Grade-11 (English) Unit-4 History and Culture- Qin Dynasty- by Gabriel Peralta (Part-I)
Grade-11 (English) Unit-4 History and Culture- Qin Dynasty- by Gabriel Peralta (Part-I)
Qin Dynasty- Gabriel Peralta
— The Qin Dynasty has a short duration (221-206 BCE) but
very significant in Chinese history.
— It followed the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE) and it
ended when Liu Bang became the king of Han in 206 BCE (the formal beginning of
Han Dynasty).
— The name “China” is derived from the name Qin which
also known as “Ch’in”.
— China was involved in a endless conflict between the
various regions for supreme control of the country known as The Warring States
Period (426-221 BCE).
— A series of victories by Qin Empire ended the Warring States Period
resulting their complete conquest of China in 221BCE and unified China for the
first time in its history.
Origin of the Qin Kingdom:
Ø During the Zhou Dynasty, China was never a
unified kingdom rather it practised feudalism in medieval Europe, known as
feudal age.
Ø Around 771BCE, a barbarian invasion drove the Zhou
rulers eastwards and at the time Qin occupied the original Zhou domains which
flourished their marriage relations and huge estates to the chief of Qin, a
pivotal event for Qin Empire (-
benefits of favourable location).
Ø The state of Qin and Chu were the two strongest states
being able to command vast resources.
Ø Qin army and their ruthless in battle gave them
victory over other state.
Ø Ying Zheng, King of the Qin emerged victorious from
the Warring States Period and proclaimed
himself Shi Huangdi- ‘ First Emperor’ – of China in 221 BCE unified one-third
of all the land under cultivation and one-third of total population of China.
Achievements in the Qin Dynasty:
Ø The practice of Legalism reached in its peak in
Chinese history.
Ø Farmers were freed from serfdom and Shi Huangdi
reduced the power of autocracy.
Ø People bore collective responsibility for each
other.
Ø Fear and control were the key features of this political system.
Ø Those who contributed the most to the state were
highly rewarded and others were meaningless and sent to work as slaves on
Shi Huangdi’s building projects such as
the Great Wall of China, the Grand Canal and the roads.
Ø Legalism suppressed scholarship and denied
literacy thinking that uneducated people were easy to control over burning
of books on a large scale.
Ø Though Legalism was hated by many, it helped to create
a superior army, a disciplined bureaucracy,
an obedient populace and the unquestioned authority of a strong central
government and is still maintained in some form today.
Ø The harsh Legalism was glossed over a different name
and, quite often, as Confucianism.
The End of the Qin Empire
— Emperor Shi Huangdi died in the year 210 BCE with
constant fear of assassination but the cause of his death is still unknown.
— Li Siu, the then prime minister placed Hu Hai( the
weak son of Shi Huangdi) on the throne
but people of China grew bolder and revolt started.
— Through a series of uprisings and rebel alliances, the
Qin authority was overthrown in the year 206 BCE in the capital of Xianyang.
— Liu Bang emerged as victorious and founded the Han
Dynasty.
Legacy of the Qin Dynasty:
Ø Legalism had a lasting effect on the entirely of Chinese history and its policies are still
in practice in China.
Ø Qin dynasty left a wonder of ancient artwork:
Ø The Terracotta Army in Xi’an- this tomb reflects the
character of the Chinese emperor and his unending desire to be immortal.
Ø The most famous legacy of Qin is The Great Wall of
China. Although the present structure
does not date from the Qin Dynasty, it was begun under Shi Huangdi, as was the
Grand canal, and the roads which today link the cities of china and the country
side.
|
a.
Brevity b.
Conquest c.
Resemblance d.
Barbarian e. Ally f.
Nobility g.
Ruthlessness h.
Decimation i. Harsh j. elixir |
i.
The state of being alike
ii.
A member of an uncivilized group of people
or culture.
iii.
State of being noble in
character, quality, or rank
iv.
Liquid that is believed to
care all ills
v.
Lasting only for a short
time
vi.
Cruel vii.
Victory over a place or
people by use of military force. viii.
The killing or destruction
of a large number of a population
ix.
Character of having no
pity or compassion x.
One state united to
another by a treaty or a league for a military purpose |
f.-iii g.-vi h.-viii i.-ix j.-iv
B. Find the
following words in the text and use them in sentences of your own.
a.
Invasion
(attack)- The terrorists invasion had
great impacts in the nation.
b.
Disregard ( to
ignore sth.)- The government’s
disregard for the needs of disabled people is outrageous.
c.
Paramount
(supreme/chief/highest)- His
happiness was of paramount importance.
d.
Populace (inhabitants/common
people)- After the royal wedding, the
excited populace followed the newlyweds carriage to the palace.
e.
Revolt (rebel)-The peasants’ revolt was crushed by the government.
f.
Assassination(murder/hanged)- He was in constant fear of assassination and
distrusted everyone in the palace.
g. Serfdom (slave)- Serfdom was abolished in document in 1819 AD.
— address(n): the location of a house
— adDRESS(v): to speak a group of people
— Decrease(n): reduction in the amount of something
— deCREASE(v): to become smaller in amount
— PREsent(n): a gift
— preSENT(v): to give something formally
— PROtest(n): objection to something by an organised group of people
— proTEST(v): to challenge or dispute
— RECord(n): a written account of information
— reCORD(v): to keep or store information for future use
v Homographs: Homographs are the words with different pronunciations and different meanings but same spellings. However, the words here have a change in the word stress often causing in the vowel sounds.
Grade-11 (English) Unit-4 History and Culture - Qin Dynasty - by Gabriel Peralta (Part-II)
Comprehension
A. Complete the table with the correct information from the text.
a. Qin Dynasty Period b. Zhou Dynasty Period c. Warring States Period d. Unification of China by Qin e. First Emperor of Qin Dynasty f. Death of Shi Huangdi g. Liu Bang Period | Ø 221-206 BCE Ø 1046-256 BCE Ø 426-221 BCE Ø 221 BCE Ø Shi Huangdi Ø 210 BCE Ø 247-195 BCE |
B. Answer these questions.
a. Why is the Zhu Age is called a feudal age?
Ø The Zhu Age is called a feudal age because it bore a strong resemblance to some of the forms of feudalism.
b. What is the location advantage of Qin?
Ø The location advantage of Qin means it was safe enough from invasion as guarded by mountains and gorges in the east.
c. What contributed to the success in the warfare as described in the war?
Ø The size of the Qin army and their expert use of the chariot contributed to their success in the warfare as described in the war.
d. Why did the Qin invite the foreign advisor, Shang Yang?
Ø The Qin invited the foreign advisor, Shang Yang to renovate the policies of government.
e. What were the key features of the Qin Political system?
Ø Fear and Control were the key features of the Qin Political system.
f. How were the people treated during the Qin Period?
Ø People who contributed to the states were highly rewarded while others were sent to work on Shi Huangdi’s building projects.
g. Why did Shi Huangdi stop educating ordinary people?
Ø Shi Huangdi stopped educating ordinary people believing that uneducated people were easier to control.
h. What did the Qin achieve by the Legalism in practice?
Ø The Qin achieved efficiency and strength of the state by the legalism in practice.
i. Why did Shi Huangdi never sleep in the same room for two consecutive nights ?
Ø Shi Huangdi never slept in the same room for two consecutive nights because of constant fear of assassination.
j. What are the everlasting marks of the Qin Dynasty?
Ø Legalistic policies and The Great Wall of China were the everlasting marks of the Qin Dynasty.
Critical Thinking:
a. The Great Wall and the Taj Mahal are the creation of the autocratic rulers. Present your view for or against this statement.
Ø Obviously, The Great Wall and Taj Mahal are the creation of the autocratic rulers because such grand constructions are not in possibility by common men as they huge number of labourers and vast amount of raw materials and a large span of time to be constructed which is beyond the thoughts of common citizens.
Ø The construction of the wall started during the Qin dynasty at 221 BC. The emperor Qin Shih Huang aimed at protecting china from invaders who regularly attacked Chinese farming villages. The wall started deteriorating with the passage of time because of natural disasters, strong winds dusts and storms. It was constructed again in the 15th century by Emperor Meng Tien. Many people died during the construction of the wall, people who constructed the wall were treated inhumanly and were not even allowed to take rest during the construction of the wall. It is said that their bodies were sealed inside the Great Wall of China.
Ø The renowned Taj Mahal was brought to life by the vision of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. He got this monument built for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal after she passed away. To honor the memory of his loving wife, Shah Jahan ordered the finest artisans from all over the world to build it. He wanted to make something that had never been done before for anyone. The emperor wished to give the last gift to his wife whom he loved very much. They began constructing it in 1630 and it finally got completed in a time span of almost 20 years. Shah Jahan rejected numerous designs before finally settling on the present structure of the Taj Mahal. The walls of the monument are engraved with quite expensive stones.
Ø Above all, such grand contractions are the beyond the imagination of the common citizens of the world.
b. How do you describe the pros and cons of feudalism?
— Feudalism is a system of government which is divided into different ruling regions with a noble ruler in each ruling its entity.
v What Are the Pros of Feudalism?
— 1. It is a very self-sufficient system of governing.
Each area had its own rulers assigned to it. Each ruler had their own classes of people in the region, from workers to soldiers, that helped to provide for each other.
— 2. It provided a system of co-existence.
For co-existence, the nobles gave exchange which wished them to live without much interference beyond their duties to the region.
— 3. It allowed for a simplistic chain of command.
Decrees were Issued from the top and implemented on the way down.
— 4. Land management was incredibly easy.
Regions were more productive overall because instead of worrying about ownership, the lands could just be managed by the working class and maintained by the noble class.
— What Are the Cons of Feudalism?
— 1. It was easy to abuse the power given.
Because the chain of command started at the very top, the power of that position made it easy to abuse everyone else within that region. This could make life very difficult for the working classes.
— 2. One bad reason could end everything.
If there was one bad growing system in a region, then the entire ruling system in that area could come tumbling down.
— 3. It was a very isolated existence.
Most people in a feudalism system would rarely travel outside of their region. Suspicion was everywhere.
— 4. Freedoms that were obtained were very rarely free.
In order for the working class to gain access to land to work or own, they had to pledge their support to their noble, their king, or both. If there wasn’t enough money available to pay the needed taxation, then they could lose their land, be thrown into prison, or even executed.
— The pros and cons of feudalism make it difficult to say whether it is a beneficial or detrimental system of ruling. Much depended on how it was implemented and what the ethics of the nobility happened to be. Eventually people want something more valuable than land for their services and that is what causes feudalism to break down.
Writing:
a. Write an email to your friend living abroad stating the contributions of Prithvi Narayan Shah in the unification of Nepal.
b. The table shows the major political movements in Nepal after the end of Rana Regime. Write a paragraph of each event with their contributions in the landscape of Nepal.
S.N. | Political Movement | Year (A.D.) |
1. | Establishment of Democracy | 1951 |
2. | First General Election | 1959 |
3. | Dismissal of Elected Government | 1960 |
4. | National Referendum | 1980 |
5. | People’s Movement I | 1990 |
6. | People’s Movement II | 2006 |
B. Complete the texts below using the correct past forms of the verbs from the brackets. (v2)
a. The Maya established a very advanced civilisation in the jungles of the Yucatan. However, their culture …..(disappear) by the time Europeans first….(arrive) in the New World.- had disappeared/ arrived
b. When I…. (turn) on the radio yesterday, I ….(hear) a song that was popular when I …..(be) at the basic level of my study. It …..(take) me back to some old memories.- turned-heard-took
c. I was looking for a job. I …..(apply) for a job last week. Fortunately, I …..(get) it and now I am a job holder.- applied- got
C. Choose the correct words from the list and complete the sentences with the correct verb form.
Teach write see get up throw cost
a. Newton…… an apple falling from the tree.
b. Ramesh Bikal ……. many popular stories.
c. My jacket is expensive. It ……me Rs. 5000.
d. She ……early in the morning yesterday.
e. When I was small, my father ……me at home.
f. Why did you ……the cap away?
Answer:
a. saw b. wrote c. cost d. got up e. taught f. throw
D.Put the verb into the correct form and complete the sentences.
a. I went to see the film, but I …..it. (not/enjoy)
b. I …..Rojina in town in a few days ago. (meet)
c. It was very warm, so I ….my coat. (take off)
d. Though the bed was very comfortable, I …..very well. (not/sleep)
e. I …..new job last week. (start)
f. He ….too busy in the office yesterday.(be)
g. Nita ……her to the party, but she didn’t come. (invite)
e. started f. was g. invited
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