The first written record of the history of China was around 1200BC, but China has been inhibited by early humans much longer than that. Skelatal remains of “homo erectus”, an early human ancestor (1 million years ago), have been found beneath the ground of what is now China.
Much of the Chinese culture, literature, and philosophy developed during the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256BC).
In 221 BC the first emperor Ying Zheng standardized the script, currencies, and weights and measures, established the system of prefectures and counties, and began the construction of the Great Wall of China to protect the country from invasions of the west.
The Great Wall of China
In the T’ang dynasty (618–907), often called the golden age of Chinese history, painting, sculpture, and poetry became popular. Woodblock printing enabled the mass production of books, which made its earliest known appearance.
The Xia Dynasty of China (2100 to 1600 BC) is the first dynasty to have written historical records.
There is speculation as to whether the dynasty actually existed, there is evidence pointing to its existence. Written accounts in the late 2nd century BC, dated the founding of Xia dynasty to approximately 2200 BC, but this is not exact. Early markings from this period found on pottery and shells are thought to be ancestral to modern Chinese characters. Few clear records match the Shang oracle bones or the Zhou bronze vessel writings, the Xia era remains poorly understood.
According to mythology, the dynasty ended around 1600 BC as a result of the Battle of Mingtaio.
The Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC)
31 Kings reined over the Shang dynasty, during their rein, the capital city was moved six times. The final move was to Yin in 1350 BC which led to the dynasty’s golden age. The term Yin dynasty is also referred to as the Shang dynasty in history, though it has lately been used to specifically refer to the later parts of the Shang dynasty.
Chinese historians living in later periods were accustomed to the notion of one dynasty succeeding another, but the actual political situation in early China is known to have been much more complicated. Hence, as some scholars of China suggest, the Xia and the Shang can possibly refer to political parties that existed simultaneously, just as the early Zhou is known to have existed at the same time as the Shang.
Spring and Autumn period (722–476 BC)
In the 8th century BC, power became decentralized during the period, named after the influential Spring and Autumn rituals. In this period, local military leaders used by the Zhou began to assert their power. The northwest began to invade areas of China. This marks the second major phase of the Zhou dynasty: the Eastern Zhou. The Spring and Autumn period is marked by a falling apart of the central power. In each of the hundreds of states that eventually arose, local government held most of the political power. Some local leaders even started using royal titles for themselves. China now consisted of hundreds of small states.
Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC)
The Qin Dynasty is often referred to as Imperial China. Emperor Qin created a tight centralized form of government. He also was able to create an absolute power for himself and began expansion of the military. The construction of the Great Wall of China also began at this time.
The Han Dynasty (202BC- 220AD)
The Han dynasty was founded by Liu Bang, who claimed victory for China in a civil war the emerged. The Han dynasty’s long period of stability and prosperity led to the foundation of China as a unified state under a central imperial bureaucracy. During the Han dynasty, territory of China was extended westward. Confucsiom was officially elevated to orthodox status and was to shape modern Chinese Civilization. Art, culture and science all advanced during this time.
Three Kingdoms and Western Jin (AD 265–316)
By the 2nd century, the empire declined due to land acquisitions, invasions, and feuding between clans. The Yellow Turbine Rebellion broke out in 184 AD, creating an era of warlords. Three states tried to gain predominance in this period.
The north was reunified in 208. This period was characterized by a gradual decentralization of the state that had existed during the Qin and Han dynasties, and an increase in the power of great families.
In 280, the Jin Dynasty reunified the country, but this union was short-lived.
Sixteen Kingdoms and Eastern Jin (AD 304–439)
The Jin Dynasty was severely weakened by fighting and lost control of northern China afternoon-Chinese settlers rebelled and captured Luoyang and Chang’an. In 317, a Jin prince, Nanjing, became emperor and continued the dynasty, now known as the Eastern Jin, which held southern China for another century. Prior to this move, historians refer to the Jin dynasty as the Western Jin.
Northern China fragmented into a series of independent kingdoms. These non-Han peoples were ancestors of the Turks, Mongols, and Tibetans. During this period, warfare devastated the north and prompted large-scale Han Chinese migration south to the Yangtze Basin and Delta.
Chinese Revolutions and Communism