Question 1

Which of the following stemmed from Empress Wu's attempts to secure her rule?
A) She expanded the military and recruited her administrators from the civil examination candidates.
B) She ordered scholars to write epic poems comparing her to military heroes from the past.
C) She destroyed the Confucian schools because they taught that women should be subordinate to men.
D) She sought to ban Buddhism from China because Buddhist monks rejected her authority.

Accepted Answer

Empress Wu expanded the military and recruited her administrators from the civil examination candidates in an attempt to secure her rule. She believed that the military's loyalty to her would help her maintain power, while selecting administrators through the civil examination system ensured that her government was staffed with competent and educated individuals.

Question 2

Which of the following crops imported to China during the Green Revolution led to hillside paddies with water-lifting devices?
A) Millet
B) New varieties of rice
C) Sweet potatoes
D) Citrus fruits

Accepted Answer

New varieties of rice, such as IR8, were introduced during the Green Revolution and required irrigation. Hillside paddies with water-lifting devices were developed to provide water to these new rice varieties. Millet, sweet potatoes, and citrus fruits were not as closely associated with the development of hillside paddies and water-lifting devices.

Question 3

In what way were the Yamato rulers of Japan bolstered by adopting Buddhism as the state religion?
A) By limiting the political power of Shinto priests
B) By linking the Yamato to a universalizing religion that stretched from India to Korea
C) By allowing the Yamato an entrance into the Silk Road trade system
D) By forcing Korea to recognize the Yamato as equals

Accepted Answer

By adopting Buddhism as the state religion, the Yamato rulers were able to link themselves to a universalizing religion that stretched from India to Korea, giving them a sense of connectedness with other powerful kingdoms in the region. This lent them legitimacy, and the adoption of Buddhist values and practices helped to bolster their rule.

Question 4

What was the role of the eunuch bureaucracy in the Tang dynasty?
A) It was responsible for keeping the emperor's household fed and cleaned.
B) It mediated between the emperor and the provincial governments.
C) It was limited by military officers who refused to work with them.
D) It had very little respect because the eunuchs were not considered to be true men.

Accepted Answer

The eunuch bureaucracy in Tang dynasty played a crucial role in mediating between the emperor and the provincial governments. They acted as a liaison between the central government and the local governance system. They were responsible for maintaining law and order, ensuring justice, collecting taxes, and providing assistance to the people in distress. They also played a significant role in maintaining communication and diplomatic relations with foreign empires. The eunuch bureaucracy was quite powerful during the Tang dynasty, and they enjoyed the emperor's trust and confidence until the An Lushan Rebellion.

Question 5

What did the Tang gain by dismantling Buddhist landholdings and monasteries?
A) The Tang ensured that no religion would rival its power.
B) The Tang created new prose styles to mark their rejection of the past.
C) The Tang gained the trust of the Muslim merchants on the Silk Road.
D) The Tang created religious homogeneity in China under Daoism.

Accepted Answer

By dismantling Buddhist landholdings and monasteries, the Tang dynasty ensured that no religion would rival its power, consolidating political control over the region. This action was not taken to create new prose styles, gain the trust of Muslim merchants, or promote religious homogeneity under Daoism.

Question 6

What was an important effect of the reforms instituted by Nakatomi no Kamatari?
A) The power of the ruler was enhanced by exalting the emperor under the mandate of heaven.
B) The clan chief embraced Buddhist ideals on the proper role of the state.
C) Shintoism was instituted a single state religion,and other religious practices were outlawed.
D) Confucian models of government were rejected as too binding on imperial expressions of power.

Accepted Answer

Nakatomi no Kamatari is credited with instituting the Taika Reforms in 645, which aimed to centralize power under the emperor and establish a stronger, more centralized government in Japan. This included reforms to the legal system, taxation, and land distribution. By exalting the emperor under the mandate of heaven, Nakatomi no Kamatari enhanced the power of the ruler and paved the way for a more centralized imperial system.

Question 7

Which of the following characterized Charlemagne's rule?
A) His empire was smaller in both population and wealth compared to regimes of the Islamic world.
B) He ruled for fewer than twenty years but managed to halt the slave trade.
C) His empire incorporated much of the old Byzantine Empire.
D) He introduced to Europe an urban-based culture that valued educated citizens over warriors.

Accepted Answer

Charlemagne's empire, while significant in size and influence in Europe, was smaller in both population and wealth compared to the expansive and rich Islamic caliphates of the same period.

Question 8

Which of the following accurately describes the impact of the arrival of a clan of warlike Koreans in southern Japan?
A) Social equality became a distinctive characteristic of the "Tomb Culture" society.
B) Japanese clans prevented more Korean immigrants from coming to the islands.
C) Women had little or no power as Japan imported patriarchal culture from India.
D) The ruling Yamato clan incorporated both Korean migrants and native Japanese kinship groups.

Accepted Answer

The arrival of the warlike Koreans led to the emergence of the Yamato clan as a ruling power in Japan. The Yamato clan incorporated both Korean migrants and native Japanese kinship groups, leading to the development of a centralized state. This also gave rise to a distinct Japanese culture, which was a blend of Korean and native Japanese cultures.

Question 9

Which of the following illustrates the relationship between the Silla state in Korea and the Tang Empire?
A) The Tang engaged in constant warfare with the Silla.
B) The Tang borrowed a new form of Buddhism from the Silla.
C) The Silla modeled their capital city on the Tang capital at Chang'an.
D) The Silla refused to send tribute to the Tang.

Accepted Answer

The Silla state in Korea modeled their capital city, Gyeongju, on the Tang capital at Chang'an, indicating that they admired and looked up to the Tang Empire as a model for their own state. There is no evidence of constant warfare or refusal to send tribute, and while the Tang did have some influence on the spread of Buddhism in Korea, there is no evidence of the Tang borrowing a new form of Buddhism from the Silla.

Question 10

What technological advantage led to the Vikings' successful conquests and trade?
A) Sophisticated ships that could travel up rivers and across open ocean waters
B) Superior metallurgy techniques that produced stronger and more durable weapons
C) The ingestion of medicinal herbs that eliminated pain during battle
D) The development of gunpowder technologies that they had learned from merchants along the Silk Road

Accepted Answer

The Vikings' success in conquests and trade was largely due to their advanced shipbuilding technology. Their ships were versatile and able to navigate both rivers and open sea, allowing them to expand their territory and establish trade routes.

Question 11

What was the reaction of the Tang when the rise of Islam threatened the Silk Road?
A) The Tang emperors expanded their military presence in Central Asia to protect trade and the lucrative taxes it produced.
B) The Tang dynasty found itself financially strapped and unable to support all of its military and political commitments.
C) Tang merchants instead focused on developing domestic markets between eastern and western China.
D) Tang merchants formed a "silk road by the sea" using southern Chinese ports.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was the reaction of the Tang...

Question 12

Which of the following accurately demonstrates the cosmopolitan nature of Tang China?
A) Buddhism was imported into China from Japan through Korea.
B) The Inner Asian state of Annam sent tribute in the form of women and blood horses to China.
C) Buddhism and new ideas in medicine and mathematics were imported from India.
D) Chinese methods of governance reflected Abbasid influence.

Accepted Answer

Buddhism, along with new ideas in medicine and mathematics, were imported from India, demonstrating the cosmopolitan nature of Tang China. Option A only mentions the transfer of Buddhism, but does not demonstrate the cosmopolitan nature of Tang China as a whole. Option B only refers to tribute from a nearby state and does not reflect the internationally diverse culture of Tang China. Option D references an influence from the Abbasid Empire, which was not a significant relationship during the Tang Dynasty.

Question 13

On what did day-to-day control of the Tang Empire rest?
A) A common spoken language that united the Chinese people
B) A shared spiritual commitment to monastic Buddhism
C) An efficient,loyal civil service versed in Confucian political culture
D) A rejection of foreign cultural and religious influences

Accepted Answer

The Tang Empire was known for its efficient and loyal civil service that was well-versed in Confucian political culture. This civil service helped to maintain day-to-day control of the empire. While there was a common spoken language (Mandarin) and Buddhism was popular during this time, they did not hold as much influence over the day-to-day control of the empire as the civil service did. Additionally, the Tang Empire was actually characterized by its openness to foreign cultural and religious influences, so D is also not a correct answer.

Question 14

Which of the following is an accurate description of life in the Tang capital Chang'an?
A) The population reached nearly one hundred thousand.
B) It was one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
C) Inhabitants were free to roam the city streets at all hours of the day and night.
D) It had a large foreign population,including Christians,Buddhists,and Zoroastrians.

Accepted Answer

Chang'an was a cosmopolitan city with a large foreign population, including Christians, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians, due to its position as a major trade hub on the Silk Road.

Question 15

Who was the Christian bishop who argued that the "City of God" was represented by the universal Catholic Church?
A) Ambrose of Milan
B) Augustine of Hippo
C) Thomas Aquinas
D) Clement of Alexandria

Accepted Answer

Augustine of Hippo argued that the "City of God" was represented by the universal Catholic Church.

Question 16

European historians who recognize the political and cultural continuation between Rome and its successor states prefer which of the following terms for the period from 400 CE to 1000 CE in Western Europe?
A) The Dark Ages
B) The Byzantine Age
C) Late Antiquity
D) Romanesque

Accepted Answer

"Late Antiquity" is the most appropriate term for the period from 400 CE to 1000 CE in Western Europe as it recognizes the continuity between the Roman Empire and its successor states. The term "Dark Ages" is considered outdated and carries a negative connotation of a period with no progress or knowledge. "Byzantine Age" refers specifically to the Eastern Roman Empire, and "Romanesque" describes a later architectural style and is not a term for the entire period.

Question 17

In what way was the Tang military in China similar to that of Islamic forces?
A) Both consisted of large groups of highly trained infantry.
B) Both reduced the size of the empire to more defensible borders.
C) Both relied upon pastoral nomadic soldiers from the Inner Afro-Eurasian steppes.
D) Both rejected the use of cavalry because their enemies relied on it.

Accepted Answer

Both the Tang military in China and Islamic forces relied upon pastoral nomadic soldiers from the Inner Afro-Eurasian steppes. The Tang dynasty recruited large numbers of mounted troops from the Inner Asian steppes, including the Turkic Uighurs and the Tibetan Empire. Likewise, the Islamic forces relied heavily on nomadic cavalry, especially during the early Islamic expansion.

Question 18

What was the primary export commodity traded by the Franks?
A) Wool
B) Timber
C) Copper
D) Slaves

Accepted Answer

The Franks were known for trading slaves as a primary export commodity during the early medieval period.

Question 19

Muslim and Jewish religious leaders emphasized what they had in common with those around them.Which of the following reflects the view of Christians?
A) Many believed that those who were isolated from laypeople could best mediate between the believer and God.
B) An active life of ministering to the poor was preferred to copying sacred texts.
C) Frankish warrior society applauded the role of warrior monks such as the Knights Templar.
D) The monastic lifestyle offered similarities between the lives of Christian clerics and those of Jewish and Muslim religious leaders.

Accepted Answer

The statement reflects the view of Christian clerics during the medieval period, who believed in the importance of monasticism and the separation of the clergy from laypeople. They believed that those who were isolated from the secular world could best mediate between the believer and God. This was unlike the views of Muslim and Jewish religious leaders who emphasized commonalities with those around them.

Question 20

The economic achievements of the Tang Dynasty were enhanced by which of the following?
A) Establishing large privately-owned plantations to grow cotton and silk
B) Limiting trade on the Silk Road to concentrate on the local handicraft market
C) Using the Grand Canal and Yangzi River to aid transportation and communication
D) Focusing on the iron and silver trade with Japan

Accepted Answer

The Tang Dynasty benefitted greatly from the use of the Grand Canal and Yangzi River for transportation and communication, enabling the efficient movement of goods and people within the empire. A, B, and D are incorrect because the Tang Dynasty did not establish large privately-owned plantations, did not limit trade on the Silk Road, and did not focus solely on the iron and silver trade with Japan.

Quiz 9: New Empires and Common Cultures 600-1000 Ce

Which of the following stemmed from Empress Wu's attempts to secure her rule?

Which of the following crops imported to China during the Green Revolution led to hillside paddies with water-lifting devices?

In what way were the Yamato rulers of Japan bolstered by adopting Buddhism as the state religion?

What was the role of the eunuch bureaucracy in the Tang dynasty?

What did the Tang gain by dismantling Buddhist landholdings and monasteries?

What was an important effect of the reforms instituted by Nakatomi no Kamatari?

Which of the following characterized Charlemagne's rule?

Which of the following accurately describes the impact of the arrival of a clan of warlike Koreans in southern Japan?

Which of the following illustrates the relationship between the Silla state in Korea and the Tang Empire?

What technological advantage led to the Vikings' successful conquests and trade?

What was the reaction of the Tang when the rise of Islam threatened the Silk Road?

Which of the following accurately demonstrates the cosmopolitan nature of Tang China?

On what did day-to-day control of the Tang Empire rest?

Which of the following is an accurate description of life in the Tang capital Chang'an?

Who was the Christian bishop who argued that the "City of God" was represented by the universal Catholic Church?

European historians who recognize the political and cultural continuation between Rome and its successor states prefer which of the following terms for the period from 400 CE to 1000 CE in Western Europe?

In what way was the Tang military in China similar to that of Islamic forces?

What was the primary export commodity traded by the Franks?

Muslim and Jewish religious leaders emphasized what they had in common with those around them.Which of the following reflects the view of Christians?

The economic achievements of the Tang Dynasty were enhanced by which of the following?