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Xia was the first dynasty in Ancient China.
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Shang ruled much of the area along the Yellow River. The last capital city the Shang owned was the great city of Yin.
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This was the last of the great Chinese dynasties, and during this time, the Ming finished building the Great Wall, and built the Forbidden City, which was a large place for the empire. The Ming came into power by overthrowing the rule of the Mongols.
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Kublai Khan, a Mongol leader, after the Mongols defeated the Song in a lengthy war, established the Yuan dynasty.
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Zhou was the longest ruling dynasty in the history of China, and the Zhou used first the Mandate of Heaven to secure their rule. A lot of the land was ruled by feudal lords who were relatives of the Zhou family.
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Reunited under the Song, China became the leader of the world in technology including inventions such as gunpowder and the compass.
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A peasant rebellion took down the Tang dynasty and ushers in a period of division.
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This was a time of peace and prosperity, and the Tang rule was is sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of Ancient China. Literature, arts, and technology all became more popular. The capitol city Chang' an became the world's largest city.
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The Sui united China again under the same one rule. They also expanded the Great Wall, and constructed the Grand Canal.
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This was a period of time when China was not united under one ruler.
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The start of the Chinese Empire, Shi Huangdi became the first Chinese Emperor, and although this may be considered a short dynasty a lot was accomplished including the beginning of the Great Wall; standards were set for weights, money, and measures; many roads and canals were built; and one type of writing was used throughout the country. All of these advancements would be used in the future to make the dynasties in China strong.
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This dynasty established the civil service to create a strong and organized government. Paper and porcelain were discovered during this time. The Han also embraced poetry, literature, and Confucianism.