Timeline of Chinese Dynasties and Some Key Events

ca. 2100-1600 BC Xia Dynasty
ca. 1600-1050 BC Shang Dynasty Capitals: near present-day Zhengzhou and Anyang
ca. 1046-256 BC Zhou Dynasty Capitals: Hao (near present-day Xi'an) and Luoyang
Western Zhou (ca. 1046-771 BC)
Eastern Zhou (ca. 771-256 BC) Spring and Autumn Period
(770-ca. 475 BC)
Confucius (ca. 551-479 BC)
Warring States Period
(ca. 475-221 BC)
221-206 BC Qin Dynasty
206 BC-220 AD Han Dynasty
Western/Former Han (206 BC-9 AD)
Eastern/Later Han (25-220)
220-589 Six Dynasties Period Period of disunity and instability following the fall of the Han
Three Kingdoms (220-265) Wei, Shu, and Wu
Jin Dynasty (265-420)
Period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589)
581-618 Sui Dynasty
618-906 Tang Dynasty
907-960 Five Dynasties Period
960-1279 Song (Sung) Dynasty
Northern Song (960-1127)
Southern Song (1127-1279)
1279-1368 Yuan Dynasty The reign of the Mongol Empire
1368-1644 Ming Dynasty
1644-1912 Qing Dynasty Reign of the Manchus
1912-1949 Republic of China
1949-present People's Republic of China



Adapted from Embree, A. T., & Gluck, C. (2015). Asia in Western and World History: A Guide for Teaching. Routledge.

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