one of wonders of the world.
2. Buddhism in China :- Buddhism was first brought to China from India by missionaries and traders along the Silk Route that connected China with Europe, in the late Han Dynasty. Buddhism gradually became a popular religion in China because it was able to directly address the concept of human suffering. It also had a wide appeal for the Chinese people who were dealing with the chaos and disunity of the warring states contending for control after the fall of the Han Dynasty.
3. Chinese society :- The Chinese society was hierarchical, with the ruler or the emperor at the top. Nobles, merchants, artisans and farmers followed the emperor in hierarchical order. The slaves were at the bottom of the social hierarchy. The soldiers were feared and respected and enjoyed a special position in the Chinese society. The Chinese family was a close-knit group where the elder members of the family commanded respect from all other members. The Chinese also respected and feared their ancestors.
4. Chinese Script :- The early Chinese developed a complex form of writing based on pictograms and phonograms. The Chinese language did not have any letters, it used 40,000 word pictures. This made their script very complicated and difficult for the common people. So the masses in ancient China remained illiterate, while a small privileged group enjoyed learning. Writings have been found on stone, bronze, bamboo strips, silk, and later also on paper. For writing, the Chinese used fine brush, rather than pen.