Dynasties in Chinese history

The following is a chronology of the dynasties

Background

Approximate territories occupied by the various dynasties and states throughout the history of China

It was rare for one dynasty to transition smoothly into the next, as is depicted in history timelines, since dynasties were often established before the overthrow of an existing reign, or continued for a time after they had been defeated. For example, the conventional date 1644 marks the year in which the Qing dynasty armies replaced the preceding Ming dynasty according to the dynastic cycle. However, the Qing dynasty was established in 1636 (or even 1616, albeit under a different name), while the last Ming dynasty pretender was not deposed until 1663. This change of ruling houses was a messy and prolonged affair, and the Qing took almost twenty years to extend their control over the whole of China. It is therefore inaccurate to assume China changed suddenly and all at once in the year 1644.

In addition, China was divided for short periods of its history, with different regions being ruled by different groups. At times like these, there was not any single dynasty ruling a unified China. As a case in point, there is much dispute about times in and after the Western Zhou period. In the Chinese historiographical tradition, each new dynasty would write the history of the dynasty which preceded it. This cycle was disrupted, however, when the Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing dynasty in favor of a republic. Even an attempt by Republicans to draft the history of the Qing was disrupted by the Chinese Civil War, which resulted in the division of China into the People's Republic of China on mainland China and the Republic of China on Taiwan.^[1]

Dynasties

Dynasty				Rulers	Ruling house or clan of houses	From	To	Term
Name	Chinese (Traditional /Simplified)	Pinyin	Meaning
Confederacy dynasties
Xia dynasty	夏	Xià	Tribe name	(list)	Sì (姒)	2070 BC	1600 BC	470 years
Shang dynasty	商	Shāng	Toponym	(list)	Zǐ (子)	1600 BC	1050 BC	690 years
Western Zhou dynasty	西周	Xī Zhōu	Toponym	(list)	Jī (姬)	1050 BC	770 BC	275 years
Eastern Zhou dynasty	東周 / 东周	Dōng Zhōu	Toponym	(list)	Jī (姬)	770 BC	250 BC	514 years
Spring and Autumn period	春秋	Chūn Qiū	As English			770 BC	479 BC	295 years
Warring States period	戰國 / 战国	Zhàn Guó	As English			476 BC	221 BC	255 years
Imperial dynasties
Qin dynasty	秦	Qín	Toponym	(list)	Yíng (嬴)	221 BC	206 BC	15 years
Western Han dynasty	西漢 / 西汉	Xī Hàn	Toponym	(list)	Liú (劉)	206 BC or 202 BC	9 AD or 23–25 AD	215 years
Xin dynasty	新	Xīn	"New"	(list)	Wáng (王)	9 AD	23 AD	14 years
Eastern Han dynasty	東漢 / 东汉	Dōng Hàn	Toponym	(list)	Liú (劉)	25 AD	220 AD	195 years
Three Kingdoms	三國 / 三国	Sān Guó	As English	(list)	Cáo (曹) Liú (劉 / 刘) Sūn (孫 / 孙)	220 AD	265 AD or 280 AD	45 years
Western Jin dynasty	西晉 / 西晋	Xī Jìn	Toponym	(list)	Sīmǎ (司馬)	265 AD	317 AD	52 years
Eastern Jin dynasty	東晉 / 东晋	Dōng Jìn	Toponym	(list)	Sīmǎ (司馬)	317 AD	420 AD	103 years
Southern and Northern Dynasties	南北朝	Nán Běi Cháo	As English	(list)	various	386 AD or 420 AD	589 AD	169 years
Sui dynasty	隋	Suí	Ducal title (随 homophone)	(list)	Yáng (楊)	581 AD	618 AD	37 years
Tang dynasty	唐	Táng	Ducal title	(list)	Lǐ (李)	618 AD	907 AD	289 years
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms	五代十國 / 五代十国	Wǔ Dài Shí Guó	As English	(list)	various	907 AD	960 AD	53 years
Kingdom of Dali	大理國 / 大理国	Dà Lǐ Guó	Toponym	(list)	Duan (段)	937 AD	1253 AD	316 years
Northern Song dynasty	北宋	Běi Sòng	Toponym	(list)	Zhào (趙)	960 AD	1127 AD	167 years
Southern Song dynasty	南宋	Nán Sòng	Toponym	(list)	Zhào (趙)	1127 AD	1279 AD	152 years
Liao dynasty	遼 / 辽	Liáo	"Vast" or "Iron" (Khitan homophone)	(list)	Yelü (; 耶律)	907 AD or 916 AD	1125 AD	209 years
Jin dynasty	金	Jīn	"Gold"	(list)	Wanggiyan (; 完顏)	1115 AD	1234 AD	119 years
Western Xia	西夏	Xī Xià	Toponym	(list)	Li (; 李)	1038 AD	1227 AD	189 years
Yuan dynasty	元	Yuán	"Great" or "Primacy"	(list)	Borjigin (ᠪᠣᠷᠵᠢᠭᠢᠨ; 孛兒只斤)	1271 AD	1368 AD	97 years
Ming dynasty	明	Míng	"Bright"	(list)	Zhū (朱)	1368 AD	1644 AD or 1662 AD	276 years
Qing dynasty	清	Qīng	"Pure"	(list)	Aisin Gioro ( ᠠᡳᠰᡳᠨ ᡤᡳᠣᡵᠣ; 愛新覺羅)	1636 AD or 1644 AD	1911 AD	268 years

Timeline graph

See also

• History of China
• Conquest dynasties
• Timeline of Chinese history
• List of Chinese monarchs
• List of recipients of tribute from China
• List of tributaries of Imperial China
• Xia–Shang–Zhou Chronology Project
• Dynastic cycle

Notes

1. "Chiang Kai-shek and retrocession". Taiwan: China Post. November 5, 2012. p. 2. Retrieved December 2, 2012.

References

• China Handbook Editorial Committee, China Handbook Series: History (trans., Dun J. Li), Beijing, 1982, 188-89; and Shao Chang Lee, "China Cultural Development" (wall chart), East Lansing, 1984.

External links

• Columbia University. Dynasties song sung to the tune of "Frère Jacques" that repeats the major Chinese dynasties in chronological order.