Periods of Ancient China

Three Kingdoms

1. The Cao-Wei Empire (220-265) from northern China
2. The Shu-Han Empire (221-263) from the west, and
3. The Wu Empire (222-280) from the east, the most powerful of the three, based on a sysem of confederation of powerful families, which conquered the Shu in A.D. 263.

Chin Dynasty

The Huns eventually defeated the Chin, but were never very strong. The Chin fled their capital in Luoyang, ruling from 317-420, in Jiankan (modern Nanking), as the Eastern Chin (Dongjin). The earlier Chin period (265-316) is known as the Western Chin (Xijin). The culture of the Eastern Chin, remote from the Yellow River plains, developed a different culture from that of northern China. The Eastern Chin were the first of the Southern dynasties.

Northern and Southern Dynasties

• The Northern Wei (386-533)
• The Eastern Wei (534-540)
• The Western Wei (535-557)
• The Northern Qi (550-577)
• The Northern Zhou (557-588)

• The Song (420-478)
• The Qi (479-501)
• The Liang (502-556)
• The Chen (557-588)

• Classical Imperial China
  • Sui 580-618 A.D.
  • T'ang 618-907 A.D.
  • Five Dynasties 907-960 A.D.
    • 907-923 -- Later Liang
    • 923-936 -- Later Tang
    • 936-946 -- Later Jin
    • 947-950 -- Later Han
    • 951-960 -- Later Zhou
  • Ten Kingdoms A.D. 907-979
  • Song A.D. 960-1279
    • 960-1125 -- Northern Song
    • 1127-1279 -- Southern Song
  • Liao A.D. 916-1125
  • Western Xia A.D. 1038-1227
  • Jin A.D. 1115-1234
• Later Imperial China
  • Yuan A.D. 1279-1368
  • Ming A.D. 1368-1644
  • Qing A.D. 1644-1911

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