Ancient China

Shang Dynasty Founded

1570 BCE

The evil king of the legendary Xia was overthrown. The man who lead to this outcome was Cheng Tang, he went on to found the Shang Dynasty. It was a monarchy, ruled by a sequence of kings for over 600 years. Eventually, the Shang Dynasty was put to an end when conquerors from the state of Zhou invaded.

Shang Dynasty Ends

1049 BCE

The Shang Dynasty was put down when conquerors from the state of Zhou invaded. After 600 years of ruling, the monarchy fell. The warriors who took over took the dynasty down for "moral" reasons. It was rumored that the kind of the dynasty was evil and that the divine power no longer desired for his ruling.

Zhou Dynasty Founded

1046 BCE

After the battle of Muye, the Zhou conquerors took over the Shang Dynasty, then creating their own. The new dynasty wanted to implement rules that were not followed within the Shang Dynasty, The Mandate of Heaven being the most important. This mandate stated that there shall only be one ruler over China, and that ruler must have the blessing of the gods to do so. The Zhou Dynasty lasted until 256 BCE.

King Cheng of Zhou Becomes King

1021 BCE

After the death of the first king of the Zhou Dynasty, Wang Ji, King Cheng of Zhou ascended the throne. Becoming the second king, he was the new ruler of the dynasty. King Cheng of Zhou defeated many tribes along the boarders of the Zhou Dynasty to ensure its safety. He also established the Eastern capital at Louyang.

Zhou-Chu War

961 BCE

In Hubei, the king Zhao of the Zhou launched the first, unexpected attack towards the Chu. This led to a 4 year war, starting in 961 BCE. The Zhou was seeking to claim territory from the Chu, and they did so. The Chu's northern territory was conquered, but they maintained a successful government in the southern piece of land.

Gonghe Regency

841 BCE

The Gonghe Regency was a period within 841 to 828 BCE in the Zhou Dynasty. King Li of Zhou was known in the dynasty as evil and controlling, leading to people wanting to rebel. This eventually got to a breaking point, being the Compatriots Rebellion, where the king's nobles exiled him. As the Chinese people rebelled against their old king, there was temporarily no one to rule, until King Xuan of Zhou was made king.

Relocation to Wangcheng

771 BCE

In 771 BCE, the Zhou Dynasty was invaded by the Quanrong people. The capital ended up being taken over, leading to the Zhou people to have to relocate. They decided to move Eastward, leaving from the West side of the dynasty. This relocation caused the separation of the Western and Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

Warring States Period

475 BCE

From 475 BCE to 221 BCE, the Warring States Period took place. The seven states in China were at continuous war in a fight for power and territory. The only way this endless battle could end was with one state becoming the only empire within China. The Qin and Chu "won" the war, but the Qin soon after conquered all territory in China. This lead to the creation of the Qin Dynasty

Deposition of King Nan by Qin

307 BCE

Wangcheng was conquered in 307 BCE, King Nan then traveled to Xianyang to submit to King Zhaoxiang of Qin. Western Zhou was then added to the dynasty by King Qin. Nan was then demoted to Duke within the Dynasty, and he was imprisoned within Wangcheng.

Zhou Dynasty Falls

256 BCE

The Zhou Dynasty was at constant war with surrounding states. Eventually the pressure became too much, and the king was defeated. King Zhao of Qin defeated King Nan of Zhou, conquering the western part of the Zhou Dynasty. The eastern part of the dynasty was shortly after conquered by King Zhuangxiang of Qin, leading the dynasty to its inevitable failure.

Qin Defeats Chu

222 BCE

As the Warring States Period came to a rolling hault, there were two main parties fighting for territory in China. These two parties being the Qin and the Chu. They fought it out for hundreds of years, and were considered the two territories that "won" the war period. The Qin were victorious, defeating the Chu and achieving their goal of becoming the one empire within China. In 223 BCE, the Qin were the people who won the Warring States Period. (Other territories were present, but not large).

Qin Dynasty Founded

221 BCE

North of the previous Zhou Dynasty, at the end of the Warring States Period, the state of the Qin Dynasty was founded. The dynasty was China's first ever unified state with centralized power, rather than spread between separate kingdoms. This dynasty was short lived, falling in 206 BCE.

Great Wall of China Initiated

210 BCE

The newly crowned King Qin Shi Huang became the ruler of the new dynasty of China. As any king would, he wanted to protect his territory and keep himself in power. This desire soon led him to think of building a wall to keep all out. The Great Wall of China was put into construction to keep out nomads and other invaders. The exact year is unknown, but the first thoughts of the wall took place during the Qin Dynasty time frame.

Qin Dynasty Falls

206 BCE

Around 206 BCE the Qin Dynasty was put to an end following Qin Shi Huang's death. The ending of the dynasty was not at all peaceful, with chaos entailing. The entire civilization fell into a civil war, bringing terror wherever war walked. Soon after, in 202 BCE, a general named Gaozu reunited China.

Battle of Zhizhi

36 BCE

The peace of the Han Dynasty was thrown away when Xiongnu chieftain Zhizhi Chanyu invaded. Both the Xiongnu and the Han were seeking ties within trade, causing conflict. Lasting 9 months, the Zhizhi and the Han dueled. The Han left the battle victorious, upholding the protection and security of the dynasty.

Han Dynasty Founded

206

After the chaos ended due to the falling of the Qin Dynasty, peace and reuniting was brought back. A general named Gaozu successfully reunited China by creating the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty was known for its governmental structure. This dynasty lasted until 220.

Han Dynasty Falls

220

The Han Dynasty was a long lived empire within China, but in 220, things took a turn for the worst. Several warlords fought endlessly for power and territory. This caused the structure and security to quickly fall. One named Cao Cao tried to stop the war and reunify the empire, but to no success. This war ended the dynasty for good.

Six Dynasties Period

221

From 221 to 589, the Six Dynasties Period took place. As the name implies, there were six Dynasties that ruled China. This period started once the Han Dynasty fell, following a war for power. Once again the people of China were separated. Though there was general chaos spread throughout CHina, there were a lot of advancements made towards health, fuel, astronomy, and chemistry.

Sui Dynasty Founded

581

Created in 581, the Sui Dynasty ruled over China following the Six Dynasties Period. During the Sui Dynasties lifespan there were two rulers, that being Wendi and Yangdi. Both of these emperors worked towards the same overall goals. These goals included implementing reformations to the agricultural system, and developing the Grand Canal.

Sui Dynasty Falls

618

The Sui Dynasty was impactful, yet short lived. The dynasty stayed in place while the four kingdoms lived in harmony, but once the peace was broken, it fell apart. Several military losses are what caused the Sui Dynasty to weaken, but the most impactful loss was the campaign against Goguryeo. This campaign loss left the dynasty in shambles, causing its conclusion.