152 Quiz on Chinese History

Why did Emperor Yongle purge Confucian officials and move the capital from Nanjing to Dadu/Beijing?

• Because he hated Confucian scholars and thought that they would not follow him north to Dadu.

• To erase the memory of his rebellion and gain a fresh start as emperor.

• Because he preferred Mongol culture to that of China.

• Because he wanted to claim to be a Mongol emperor and use that to conquer the world.

The Yuan Dynasty was the first time that China was

• without an emperor

• controlled by foreigners

• the ruler of the world

• a prosperous state

How was the Confucian civil service potentially more effective than rule by hereditary nobles?

• Confucius was the most effective ruler of China who ever existed and his civil service was the model for all of China.

• Since Confucian Scholars were elected, it was a stable system that allowed the people to be in control of China.

• It meant that the empire was run by educated administrators and magistrates rather than by random rulers who achieved power by conquest or inheritance.

• Hereditary nobles' civil service was only around for as long as the noble lived and so changed all the time.

What were the five basic virtues on which Confucianism focused?

• anger, willingness to fight for China, desire to overcome selfishness, Buddha-nature, love of reading

• peacefulness, openness to criticism, dedication to body health, weightlifting, manual labor

• seriousness, studiousness, wealth, joyousness, compassion

• seriousness, generosity, sincerity, diligence, kindness

In what year did Genghis Khan establish the Yuan Dynasty?

• 1271

• 1169

• 1745

• 1661

Why did Emperor Yongle send Admiral Zheng He to explore and trade in the Indian Ocean and not the Pacific Ocean?

• The focus on the Indian Ocean was a strategic decision to counterbalance the growing influence of other maritime powers in the region, such as the Arabs and Persians.

• Emperor Yongle's primary goal was to demonstrate China's power and prestige, and the Indian Ocean, with its established trade routes and diverse cultures, provided a more suitable stage for this purpose.

• The Ming dynasty had already established strong trade networks and diplomatic ties with countries in the Pacific region, making exploration and expansion there unnecessary.

• The Pacific Ocean was perceived as a vast, unknown expanse with limited potential for trade or diplomatic relations compared to the Indian Ocean.

• Emperor Yongle was primarily interested in expanding trade and diplomatic relations with established civilizations in the Indian Ocean region, which were known to possess valuable resources and markets.

What was one result of China's decision to leave the Indian Ocean trade?

• It stopped the development of sailing technology in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.

• It opened the doors for other groups to enter the Indian Ocean.

• It ended the Indian Ocean trade since the main buyer, China, was gone.

• It freed all of the South Asian people that China had conquered.

What were three main positive and negative results of the Mongol conquest of China?

• The Mongol conquest of China led to a period of great cultural and economic prosperity, with the Yuan Dynasty establishing a unified and stable empire. Chinese technology and inventions were widely adopted by other cultures, and trade flourished along the Silk Road.

• The Mongol conquest had little impact on China, as the Mongols quickly adopted Chinese culture and governance. The Yuan Dynasty focused on internal development and isolationism, leading to limited cultural exchange and economic growth.

• China was exposed to foreign cultures, the Mongols exposed the West to Chinese culture; the Silk Route created a global trading system, but China's economy was devastated by the global trade, ethnic Chinese resented the Mongol conquest, and trade along the Silk Route also spread diseases both East and West.

• The Mongol conquest of China resulted in a rapid decline of Chinese civilization, with the destruction of major cities and the loss of countless lives. The Mongols imposed harsh rule, suppressing Chinese culture and hindering economic development.

The Yuan Dynasty exposed China to foreign cultures and their knowledge. From the Islamic World, the Chinese learned (select as many answers as are correct):

• mathematics

• astronomy

• medicine

• textiles

• cartography

How did China's Emperor Yongle, the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, gain his throne?

• He defeated a new invasion by the Mongols, and was acclaimed emperor by the people of China.

• When Ming Hongwu died, he inherited the throne.

• He overthrew his nephew in 1402 and declared himself emperor.

• He used his private army to conquer China from his nephew after the first emperor died.