China History: Chronology, Dynasty Qin Han Tang Song Yuan Ming Qing China, one of the countries that can boast of an ancient civilization, has a long and mysterious history - almost 5,000 years of it! Like most other great civilizations of the world, China can trace her culture back to a blend of small original tribes which have expanded till they became the great country we have today. It is recorded that Yuanmou man is the oldest hominoid in China and the oldest dynasty is Xia Dynasty. From the long history of China, there emerge many eminent people that have contributed a lot to the development of the whole country and to the enrichment of her history. Chinese society has progressed through five major stages - Primitive Society, Slave Society, Feudal Society, Semi-feudal and Semi-colonial Society, and Socialist Society. Chinese History Chronology
Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty History, History of Ancient China, China's dynasties Era Information Time: 1027 B.C.-221B.C.Location of Capital:Hao, near the city of Xian, Shannxi ProvinceEmperors: Twelve kings for eleven dynasties Replaced by:Spring and Autumn Period According to Chinese accounts, Zhou was built by a chieftain of a tribe called Zhou. The chieftain overthrew Shang’s last ruler and build the Zhou dynasty. He settled down in Hao, a city near today’s Xi’an city in Shannxi province. Take a Xian Tours to experience the historical site. Zhou dynasty has lasted for a long time from 1027B.C. to 221B.C. The Zhou Dynasty originated from the Zhou clan whose existence stretches back into history. At that time, the Shang Dynasty was under the rule of King Zhou. After Zhou Wenwang died, his son Ji Fa (Zhou Wuwang) succeeded him. The achievements during the Zhou Dynasty in economy, politics, science and culture, were much more illustrious than any which occurred during the Shang Dynasty.
dynasties in China Chinese Dynasty Guide - The Art of Asia - History and Maps Chinese history, which dates back more than 5,000 years, is extraordinarily rich, complex-and potentially confusing. Understanding at least its basic chronology and some of its most notable events and developments is made somewhat easier by virtue of its ancient system of dynasties. The word dynasty means, quite simply, a succession of rulers from the same family. Beginning with the Bronze Age Shang dynasty, historical eras in China have borne the name of the family or clan that dominated during that period. Some dynasties, such as the Chou and the Ming, lasted for centuries. Over the lengthy span of Chinese history, each dynasty is distinguished both by its name and by the impact of individuals, outside influences, and technological advances on all aspects of its culture-economic, political, artistic, and religious. To use this guide, select from the dynasties at right or click on the timeline above.
Imperial China What is the Mandate of Heaven in China? Answer: The "Mandate of Heaven" is an ancient Chinese philosophical concept, which originated during the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE). The Mandate determines whether an emperor of China is sufficiently virtuous to rule; if he does not fulfill his obligations as emperor, then he loses the Mandate and thus the right to be emperor. There are four principles to the Mandate:1) Heaven grants the emperor the right to rule,2) Since there is only one Heaven, there can only be one emperor at any given time,3) The emperor's virtue determines his right to rule, and,4) No one dynasty has a permanent right to rule. Signs that a particular ruler had lost the Mandate of Heaven included peasant uprisings, invasions by foreign troops, drought, famine, floods and earthquakes. Of course, drought or floods often led to famine, which in turn caused peasant uprisings, so these factors were often interrelated. The Mandate of Heaven in Action: Effects of the Mandate of Heaven Idea
Ancient China Life History Facts:Dynasties,Discoveries,Religions,Crossbow,Sports,Chopsticks Infobase Most of the laws of Ancient China came from the moral teachings written in the legal-code books. The basic law was devotion of children to parents and obedience to the government. The rest of the laws consisted of orders that were handed down by the emperors. If the laws were broken the punishments were severe. Any girl who insulted her parents was strangled; if she wounded them she was tortured and cut up into pieces. Several crimes were punished by banishment (being sent from the country), which was often for life. The burial sites for families were considered sacred and could not be taken over by anyone else. The most shameful of all punishments in Ancient China was decapitation (beheading). Crimes against the emperor brought the accused no mercy. Soldiers were usually chosen to be executioners and they were proud of the strength that they needed to carry out their duties.
Ancient China - The Ancient Chinese Civilization Chinese Historical Accounts the Forbidden City, the home of the Chinese emperors until the last dynasty was overthrown in the 20th century Chinese history, until the twentieth century, was written mostly by members of the ruling scholar-official class and was meant to provide the ruler with precedents to guide or justify his policies. These accounts focused on dynastic politics and colorful court histories and included developments among the commoners only as backdrops. The historians described a Chinese political pattern of dynasties, one following another in a cycle of ascent, achievement, decay, and rebirth under a new family. Of the consistent traits identified by independent historians, a salient one has been the capacity of the Chinese to absorb the people of surrounding areas into their own civilization. Sun-Tzu, the realist writer of the the influential "Art of War" The first prehistoric dynasty is said to be Xia , from about the twenty-first to the sixteenth century B.C.
Ancient China Religions, Ancient Chinese Religious Beliefs Advert Ancient China Religion: History has witnessed that religion has always evolved with the evolution of different civilizations and various beliefs have come and disappeared along with the disappearance of a particular civilization. Ancient China has also witnessed many religious practices. In the Bronze Age, the Chinese believed in worshipping spirits. In many ancient civilizations spirits were worshipped in different forms. Ancient Chinese forms of worship has much similarity to Hinduism as even in Ancient China spirit gods were worshipped according to different things present in nature( for example fire, soil, water). Emperors have been known to have had courtrooms in the memory of their ancestors. Priests were highly specialized and were treated as mediators between god and human beings. The Concepts of Taoism and Confucianism developed in China and spread all over. It asks people to follow Tao which means dont force the nature to do something it was not meant to do.
Qin Dynasty, Qin Dynasty History, History of Ancient China Era Information Time: 221 B.C.-207B.C.Location of Capital: Xianyang City in Shanxi Province, not far from Xian Emperors: Ying Zheng, Fushu, Zi Ying Replaced by:Han Dynasty In 221 B.C.,Chinese were unified for the first time to construct a great country that ended the long era of disunity and warring. In that year the western frontier state of Qin, the most aggressive of the Warring States, subjugated the last of its rival state.Centralization and autarchy were achieved by ruthless methods and focused on standardizing legal codes, bureaucratic procedures, the forms of writing and coinage, and the pattern of thought and scholarship. To silence criticism of imperial rule, the kings banished or put to death many dissenting Confucian scholars and confiscated and burned their books. In order to fend off barbarian intrusion, the fortification walls built by the various warring states were connected to make a 5,000-kilometer-long great wall.
Qin Dynasty -- Ancient History Encyclopedia The Qin dynasty was brief in duration (221-206 BCE) but very important in Chinese history. It followed the Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BCE) and it ended when Liu Bang became the king of Han in 206 BCE (the formal beginning of the Han dynasty). Despite its brevity, the Qin dynasty left important marks on Chinese culture. In fact, the name "China" is derived from the name Qin (“Ch’in” in former Romanization systems). Origins of the Qin Kingdom During the Zhou dynasty China was never a unified kingdom: The Zhou government bore a strong resemblance to some of the forms of feudalism in medieval Europe, which is why the Zhou age is sometimes referred to as a feudal age. About 771 BCE, a barbarian invasion drove the Zhou rulers eastwards. Of the many Chinese states, Qin had the advantage of a favourable location: Its territory in modern Shaanxi province is well guarded from the east by mountains and gorges and has easy access to the North China plain through the Yellow River passes.
Military Technology The Song period is a good point to take stock of China's military technology. First, warfare was central to the history of the period. The confrontation between the Song and the three successive non-Chinese states to the north (Liao, Jin, and Yuan) made warfare not only a major preoccupation for those in government service, but also a stimulus to rethinking major intellectual issues. Second, we have illustrated sources for the military arts of the period, in particular, The Essentials of the Military Arts, published in the eleventh century. Warfare in this period usually aimed to capture cities, which were the centers of both commerce and government. Think about the following issues as you view the sections on the right.
Ancient China Crossbow Facts, Ancient Chinese Crossbow History Advert Ancient Chinese Crossbow: A crossbow is a weapon which is used to shoot the projectile, also referred to as bolts. It is made up of a stock which has a bow mounted on its top. According to most of the historians, crossbows were first discovered in ancient China. These crossbows were used in the warfare by the people of ancient China. Many remains found in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang reveals that the soldiers of Terracotta Army used the crossbows in ancient China during the warfare. The repeating crossbow was developed by the Chinese with an automatic reloading system. The earliest crossbow bolts were found in China in a grave in Hubei which dated back to 5th century. Ancient China was ruled by several dynasties and every reign added a unique element to life and society. This website is a comprehensive resource offering information on Life in Ancient China.