Chapter 15

Workbook Answers

15.2 ~ The Government ofImperial China

15.2 The Government of Imperial China

• 1. According to the Mandate of Heaven, when can people overthrow the emperor?

• People can overthrow an emperor when he rules badly.

15.2 The Government of Imperial China

• 2. What is a bureaucracy? What happened when the bureaucracy in China became corrupt?

• A bureaucracy is an organized group of government officials. When the bureaucracy became corrupt, people suffered from high taxes, forced labor, and attacks by bandits.

15.2 The Government of Imperial China

• 3. What happened to China when the Han dynasty lost the Mandate of Heaven? Who reunited China?

• When the Han dynasty fell, China broke into separate kingdoms. It was reunited by the Sui dynasty.

15.3 ~ Aristocracy: The Tang Dynasty

15.3 Aristocracy: The Tang Dynasty

• 1. Who were scholar-officials?

• Scholar-officials were scholars who got government jobs through examinations.

15.3 Aristocracy: The Tang Dynasty

• 2. What was the examination for scholar-officials primarily based on?

• The examination was primarily based on the teachings of Confucius.

“Choose a job love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

15.3 Aristocracy: The Tang Dynasty

• 3. Why did aristocrats continue to hold most offices?

• Only the wealthy could afford the tutors, books, and time to study needed to prepare for the exams.

15.4 ~ Meritocracy: The Song Dynasty

15.4 Meritocracy: The Song Dynasty

• 1. According to emperors and scholars, knowledge of Confucius would produce what type of government official?

• Government officials who had studied Confucius would be rational, moral, and able to maintain order.

15.4 Meritocracy: The Song Dynasty

• 2. What new group of people was allowed to become government officials during the

Song period?

• People from lower classes were allowed to become government officials.

15.4 Meritocracy: The Song Dynasty

• 3. Why did people want government jobs?

• People wanted these jobs because government officials were respected and were excused from taxes and military service.

15.5 ~ Government by Foreigners:

The Period of Mongol Rule

15.5 Government by Foreigners: The Period of Mongol Rule

• 1. Whom did Kublai Khan choose to fill important government positions?

• He appointed relatives, other Mongols, and trusted foreigners.

15.5 Government by Foreigners: The Period of Mongol Rule

• 2. What happened to Chinese scholars during the Mongol rule?

• Chinese scholars worked only as teachers and minor government officials.

15.6 ~ The Revival of the Civil Service System

15.6 The Revival of the Civil Service System

• 1. How did hiring scholars help China?• Hiring scholars emphasized moral

behavior, justice, kindness, loyalty to the emperor, proper conduct, and the importance of family. It insured that officials were trained and talented, and it allowed the ambitious and hard working from all classes the chance to succeed.

15.6 The Revival of the Civil Service System

• 2. How did hiring scholars hurt China?

• People who knew science, mathematics, or engineering were kept out of government.

• Because Confucian scholars had little respect for merchants, trade and business were not encouraged.

Civil Service Exams by 1370

• Examinations lasted between 24 and 72 hours, conducted in spare, isolated examination rooms; sometimes, however, it was held within cubicles.

• The small rooms featured two boards which could be placed together to form a bed, or placed on different levels to serve as a desk and chair.

Civil Service Exams by 1370

• In order to obtain objectivity in evaluation, candidates were identified by number rather than name.

• Examination answers were recopied by a third person before being evaluated to prevent the candidate's handwriting from being recognized.