| 1. |
Focus Question: What
were the chief characteristics of the Sung? |
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Into which two "phases" is the Sung divided? Why did China
after the T'ang not relapse into centuries of disunity? What led
to the decline of the aristocrats during the late T'ang? Which tax
was heaviest on the peasants during the T'ang? What changes benefitted
the cultivator? Why did the authority of the district magistrate
increase during the Sung? Who were members of the social-gentry
class? What changes contributed to the commercial revolution of the
Sung? Between 800 and 1100, what part of China grew the fastest,
and why? What commodity became the tax base of the Sung empire?
What were the principal technological advances of the Sung period?
What was the basis of exchange during the T'ang, during the Sung?
What spurred the demand for money? How did the nature of some cities
change during the Sung? What items were involved in interregional
trade? Whom did the Chinese merchants replace as the principle traders
in Chinese ports? What did the Chinese trade overseas and how extensive
was their trade network?
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| 2. |
Focus Question: How
did the Sung government differ from that of the T'ang? What the change? |
|
Why were Sung emperors able to be more autocratic? What monopolies
did the Sung emperors have? What percentage of the T’ang government
officials had risen from the examination system, what percentage of the
Sung officials? What elements made up the social triangular meritocracy
for the bureaucratic examination? Why didn’t the examination system
create a new, self-perpetuating aristocracy? How did Sung culture
differ from T'ang? Which dynasty do Chinese consider the peak of
their traditional culture? Over what issues did the governmental
conservatives and reformers contend? What was the crowning achievement
of Sung painting? What was the goal of Chinese painting?
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| 3. |
Focus Question: What
were the principle achievements of Sung culture? |
|
How did Sung culture differ from T'ang? Which dynasty do Chinese
consider the peak of their traditional culture? Over what issues
did the governmental conservatives and reformers contend? What was
the crowning achievement of Sung painting? What was the goal
of Chinese painting? Who was the Chinese "Thomas Aquinas" and what did
he do? What factors aided in maintaining Chinese continuity and impeded
change?
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| 4. |
Focus Question:
Who were the Mongols and how effect did they have upon Chinese and Western
history? |
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Which nomadic people created the world's
largest empire? How and where did the Mongols live? To which language family
does Mongol belong? What type of gods did they worship?
Why was blue their sacred color? Who was the founder of the Mongol
empire? How did the Mongols manage to conquer such a vast empire?
What two aspects of the Mongols are most often mentioned by their contemporaries?
How were tribal divisions overcome? Into how many parts was the empire
divided after the death of Genghis Khan? What was the ultimate goal
of the Mongol pursuit of hegemony? Why did the Mongols change their
tactics in northern China from looting? How did the Mongols manage
to rule China? How does Marco Polo describe the people of Hangchow?
What was the religious policy of the Mongols? Which religion did
they tend to favor? Why was Chinese high culture so little affected
by outside contacts during the Yuan? What was the major contribution
to Chinese arts during the Yuan? Why did the Yuan collapse?
What factors led to a divergence in development between Europe and China
after the sixth century?
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