Glossary
Search through important words and ideas from the Han dynasty.
Acupuncture
A medical treatment using thin needles to help balance the body and treat illnesses.
Advisors
People who help the emperor make decisions.
Agrarian economy
An economy based on farming.
Ancestral rites
Ceremonies to honor family ancestors.
Archers
Soldiers who shoot with bows and arrows.
Artisans and craftsmen (Gong)
Skilled workers who made tools, weapons, and goods.
Balance of opposites
The idea that things like light and dark must stay in harmony.
Bronze
A metal used to make weapons, tools, and art.
Buddhism
A religion that teaches peace and escaping suffering.
Bureaucracy
A group of government officials who help run the empire.
Cartography
The study and making of maps.
Cavalry
Soldiers who fight on horseback.
Censorate
Officials who checked on government workers to stop corruption.
Centralized imperial monarchy
A government ruled by one emperor with most or all power.
Chancellor
The top advisor in charge of government business.
Chang’an
The capital city of the Han dynasty.
Civil administration
The government branch that manages everyday affairs.
Commanderies
Regions or districts within the empire.
Confucianism
A teaching that promotes respect, kindness, and order in society.
Corruption
Dishonest or unfair behavior by officials.
Counties
Small local districts under commanderies.
Crossbows
Powerful bows that shoot arrows using a trigger.
Culture and ideas
The beliefs, arts, and way of life during the Han.
Diplomacy
How a government manages relations with other countries.
Economy and trade
How people made money and exchanged goods, including farming and the Silk Road.
Emperor
The ruler of the Han dynasty.
Filial piety
Respect for parents and elders.
Formations
Arranged groups of soldiers used in battle.
Fortified towns
Towns with walls built for protection.
Four Occupations
The four main social groups: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants.
Gods and spirits
Supernatural beings worshiped in Taoism.
Governors
Officials who run provinces and enforce laws.
Grand Commandant
The top military leader below the emperor.
Great Wall
A large wall built to protect China from invasions.
Han Dynasty
A powerful ruling family in ancient China known for expanding the empire and creating many inventions.
Hexi Corridor
A key route of the Silk Road in western China.
Historian Sima Qian
A famous Han writer who recorded Chinese history.
Honesty
Being truthful and fair.
Imperial Counselor
Advisor who watches over officials to keep them honest.
Infantry
Soldiers who fight on foot.
Lacquerware
Decorative objects made with a shiny protective coating.
Legalist techniques
Strict methods used by the government to maintain control.
Loyalty
Being faithful and supportive of leaders or family.
Luxury goods
Expensive items like silk, spices, and jewelry.
Merchants and traders (Shang)
People who bought and sold goods.
Military and expansion
The army and how the Han dynasty grew its empire.
Military branch
The part of the government that controls the army.
Military garrisons
Fortified places where soldiers were stationed.
Ministers
Government officials in charge of taxes, justice, and more.
Moral leadership
Leading by setting a good example for others.
Negative numbers
Numbers less than zero.
Paper invention
The creation of paper, which made writing easier.
Patrilineal
A family system where ancestry is traced through the father.
Peasant farmers (Nong)
People who grew food and worked the land.
Plow
A farming tool used to till soil.
Political structure
How the government was organized and ruled.
Prefectures
Smaller districts within commanderies.
Provinces
Large areas made up of many commanderies.
Qin system
The strict government model used by the earlier Qin dynasty.
Salt and iron oversight
Government control of important resources like salt and iron.
Scholars (Shi)
Educated people who worked as government officials.
Science and technology
Discoveries and inventions made during the Han dynasty.
Seismograph
A device that detects earthquakes.
Silk Road
Trade routes that connected China with other regions.
Silk textiles
Cloth made from silk.
Social hierarchy
The ranking of people in society from highest to lowest.
Social structure
How people were grouped in society based on jobs and roles.
Spears
Long weapons used for fighting.
Sundial
A device that uses the sun's shadow to tell time.
Swords
Sharp blades used in battle.
Taoism
A belief that teaches living simply and staying in harmony with nature.
Tarim Basin
A major Silk Road region in Central Asia.
Taxes
Money collected by the government from its people.
Trade routes
Paths used to trade and transport goods.
Water clock
A device that measures time using flowing water.
Waterwheel
A wheel turned by water to power machines.
Wheelbarrow
A tool used to carry heavy loads.
Xiongnu
A nomadic group that threatened the Han from the north.
Zhang Qian
A Han explorer who helped open the Silk Road.