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qin
Time Period: 221 bc
Emperor/Important People: Shag yang
Major Achievements/Contributions to Chinese Culture: Qin Dynasty achieved increased trade, improved agriculture, and military security. This was due to the abolition of landowning lords, to whom peasants had formerly held allegiance.
Political System: imperial dynasty -
Han
Time Period: 205 bc
Emperor/Important People: Liu bang
Major Achievements/Contributions to Chinese Culture: The Han Empire was divided into areas directly controlled by the central government, known as commanderies, and a number of semi-autonomous kingdoms.
Political System: second emperial dynasy -
Shang
Time period: 1500s BC
Emperor/Important People: Liu xin
Major Achievements/Contributions to Chinese Culture: Shang capital, uncovered eleven major Yin royal tombs and the foundations of palaces and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains from both animal and human sacrifices. Tens of thousands of bronze, jade, stone, bone, and ceramic artifacts have been obtained. The workmanship on the bronzes attests to a high level of civilization.
Political System: Comes from texts -
zhou
Time Period: 1100s
Emperor/Important People: Emperor ku
Major Achievements/Contributions to Chinese Culture: During the Zhou Dynasty, the use of iron was introduced to China, though this period of Chinese history produced what many consider the zenith of Chinese bronze-ware making.
Political System: Known as the western zhou -
sui
Time Period: 589
Emperor/Important People: Yang jian ended the period and created the dynasty.
Major Achievements/Contributions to Chinese Culture: Restored order and began the Grand Canal.
Political System: short lived imperial dynasty -
Tang
Time Period: 300 years
Emperor/Important People: Empress Wu.
Major Achievements/Contributions to Chinese Culture: The Tang Dynasty, with its capital at Chang'an (present-day Xi'an), the most populous city at the time in the world, is generally regarded as a high point in Chinese civilization—equal to, or surpassing that of, the earlier Han Dynasty—a golden age of cosmopolitan culture.
Political System: imperial dynasty
