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China History


China, with a recorded history of more than 5,000 years, is one of the four ancient civilizations. From the time of the founding of Xia dynasty in the 21st century BC to the late Spring and Autumn period, with the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties in between, society was slavery based. From the time of the Warring States period of 475 BC to the early period of the Qing dynasty, with Qin, Western Han, Eastern Han, Three Kingdom, Western Jin, Eastern Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five dynasties, Song, Liao, Jin, Yuan, and Ming in between, society was feudal. After the Opium War in 1840, China gradually turned into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society as a result of imperialist invasion. In 1911, the 1911 Revolution, led by Sun Yat-sen, ended the monarchy and on October 1, 1949, the CPC, under the leadership of Mao Zedong, led the masses and established the People’s Republic of China.

Chinese History Chronology

Dynasty

Period

Founder

Capital

Prehistoric Times 1.7 million years ago - the 21st century BC recorded leaders include Yellow Emperor, Yao, Shun... around the Yellow River and Yangtze River in central China
Xia Dynasty 21st - 17th century BC Yu the Great

Anyi ( in Yuncheng, Shanxi); Yangcheng (in todays's Dengfeng, Zhengzhou, Henan); Yangdi (in todays's Yuzhou, Henan); Zhenxun (in Luoyang, Henan)

Shang Dynasty 17th century BC - 1046 BC Tang Bo (in Shangqiu, Henan); Yin (in Anyang, Henan)
Zhou Dynasty 1046 - 256 BC    
Western Zhou 1046 BC - 771 BC King Wu (Ji Fa) Fengjing and Haojing (in today's Xian, Shaanxi)
Eastern Zhou 770 - 256 BC King Ping (Ji Yijiu) Luoyi (today's Luoyang)

-- Spring & Autumn 

770 - 476 BC    
---Warring States 475 - 221 BC    
Qin Dynasty 221 - 207 BC Qin Shi Huang
(Ying Zheng / Zhao Zheng)
Xianyang (in today's Xianyang and Xian of Shaanxi)
Han Dynasty 202 BC - 220 AD Liu Bang  
Western Han 202 BC - 9 AD Liu Bang Chang'an (today's Xian)
Xin Dynasty 9 - 23 AD Wang Mang Chang'an (today's Xian)
Eastern Han 25 - 220 AD Liu Xiu Luoyang
Three Kingdoms 220 - 280 AD    
Wei 220 - 265 AD Cao Pi Luoyang
Shu 221 - 263 AD Liu Bei Chengdu
Wu 222 - 280 AD Sun Quan Jianye (today's Nanjing, Jiangsu)
Jin Dynasty 265 - 420 AD Sima Yan  
Western Jin 265 - 316 AD Sima Yan Luoyang
Eastern Jin 317 - 420 AD Sima Rui Jiankang (Nanjing, Jiangsu)

Five Hus 

& Sixteen States

304 - 439 AD    
Southern & Northern  420 - 589 AD    
Southern Dynasties 420 - 589 AD    
 --- Song 420 - 479 Liu Yu Jiankang (today's Nanjing)
 --- Qi 479 - 502 Xiao Daocheng Jiankang (Nanjing)
 --- Liang 502 - 557 Xiao Yan Jiankang (Nanjing)
 --- Chen 557 - 589 Chen Baxian Jiankang (Nanjing)
Northern Dynasties 386 - 581 AD    
 --- Northern Wei 386 - 534 Tuoba Gui Pingcheng (today's Datong, Shanxi); Luoyang
 --- Eastern Wei 534 - 550 Yuan Shanjian (actually controlled by Gao Huan) Yecheng (in Linzhang, Handan, Hebei)
 --- Western Wei 535 - 557 Yuan Baoju (actually controlled by Yuwen Tai) Chang'an (today's Xian)
 --- Northern Qi 550 - 577 Gao Yang Yecheng (in Linzhang, Handan, Hebei)
 --- Northern Zhou 557 - 581 Yuwen Jue Chang'an (today's Xian)
Sui Dynasty 581 - 618 AD Yang Jian Daxing (in today's Xian, Shaanxi); Luoyang
Tang Dynasty 618 - 907 AD Li Yuan Chang'an (today's Xian); Luoyang

Five Dynasties

& Ten States

907 - 960 AD   Bianliang (Kaifeng, Henan); Luoyang
 --- Later Liang 907 - 923 AD Zhu Wen (Zhu Quanzhong / Zhu Huang) Bianliang (Kaifeng)
 --- Later Tang 923 - 936 AD Li Cunxu Luoyang
 --- Later Jin 936 - 946 AD Shi Jingtang Bianliang (Kaifeng)
 --- Later Han 947 - 950 AD Liu Zhiyuan Bianliang (Kaifeng)
 --- Later Zhou 951 - 960 AD Guo Wei Bianliang (Kaifeng)
Ten States 902 - 979 AD    
Song Dynasty 960 - 1279 AD Zhao Kuangyin  
Northern Song 960 - 1127 AD Zhao Kuangyin Bianjing (Kaifeng)
Southern Song 1127 - 1279 AD Zhao Gou Nanjing (today's Shangqiu, Henan); Lin'an (Hangzhou)
Liao  907 --- 1125 AD Yelü Abaoji Shangjing (Baarin Left Banner, Chifeng, Inner Mongolia)
Western Xia Dynasty 1038 - 1227 AD Li Yuanhao Xingqing (today's Yinchuan, Ningxia)
Jin Kingdom 1115 - 1234 AD Wan-yen A-ku-ta (Wanyan Aguda / Wanyan Min) Huining (Harbin, Heilongjiang); Zhongdu (today's Beijing); Bianjing (Kaifeng)
Yuan Dynasty 1271 - 1368 AD Kublai Khan Dadu (today's Beijing)
Ming Dynasty 1368 - 1644 AD Zhu Yuanzhang Yingtian (today's Nanjing, Jiangsu); Shuntian (today's Beijing)
Qing Dynasty 1644 - 1911 AD Aisin Gioro Nurhachi / Hong Taiji / Fulin (Emeror Shunzhi) Beijing
Republic of China 1911-1949?   Nanjing(Chongqing 1938-1945)
People's Republic
of China
1949- Mao Zedong Beijing

 

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