Timeline of Chinese Dynasties

  • Period: 1600 BCE to 1046

    Shang Dynast

  • 1300 BCE

    Shang Dynasty move Capital

    The Chinese Shang dynasty moves its capital to Yin. That is modern day Anyang
  • Period: 1250 BCE to 1192 BCE

    Reign of the great Emperor Wu Ding of the Shang Dynasty in China.

    He is the earliest ruler metioned in contemporary records. He made allies with neighboring trials marrying one woman from each of them.
  • Period: 1250 BCE to 1046 BCE

    The use of Orical Bones Shang Dynasty

    Orical Bone were the shoulder blades of oxen or plastrons. They also used turtle shells as well which is another form of orical bone. Orical Bones were the first form of writing in China
  • Period: 1046 BCE to 256 BCE

    Zhou dynasty

  • Period: 841 BCE to 828 BCE

    Gonghe Regency in the Western Zhou Dynasty

    King Li was exiled and the country was ruled by two dukes. This happened during the Compatriots Rebellion, when the Chinese people rioted against their old corrupt king. It lasted until his son came into power
  • Period: 551 BCE to 479 BCE

    Life of Confucius

    Confucius was the man the founded the ideas for Confucianism.
  • 500 BCE

    Life of Lao-Tzu

    Probable life of the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu, founder of Taoism. Historians are not quite sure of the exact time period but this about when he was alive
  • Period: 481 BCE to 221 BCE

    Waring States period

  • Period: 230 BCE to 221 BCE

    Mandate of Heaven

    King Ying Zheng of Qin defeats the other warring states, claims Mandate of Heaven to rule China.
  • Period: 221 BCE to 206 BCE

    Qin Dynasty

  • 218 BCE

    Construction of the Great Wall

    The construction of the Great Wall of China is initiated.
  • Period: 213 BCE to 206 BCE

    Legalism

    Qin Dynasty pushes Legalism making it a state philosophy and bans all others.
  • 210 BCE

    First Emperor dies

    First Emperor of China Shi Huangdi dies, buried with army of 8,000 terracotta warriors in palace tomb.
  • Period: 206 BCE to 220

    Han Dynasty

  • 202 BCE

    Emperor Gaozu becomes the first Han ruler.

  • 91

    The Han dynasty of China invades Mongolia.