Great wall of china hero

Ancient China Dynasties

  • Period: 2205 BCE to 1575 BCE

    Xia Dynasty

    The first dynasty in China, very little is known about the Xia.
  • Period: 1570 BCE to 1045 BCE

    Shang Dynasty

    The Shang ruled much of the area along the Yellow River. Their last capital city was the great city of Yin.
  • Period: 1045 BCE to 256 BCE

    Zhou Dynasty

    The longest ruling dynasty in the history of China, the Zhou first used the Mandate of Heaven to justify their rule. Much of the land was ruled by feudal lords who were relatives of the Zhou family.
  • Period: 221 BCE to 206 BCE

    Quin Dynasty

    The beggining of the Chinese Empire, Shi Huangdi became the first Emperor. This was a short Dynasty, but much was accomplished including the beggining of the Great Wall; standards were set for weights, measures, and money; many roads and canals were built and a single type of writing was used throughout the country. All of these advancements would be used in future dynasties to make China strong.
  • Period: 206 BCE to 220

    Han Dynasty

    The Han dynasty established the civil service to create a strong and organized government. Paper and por
  • Period: 222 to 581

    Six Dynasties

    A period of time where China was not united under a single ruler.
  • Period: 589 to 618

    Sui Dynasty

    The Sui unite China under one rule. They also expanded the Great Wall and built the Grand Canal.
  • Period: 618 to 907

    Tang Dynasty

    A period of peace and prosperity, the Tang rule is sometimes know as the Golden Age of Ancient China. Arts, literature, and technology all flourish. The capital city Chang'an becomes the world's largest city.
  • Period: 907 to 960

    Five Dynasties

    A peasant rebellion takes down the Tang Dynasty and ushers in a period of division.
  • Period: 960 to 1279

    Song Dynasty

    Reunited under the Song, China becomes a world leader in science and technology including inventions such as gunpowder and the compass.
  • Period: 1279 to 1368

    Yuan Dynasty

    After the Mongols deafeated the Song in a long war, Kublai Khan, a Mongol leader, established the Yuan dynasty
  • Period: 1368 to

    Ming Dynasty

    The last of the great Chinese dynasties, the Ming finished the Great Wall and built the Forbidden City, an enormous palace for the emperor. The Ming came into power by overthrowing the rule of the Mongols.