Ch 4 Check for Understanding

How did the Ming Dynasty come to power?

• The dynasty arose from the artisan revolt to gain more power than they had under the Yuan Dynasty.

• The dynasty arose because the Ming leaders were fierce Mongol fighters.

• The dynasty arose because the Ming military leaders overthrew the Yuan scholar-officials.

• The dynasty arose from the disorder and weakening of the Yuan Dynasty.

Why were the voyages of Zheng He important?

• They showed that Ming forces could prevent Mongol invasions by cutting off their sea route into China even though the Mongol people had a stronger military.

• They showed that people could explore areas beyond the Great Wall even though it served as a land barrier.

• They showed that Ming people were interested in trade and controlling more territory even though they turned to isolationism.

• They showed that the Ming Dynasty would allow their enemies like Zheng He to leave the country even though they were strong rulers.

How did the Ming Dynasty’s government differ from the Yuan Dynasty’s government?

• The Ming government gave scholar-officials more power than military officials.

• The Ming government abandoned the hereditary status system.

• The Ming government discontinued civil service exams

• The Ming government put Mongol people in charge of the military.

What was the main purpose of moving the capital from Nanjing to Beijing during the Ming Dynasty?

• to move the capital to a seaport to improve access to trade goods

• to move the capital to the home of the scholar-officials

• to move the capital to a city known for art and culture

• to move the capital closer to the Mongol threat

How did the design of this building project contribute to the Ming Dynasty’s power?

• It gave all citizens a shared space for making offerings to their gods.

• It gave scholar-officials an inner court they could use to study quietly for their exams.

• It separated the military from the artisan class and gave the artisans a private place to work.

• It separated the rulers from the ruled and gave the rulers a sense of importance and mystery.

Match the following sentence to the word that completes it.

• Painting

• During the Ming Dynasty, __________ was often done in the Song Dynasty style.

• Literature

• Some pieces of popular __________ during the Ming Dynasty were adaptations of ancient stories or oral traditions.

• Drama

• Kunju was a new form of __________ introduced during the Ming Dynasty.

• Pottery

• Ming Dynasty __________ is still famous around the world today for its beauty.

Why did the Ming rulers rebuild and improve the Great Wall?

• to honor the sun

• to provide an inner and outer court

• to protect against the Mongol threat

• to use local materials such as limestone

Why did the treasure ship voyages end after Zheng He’s death?

• The rulers decided that they would use the treasure ships to move troops instead.

• The rulers decided that they did not want to share too much of China’s culture with the world.

• The rulers decided that the ships had achieved their goal of bringing great wealth to China and were no longer needed.

• The rulers decided that they were more likely to face attacks from the North and needed to focus resources on land defenses.