dynasties of China

By adrianpaulsimmons
  • 140

    Han

    Confucianism officially established as basis for Chinese state by Han Wudi
  • 220

    Period of disunion

    The empire was fragmented. The North was dominated by invaders from the borderland and the steppes. The South was ruled by successive "Chinese" dynasties. Buddhism spread.
  • 589

    Sui

    The Sui made the Grand Canal, which was one of their biggest accomplishments. They had slaves dig a canal so they could trade easier, and get around better and more efficiently. The Grand Canal was built by slaves who were forced to dig a canal with just shovels. The Grand Canal was made to help the Sui with trade and transportation.
  • Dec 4, 618

    Tang

    The Tang Dynasty is the most influential empire of China’s civilization. During the Tang Dynasty, China achieved the peak of its civilization and became the center of trade in the east.
  • Dec 4, 1100

    Song

    The Song Dynasty witnessed agricultural and technological improvements. Advanced farming techniques increased crop production dramatically. One of the great agricultural achievements in the 11th century was the development of early-ripening rice which allowed peasants to grow two or three crops annually on the same field.
  • Dec 4, 1271

    Yuan

    China, Korea, and the central Asian Muslim kingdoms were conquered by the Mongols sometime in the middle of the thirteenth century. Kublai Khan was driving southward to the Song territories. Kublai Khan founded in China the first foreign dominated ruling clan of the entire Chinese nation, the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD).
  • Dec 4, 1368

    Ming

    The repair and completion of the Great Wall and restoration of Grand Canal during the Ming era is marked as one of the biggest achievements in the field of engineering. A wide range of equipment and machinery were manufactured during this era, from which cotton and silk looms were made. Agricultural production was increased due to advancements in technology.

  • Qing

    In 1644, the Manchus, a semi-nomadic people from northeast of the Great Wall, conquered the crumbling Ming state and established their own Qing (or Pure) dynasty, which lasted nearly 300 years. During the first half of this period, the Manchus extended their rule over a vast empire that grew to encompass new territories in Central Asia, Tibet, and Siberia.