Shang Yang

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/shang-yang

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Shang Yang born?Approximately 390 BC
2. When did Shang Yang die?338 BC
3. Where was Shang Yang born?State of Wey, China
4. What is the philosophy?Legalism
5. What was Shang Yang's main idea about keeping a country safe and strong?He believed that strict laws and clear rules were the best way to keep people in order, because he thought people were naturally selfish.
6. How did Shang Yang change the way the State of Qin was run?He split the state into counties and put officials chosen by the ruler in charge, so the king could control everything directly.

Legalism: A Chinese political philosophy advocating for strict laws, harsh punishments, and absolute state control as the most effective means of governance.
Warring States Period: An era in ancient Chinese history (c. 475–221 BC) marked by intense warfare between rival states before the Qin unification.
Meritocracy: A system where social status and advancement are based on individual ability, talent, and achievement rather than inherited privilege.