China - Dynasties

Demographics of Ancient China
Ancient China had a large population and the concomitant problems early on.

Shang Dynasty Cities
The earliest rampart-walled cities in China were in the historic period beginning in the Shang Dynasty. The Shang emperors built cities as their imperial capitals.

Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty of ancient China was the first dynasty in Chinese history with both documentary and archaeological evidence.

Chinese Emperors - Kings and Emperors of the Ancient Chinese Dynasties
The dates and names of the emperors of the ancient Chinese dynasties, Qin, Han, Xin, Three Kingdoms, Jin, Southern, and Northern.

Periods and Dynasties of Ancient China
This article looks at the conventional divisions of the history of China into eras and dynasties, starting with the earliest about which we have any information and continuing through to Communist China.

Emperor Ch'in
Glossary entry on Emperor Ch'in.

Chinese Dynasties
Name of dynasty with dates followed by a second chart showing events outside China. More details available in Chinese.

Chinese Dynasties
The Chinese historians divided the history of China into dynasties, which were periods of rise and fall of successions of dynastic rulers.

The Rise and Fall of Han China
Liu Chan started the Han dynasty by adopting measures that strengthened China. A few generations later Confucianism became the state philosophy, but in other ways prosperity declined.

Han Dynasty in China
The Han dynasty ruled China for about 4 centuries and is considered one of the greatest dynasties in Chinese history. The Chinese consider themselves the people of Han.

Chou Dynasty in China
The Chou or Zhou dynasty ruled China from about 1027 to 221 B.C. It was the longest dynasty in Chinese history.

Shang Dynasty
The Shang Dynasty in China is considered the first true dynasty. The first king of the Shang Dynasty, Tang, overthrew the last ruler of the Xia, who had alienated those around him with his decadence and cruelty.

The Warring States Period of Ancient China
Identification of the violent era referred to as the Warring States period of Ancient China during the Chou dynasty.