Loading...
Timeline of Chinese Dynasties and Other Key Events
| ca. 2100-1600 BCE | Xia (Hsia) Dynasty | |
| ca. 1600-1050 BCE | Shang Dynasty | Capitals: near present-day Zhengzhou and Anyang |
| ca. 1046-256 BCE | Zhou (Chou) Dynasty | Capitals: Hao (near present-day Xi'an) and Luoyang |
| Western Zhou (ca. 1046-771 BCE) | ||
| Eastern Zhou (ca. 771-256 BCE) | Spring and Autumn Period (770-ca. 475 BCE) |
|
| Confucius (ca. 551-479 BCE) | ||
| Warring States Period (ca. 475-221 BCE) |
||
| 221-206 BCE | Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty | Capital: Chang'an, present-day Xi'an |
| Qin Shihuangdi dies, 210 BCE | ||
| 206 BCE-220 CE | Han Dynasty | |
| Western/Former Han (206 BCE-9 CE) | Capital: Chang'an | |
| Confucianism officially established as basis for Chinese state by Han Wudi (r. 141-86 BCE) | ||
| Eastern/Later Han (25-220 CE) | Capital: Luoyang | |
| 220-589 CE | Six Dynasties Period | Period of disunity and instability following the fall of the Han; Buddhism introduced to China |
| Three Kingdoms (220-265 CE) | Cao Wei, Shu Han, Dong Wu | |
| Jin Dynasty (265-420 CE) | ||
| Period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589 CE) | ||
| 581-618 CE | Sui Dynasty | Capital: Chang'an |
| 618-906 CE | Tang (T'ang) Dynasty | Capitals: Chang'an and Luoyang |
| 907-960 CE | Five Dynasties Period | |
| 960-1279 | Song (Sung) Dynasty | |
| Northern Song (960-1127) | Capital: Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng) | |
| Southern Song (1127-1279) | Capital: Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou) | |
| 1279-1368 | Yuan Dynasty | The reign of the Mongol empire; Capital: Dadu (present-day Beijing) |
| 1368-1644 | Ming Dynasty | Re-establishment of rule by Han ruling house; Capitals: Nanjing and Beijing |
| 1644-1912 | Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty | Reign of the Manchus; Capital: Beijing |
| 1912-1949 | Republic Period | Capitals: Beijing, Wuhan, and Nanjing |
| 1949-present | People's Republic of China | Capital: Beijing |
More information here: http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/timelines/china_timeline.htm
