212 China's Mandate of Heaven

Dynastic Rule in China lasted from 150 BCE - (a)   CE.

True or False: A dynasty, or ruling family, typically ended because of war or rebellion.

• True

• False

Historians think the Zhou Dynasty invented the Mandate of Heaven to overthrow the (a)   Dynasty.

True / False : The Chinese believed that a ruler would keep the Mandate of Heaven forever.

• True

• False

John Green says, "The accomplishment of the Qin was to re-unify China under a single emperor for the first time in 500 years, ending the warring states period. As you can imagine, the making of that particular omelette required the cracking of quite a few eggs, and the great Qin emperor Qin Shi Huangdi and his descendants developed a reputation for brutality that was justified."

What did he mean by his omlette comment?

• He meant that unifying China was an easy process, just like making an omelet.

• He was saying that achieving a major goal often requires making sacrifices, just like breaking eggs to make an omelet.

• He was suggesting that the Qin dynasty focused on cooking and food rather than warfare.

• He meant that the Qin dynasty ruled peacefully without causing harm to its people.

True or False: Part of the reason Confucianism is so important in Chinese history is because Chinese history was written by Confucian scholars.

• True

• False