1. In what ways did China and Europe parallel each other in their developments until the sixth century C.E.? How did they diverge after that?
2. Are there similarities between the Qin-Han transition and that of the Sui-Tang?Between Han and Tang expansion and contraction.
3. How did the Chinese economy change from the Tang to the Northern song to the southern song? How did the polity change? How did China's relationship to surrounding state's change?
4. What do Chinese poetry and art tell us about Chinese society? What position did poets occupy in Chinese Society/
5. Briefly describe the "dynastic cycle" and the settled Chinese/steppe nomads theories of Chinese history.
6. Summarize significant developments in Chinese Buddhism during this period. What was the relationship between Buddhism and the state at various times? Between Buddhism and the elite.
7. What drove the Mongols to conquer most of the known world? How could their military accomplish the task? Once they occupied China how did they rule it? What was the Chinese response to Mongol rule?