Question 1

In 1280 Khubilai Khan proclaimed the _________ dynasty.

Accepted Answer

In 1280, Khubilai Khan proclaimed the Yuan dynasty, marking the beginning of Mongol rule over China.

Question 2

The need for bureaucratic and socioeconomic reform spurred the Song official ________________ to propose a series of initiatives aimed at increasing state control over the economy and reducing the power of local interests.

Accepted Answer

Wang Anshi was a Song Dynasty official known for initiating major reforms aimed at strengthening the central government and implementing economic policies to increase state control over the economy, which included measures to break the power of wealthy landowners.

Question 3

With the arrival of the Song dynasty, China would become a religious civilization in which its people reemphasized the indigenous traditions of _______________________, with elements of Buddhism on a more reduced level.

Accepted Answer

The Song dynasty saw a reemphasis on indigenous Chinese traditions, particularly Confucianism and Daoism, while incorporating elements of Buddhism, albeit to a lesser extent. Mazdaism, Zurvanism, Jainism, Asceticism, Legalism, and Maoism are not the primary indigenous traditions focused on during the Song dynasty.

Question 4

The most momentous invention to emerge from the Song era was:

Accepted Answer

Gunpowder was the most momentous invention to emerge from the Song era, significantly impacting military technology and warfare.

Question 5

After several centuries of southward expansion by Muslim sultanates in north and central India, a new Hindu state emerged in 1336 with the founding of the city of ____________ or "City of Victory."

Accepted Answer

Vijayanagar was the new Hindu state that emerged in 1336, known as the "City of Victory," marking a significant point in South Indian history amidst the expansion of Muslim sultanates.

Question 6

"Neo-Confucianism" was the name given to the new synthesis of official beliefs blending the ideas of:

Accepted Answer

Neo-Confucianism is a philosophical movement that sought to reinterpret traditional Confucian ideas through the lens of Daoist and Buddhist concepts, leading to a synthesis that emphasized ethics, metaphysics, and the nature of reality.

Question 7

___________________ is the man credited with founding the Muslim state of Delhi, which would later survive under the name of the "Sultanate of Delhi."

Accepted Answer

Muhammad of Ghur is credited with laying the foundation of the Muslim state in India that eventually became known as the Delhi Sultanate, after his conquests in the Indian subcontinent.

Question 8

Like the Tang, the Song instituted a strong central government based on _______ rather than heredity.

Accepted Answer

The Song Dynasty, like the Tang before it, emphasized a merit-based system for its bureaucratic and governmental structure, relying on civil service exams to select officials.

Question 9

The following was a characteristic feature of Tang poetry:

Accepted Answer

Tang poetry is renowned for its structured forms, and the five-character eight-line regulated verse is a characteristic feature of this era. This form, also known as "lüshi," required strict tonal patterns and parallelism, showcasing the poets' skill in adhering to complex rules while expressing profound meanings.

Question 10

The widow of a ruler in a monarchical or imperial system in which succession is normally through the male line is referred to as a(n) _______________.

Accepted Answer

An Empress dowager is the widow of an emperor, which fits the description of a widow in a monarchical or imperial system where succession is typically male-oriented.

Question 11

In 1398, one of the last great invasions of central Asian nomads under the leadership of ______, descended on northern India and southwest Asia.

Accepted Answer

Timur, also known as Tamerlane, led one of the last great invasions of central Asian nomads into northern India and southwest Asia in 1398.

Question 12

The unification of various Mongol groups under ________, also known as Genghis Khan, led a steady invasion on China which, under his grandson Khubilai Khan, would ultimately bring an end to the Song Dynasty.

Accepted Answer

Temujin is the birth name of Genghis Khan, who unified the Mongol tribes and initiated the Mongol invasions that resulted in the conquest of much of Eurasia, including China.

Question 13

While China boasted some of the world's largest cities, more than 85 percent of the country remained rural from the period from the Song to the Ming, with the __________________ at the top of the local structure of power and influence, a hierarchy reinforced by an array of sumptuary laws.

Accepted Answer

The scholar-gentry class was at the top of the local structure of power and influence in China from the Song to the Ming dynasty. This class was made up of educated individuals who had passed the civil service examinations. They played a key role in governance and administration, reinforcing their status through sumptuary laws that regulated the consumption of luxury goods and the display of wealth according to one's social status.

Question 14

Which of the following is not true of Sikhism?

Accepted Answer

Sikhism, while emphasizing peace and tolerance, has a history of martial tradition and has been involved in various confrontations, notably against Mughal rule in India and, in more recent times, with the Indian government. This martial aspect contradicts the notion of it becoming a "peaceful non-confrontational faith."

Question 15

At the height of the __________ dynasty, Buddhist influence at the imperial court made China a Buddhist empire.

Accepted Answer

During the Tang dynasty, Buddhism reached its peak of influence in China, with significant support and patronage from the imperial court, making it a period where China could be considered a Buddhist empire.

Question 16

While China fortified its borders and reinstated political systems that had been dismantled by the Mongols, it also had to contend with a sharp drop in population due to warfare and the lingering effects of ______________ that ravaged the country in the 1340s.

Accepted Answer

The sharp drop in population in China during the 1340s was primarily due to the bubonic plague, part of the pandemic known as the Black Death that affected large parts of the world.

Question 17

The "____________," a nickname given to Zhu, took the imperial name of "Hongwu" and spent much of his time driving the remaining Mongols out of his empire.

Accepted Answer

The correct nickname given to Zhu, who took the imperial name of "Hongwu," is "Pig Emperor." This nickname is associated with his humble beginnings before he rose to power and founded the Ming Dynasty, driving the Mongols out of China.

Question 18

The ______________ was a select group of senior officials who served as an advisory board to the Ming emperor on all imperial matters.

Accepted Answer

The Grand Secretariat was the highest institution in the Ming dynasty, serving as the emperor's advisory board on all imperial matters.

Question 19

Tang efforts to control military outposts along the Silk Road brought the empire into conflict with ______________ by the early eighth century.

Accepted Answer

The Tang Dynasty came into conflict with Arab expansion during the early eighth century, particularly during the Battle of Talas in 751, which marked the halt of Chinese westward expansion and the beginning of the spread of Islam into Central Asia.

Question 20

The most extraordinary example of the contradictory Tang trends towards both greater restrictiveness and wider latitude in personal behavior was the Tang Empress ____________.

Accepted Answer

Wu Zetian is the correct answer because she was the only female emperor of China, ruling during the Tang dynasty, and her reign exemplifies the contradictory trends of the era towards both restrictiveness and greater personal freedom.

Quiz 12: Contrasting Patterns in India, China, and Inner Asia, 600-1600 C.E