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600 BCE
Laozi
Laozi was a sage who is credited for founding Daoism, which is the understanding of natural principles in the world and how to live in harmony with them. -
Period: 600 BCE to 220
Unification of China
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Period: 551 BCE to 479 BCE
Confucius
The first Chinese thinker that addressed problems with political and social order in a self-conscious way. He is known as Confucius in English, but his real name is Kong Fuzi. His thoughts were moral, ethical, and political in character, and his thoughts became the curriculum for the first imperial university in the Former Han. -
Period: 403 BCE to 221 BCE
Period of the Warring States
During this time period, there was much political turmoil within the states of China at the time, and it didn't end until the establishment of the Qin dynasty. -
Period: 390 BCE to 338 BCE
Shang Yang
He was the chief minister to the duke of the Qin state. He was clever and efficient, but he was hated for his ruthlessness. He was executed at court after his patron died. -
Period: 372 BCE to 289 BCE
Mencius
He was the principal spokesman for Confucian education. He traveled throughout China during the Period of the Warring States to offer advice and make peace between the rulers. He believed that government should focus on humanity, and he is considered to be the most authoritative of Confucius's expositors. -
Period: 298 BCE to 238 BCE
Xunzi
Xunzi was a government administrator who believed that humans only focused on themselves, no matter the consequences to other people. He believed humans could be made good again, but only through harsh discipline. -
Period: 280 BCE to 233 BCE
Han Feizi
A Legalist theorist who organized his ideas into multiple well-argued essays. He was forced to take his life by poison because of his position as advisor in the Qin court. -
Period: 221 BCE to 207 BCE
Qin Dynasty
During this period, China underwent economic, political, and military advancements. People were able to buy private plots of land, and this increased cultivation in China. Also, the Qin state was able to bring China under a centralized rule, which helped it become much more close knit. New roads were built to facilitate communications and armies, and the precursor to the Great Wall was built. It ended after Shihuangdi's death caused revolts and rebellions against the government, -
Period: 206 BCE to 9
Former Han Dynasty
The dynasty that appeared after the Qin. during this period, centralized rule had stayed. The greatest emperor, Han Wudi, pursued administrative centralization and imperial expansion, and he succeeded in both of these. The Former Han came to an end because of social and political problems. -
Period: 141 BCE to 87 BCE
Reign of Han Wudi
During this reign, China's main goals were to have administrative centralization and imperial expansion. Similar to the Qin dynasty, Han Wudi built roads and canals, and had officers keep order in the provinces and districts in China. An imperial university was introduced to prepare thousands of individuals to run the government. -
Period: 9 to 23
Reign of Wang Mang
Wang Mang, former regent to the Han emperor, claimed the mandate of heaven had been passed on to him, marking the end of the Former Han. He introduced many reforms, including one that limited the amount of land someone could have. He was nicknamed the "socialist emperor" because of these new reforms. His reign came to an end when he was killed by disgruntled landlords and desperate peasants. -
Period: 25 to 220
Later Han Dynasty
After Wang Mang's reign ended, the Han reclaimed the throne. Unlike in the Former Han, China was weak, and it had suffered much damage. Administrative centralization was restored, but the problem that had ended the Former Han had not been addressed. The wealthy lived luxuriously and the peasants lived poorly, which caused many rebellions and revolts. The dynasty fell apart after the development of factions and the end of a central government.