Chinese Dynasties
By: Noah Gilly
The Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC)
• First Chinese Dynasty attested from written records
• Discovered through archaeological excavations at the “ruins of
Yin”
• Writings found on “oracle bones”, heated, cracks foretold future
The Zhou (“Joe”) Dynasty (1046-256 BC)
• Zhou=Name of chariot warriors that overthrew the Shang Dynasty
• Most of power held in hands of feudal lords
• Spring and Autumn Period: Hundred Schools of thought flourished,
Sun Tzu’s art of war
• End of Zhou: Warring States, seven total, Qin state eventually
won/unified
The Qin (“chin”) Dynasty (221-206 BC)
• Origin of many institutions of imperial China
• Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi: Founding Emperor
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Destroyed many Confucian texts
Standardized weight measurement
Unified Chinese script
Constructed the Great Wall
• Suicide of crown prince lead to period of revolts/incompetent
rule, fall of the dynasty
The Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD)
Golden age of China
Majority ethnic group in China is still the Han
Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu) was founder
Emperor Wu: One of China’s greatest rulers, exploits successful,
but lead to toppling of dynasty by Wang family
• Wang Mang lost power because the yellow river changed course,
causing peasant protests
• Dynasty Reestablished by Liu Xiu
• Dynasty fell to Yellow Turbans and Five Pecks of Rice rebellions
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Period of the Three Kingdoms (184-280 AD)
• Lands of Han Dynasty formed three kingdoms
• Cao Wei, Eastern Wu, and Shu Han
• Cultural significance because Romance of the Three Kingdoms
• Brief unification due to The Battle of Red Cliffs and Cao Wei
conquering
• Southern and Northern Dynasty period after brief unification
The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD)
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Another Golden Age
Printing press invented, Li Bai and Du Fu (poets)
Ruled by Li family, Emperor Gaozu founder
Taizong forced Emperor Gaozu to abdicate, was a great ruler
Empress Wu (Wu Zetian) came to power after Taizong died
Emperor Xuanzong ruled after Wu, An Lushan Rebellion lead to end
of Tang Dynasty and beginning of Five Dynasty and Ten Kingdom
periods
The Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD)
Devoted to cultural activities
Imperial examination became primary way to recruit talent
Gunpowder and compass discovered
Taizu was the first ruler, feared being overthrown by his generals,
placed more power in hands of scholarly elite
• Northern Liao Dynasty overthrown by the Jin, Song court fled after
two emperors captured, paid tribute to Jin for peace
• Song helped mongol’s crush the Jin, song destroyed by mongols 40
years later
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The Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368)
• Established by invading mongols
• Most notable ruler was Kublai Khan
• Invasions of Japan thwarted by typhoons (called Kamikaze or Divine Wind)
• Received little support from Chinese elites, so fell quickly
• The Red Turban Rebellion was the beginning of the end
The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
• Last native Chinese dynasty
• Rulers from Zhu family
• Founder: Zhu Yuanzhang (Emperor Hongwu)
• Grandson succeeded Hongwu, lost power to Zhu Di (Emperor
Yongle)
• Yongle moved capital to Bejing, after his death, maritime
commerce was banned
• Rebellion of Li Zicheng (because of poor governmental response to
inflation, famine, and floods) ended the Ming
• Manchus (tributataries of the Ming) then took power for themselves
Qing (cheeng) Dynasty (1644-1911 AD)
• Banner system impletemented, welfare for manchus
• Foundations Established under the Kangxi Emperor
• Put down the Revolt of the Three Feudatories
• China weakened during last century of rule: Opium Wars, Taiping
Rebellion
• Attempts to modernize Qing rule were unsuccessful: SelfStrengthening movement and the Hundred Days’ Reform
• Xinhai Revolution ended the Qing Dynasty, republic of china was
created