Title: The Dynasties of Ancient China
Headings: The Dynasties of Ancient China
The Dynasties of Ancient China
China boasts one of the oldest civilizations on Earth.
What is Dynastic China?
Chronology of Dynastic China
Bronze Age Dynasties
Early Imperial Period
Late Imperial Period
Xia (Hsia) Dynasty
Shang Dynasty
Chou (Zhou) Dynasty
Spring and Autumn and Warring States
Qin Dynasty
Han Dynasty
Six Dynasties
Sui Dynasty
Tang (T'ang) Dynasty
5 Dynasties
Song Dynasty etc.

Content: Western Zhou 1027–771 BCE
Eastern Zhou 770–221 BCE
770–476 BCE—Spring and Autumn period
475–221 BCE—Warring States period
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Spring and Autumn and Warring States
The revered sage Confucius, whose philosophy influenced Chinese civilisation for centuries- Wenmiao (Confucius Temple), Nanshi district. Bradley Mayhew / Lonely Planet / Getty Images
By the 8th century BCE, centralized leadership in China was fragmenting. Between 722 and 221 BCE, various city-states were at war with the Zhou. Some established themselves as independent feudal entities. It was during this period that the religious and philosophical movements of Confucianism and Taoism developed. 05
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Qin Dynasty
Clipart.com
The Qin or Ch'in (likely origin of "China") existed during the Warring States Period and came to power as a dynasty (221–206/207 BCE) when the first emperor Shi Huangdi (Shih Huang-ti), unified China for the first time in history. The Qin emperor is responsible for beginning the Great Wall of China, and his astounding tomb was filled with an army of life-sized terracotta soldiers . The Qin is the start of the imperial period, which ended fairly recently, in 1912. 06
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Han Dynasty
This Eastern Han horse and chariot figure shows the sophistication of art and technology in China before the dynasty collapsed in 221 CE. DEA / E. LESSING / Getty Images
The Han Dynasty is typically divided into two periods, the earlier, Western Han Dynasty, from 206 BCE–8/9 CE, and the later, Eastern Han Dynasty, from 25–220 CE.