Questions to Guide Your Reading

1. During China’s Neolithic Age, how did Longshan culture differ from Yangshao culture?
2. What kinds of evidence do we have to reconstruct the first dynasties in Chinese history–the Xia and Shang Dynasties? What can we learn from this evidence?
3. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, how did Zhou kings justify overthrowing the Shang
4. Dynasty, and how did they govern newly-conquered lands?
5. During the Warring States Period, how did the nature of warfare change, and how did the demands of that changing warfare reshape Zhou feudal states?
6. Explain the major ideas of Confucius.
7. Explain the major ideas and practices of Daoism.
8. Why was the Qin Dynasty so important to the history of China? What did the First Emperor of Qin accomplish?
9. Describe prominent features of Han Dynasty society and governing.
10. How did Buddhism become a major religious tradition in China?
11. How was state development in Korea and Japan differently impacted by China?
12. What were the foundations of Tang Dynasty power in East Asia?
13. During the Song Dynasty, China was one of the most developed countries in the world. What features of that dynasty provide evidence supporting that judgment?
14. Describe the status of women during the Song Dynasty.
15. Explain the origins of the Yuan Dynasty and assess its impact on China.