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Period: 1600 BCE to 1046 BCE
Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty is the earliest ruling dynasty of China to be established in recorded history, though other dynasties predated it. -
Period: 1046 BCE to 256 BCE
Zhou Dynasty begins in China
The beginning date of the Zhou has long been debated. -
Period: 403 BCE to 221 BCE
Warring States Period
Warring States, also called Contending States, Chinese (Pinyin) Zhanguo or (Wade-Giles romanization) Chan-kuo, (475–221 BCE), designation for seven or more small feuding Chinese kingdoms whose careers collectively constitute an era in Chinese history. -
Period: 206 BCE to 220 BCE
Reign of Liu Bang
Liu Bang rose in rebellion against the Qin Empire in the late Qin Dynasty. He conquered territories and defeated rival armies to emerge as the Emperor of the Han Empire in 202 BC. -
Period: 141 BCE to 87 BCE
Reign of Wudi
Known as the “martial emperor," he ruled for 54 years beginning at the age of 16, and elevated Confucianism to a cultural philosophy, royal religion and state cult and presided over a period of achievement and prosperity. He was also known for having a terrible temper. -
105 BCE
Invention of Paper
About 2,000 years ago, inventors in China took communication to the next level, crafting cloth sheets to record their drawings and writings. And paper, as we know it today, was born! Paper was first made in Lei-Yang, China by Ts'ai Lun, a Chinese court official. -
Period: 9 to 23
Reign of Emperor Wang Mang
Wang Mang was born into a distinguished Chinese family. Three years earlier, his father’s half sister Wang Zhengjun had become the empress with the accession of the Yuandi emperor. Upon the death of her husband, she was given the traditional title of empress dowager, which meant added prestige and influence for herself and her clan. -
Period: 206 to 220
Han Dynasty
The Han Empire was the longest lasting dynasty in the last 2,200 years. Its population tripled, it became more Central Asian through Silk Road trade, was remarkably similar to other large empires, and was finally devastated by huge natural disasters and battles as it divided into the Three Kingdoms. -
Period: 210 to 209 BCE
The Terracotta Army is buried
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife. -
Period: 221 to 206 BCE
Qin Dynasty
Shang Yang's philosophy of Legalism made Qin more powerful. Qin dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China. -
Period: 475 to 221 BCE
Sun Tzu, the author of the Art of War
Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. -
Period: 770 to 481 BCE
Life of Confucius
Not a lot is known about the childhood of Confucius. He was born in the state of Lu in 551 BC. His father was a soldier named Kong He who died when Confucius was three years old. The rest of his childhood was spent in poverty as Confucius was raised by his mother. -
1066
The crossbow is used in Battle
They were used at the battle of Hastings in 1066 and had by the 12th century become a common battlefield weapon. The earliest remains of a European crossbow to date were found at Lake Paladru and has been dated to the 11th century. -
Period: 1250 to 1192 BCE
Reign of Emperor Wu Ding of the Shang Dynasty
Wu Ding (? — 1192 B.C.) was the 23rd king, also the most exceptional monarchs, of the Shang Dynasty.
Most of the unearthed Inscriptions on Bones or Tortoise Shells started from his ruling period. During over half a century of his governance, he flourished his empire, and largely expanded his kingdom. -
Period: to 1625 BCE
King Jie of the Xia Dynasty dies
Around 1600 BC, Jie was defeated by Tang of Shang, bringing an end to the Xia Dynasty that lasted about 500 years, and a rise to the new Shang Dynasty.