Dynasties

The imperial dynastic system of government, which continued for centuries, was established as
early as 221 BC. Although specific dynasties were overthrown, the dynastic system survived. The
following are some of the dynasties and their contributions:

1. SHANG ( or YIN ) Dynasty - the first dynasty which lasted for some 500 years. It was
under this dynasty that the Chinese writing system developed.

Earliest ruling dynasty of China to be established in recorded history. This Dynasty ruled from
1600 to 1046 BC and heralded the Bronze Age in China.

They we known for their advances in Math , Astronomy, Artwork and Military Technology.

They were the First Chinese people to invent writing. Shang writing is know as “Oracle Bone
Script”. Other ancient scripts, such as Egyptian’s hieroglyphics, fell out of use , but the oracle
bone script developed in the modern characters, which Chinese people still use today.

2. ZHOU Dynasty- saw the rise of Chinese philosophers, including such thinkers as
Confucius, Lao Tzu, and Mencius.

The Zhou Dynasty made significant cultural contributions to Agriculture, Education, , Military
Organization , Chinese Literature, Music, Philosophical School and Social Stratification as well as
Political and Religious innovation.

In this dynasty, most of the great Chinese philosophers, including Confucius, were active making
it the Golden Age of Chinese Philosophy.There were also great advancement in other fields
including hydraulic engineering, mathematics, warfare , arts and literature.

3. QIN (or Ch'in) Dynasty - marked the building of the Great Wall by Shih Huang Ti to
keep the Tartars out of North China. Built two centuries before the birth of Christ, it still exists
today. It is sprawling like a colossal dragon across Northern China. It is fifteen hundred miles
long.

The Qin empire is known for its Engineering Marvels, including a complex system over 4,000
miles road and superhighway, the Straight Road, which ran for 500 miles along the Ziwu
Mountain range and is the pathway on which materials for the Great Wall of China were
transported.

Qin dynasty unified China for the first time in history. It is during this dynasty that the Seven
Warring States, namely Han, Zhao,Yan Wei,Chu,Qi and Qin were unified and became a unified
centralized state under the pwerful leadership of King Zheng.

It took King Zheng less than 10 years to unify China. He became the firdt emperor of the Unified
China and took title of QIN SHI HUANG or the “Fisrt Emperor of Qin”.

Other achievements are, the writing system of China was standardized, it had hugely influential
figures like legalist Shang and reformer Li,It established the first meritocratic administration
system in china,the great wall of China was built, Dujiangyan Irrigation System was
engineered,Lingqu canal was constructed,the great feats of Qin hydraulic engineering also
include the Zhengguo Canal, the famoust terracotta army was created in the mausoleum of Qin
Shi Huang and Qin Military used the most advance weaponry of the time
4. HAN Dynasty - saw the rise of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
The Han dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, established by the rebel leader Liu
Bang and ruled by the House of Liu.

This dynasty is known for its long reign and it’s achievement, which included the development of
the Civil Service and government structure; scientific advancement such as the invention of
paper, use of water clocks and sundials to measure time, and development of seismography.

This dynasty is the longest imperial dynasty of China (206 BC-220 AD). During this dynasty ,
China expanded its teritorry and trade and Confuciansn, Taoisam and Buddhism were developed.

Han Dynasty is also known for Silk Road Trade, Han empire was much like the Roman Empire in
size and population and Mahayana Buddhism was first introduced into China during this time.

Confucianism became the dominant political philosophy during this dynasty. Confucianism
teaching were conservative and told people to maintain their role in social order, thus the
philosophy was used by the state to keep the status quo from that time forward.

Other achievements were arts and literature were greatly patronized and progressed; ship
designs and in map making were improved;promotion of Confucianism as the state religion ; arts
and inventions like the paper still influence the world today.

5. TANG Dynasty - contributed great achievements in poetry and painting.

The Tang Dynasty or Tang empire was an imperial dynasty in China that ruled from 618 to 907,
with an interregnum between 690 and 705.

This dynasty is considered a Golden Age of Chinese art and culture. During this period, Tang
attracted international reputation that spilled out of its cities and through the practice of Buddhism,
spread its culture across much of Asia.

It was considered to be China’s golden age. It was rich, educated, and cosmopolitan real that was
well-governed by the standards of the age and expanded its influence in Inner Asia. It saw a
flourishing of Chinese poetry and innovation.

Buddhism payed a dominant role in this dynasty.

In this dynasty, farmers improved irrigation, could produce more crop and found ways to improve
rice crops. Farmers also began to grow tea. This is all because this dynasty brought peace to the
countryside and gave farmers more land to till and own.

Invention during this dynasty were gunpower, waterproofing, fireproofing, gas stove and
airconditioning. They developed agricultural machines to speed up the processes of panting,
irrigating and harvesting crops.

6. SONG Dynasty - the era when gunpowder was first used for military purposes. The
Chinese armies used rockets as weapons, calling them "arrows of fire".
Song Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China that begun in 960 and lasted until 1279. The
dynasty was founded ny Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later
Zhou.

During this dynasty, technology was highly advanced in feilds as diverse as agriculture, iron-
making, and printing. Indeed, scholars today talk of Song economic revolution. The population
grew rapidly during this time and more and more people lived in cities.

In this dynasty, advancement included in agriculture, development of moveable types, uses for
gunpowder, invention of a mechanical clock, superior shipbuilding,the use of paper money,
compass navigation and porcelain production.

Since its reign lasted for over 3 centuries, this dynasty mark by a period of sustained economic
growth which some historian term as the Pre-Modern Economic Revolution. Major achievements
are the pre-modern economic revolution in China occurred during this era; it was the first ever
government in the world to issue banknotes; the civil service examination system was given
unprecedented importance;the first permanent standing Chinese Navy was established;first use
of compass for navigation;famous astronomical tower at kaifeng created by Su Song;movable
type printing was invented deeply impacted education in China;Song era sa architecture reach
new heights;several notable advances were made in Mathemathics ;forensic sceince developed
due to the work of Song Ci.

7. YUAN Dynasty - The agreement of all Mongol tribes to unite after their assembly at
Karakorum in Outer Mongolia started the Mongol dynasty under Genghis Khan ("Temijin”). His
grandson, Kublai Khan, completed what they called "The Quest of China" and ended the Sung
dynasty. It was during the reign of Kublai Khan that Marco Polo visited China. His writings vividly
portray the splendor of the Mongol Empire to the West.

The Yuan Dynasty or Empire (1279-1368), as part of the Mongol Empire was China”s biggest
empire. This dynasty was amazing for its size, humble beginnings,,paper money largest armanda,
technology, monumental overspending,and huge natural disasters

Its ruler was Kublai Khan, leader of the Mongolian Borjigin clan.

This dynasty was unique in the sense that they were the first to use money as the main currency,
The traditional Han ethnic people stayed at the bottom among the four-class system during the
reign of the Mongols.

Tibetian Buddhism was made the official religion of this dynasty.

8. MANCHU (or CH'ING) Dynasty - the last dynasty in China's recorded history. It ewas
established in 1636, and ruled by Empero Shunzi.

It was an era noted for its initial prosperity and tumultuous final years and for being only the
second time that China was not ruled by the Han People.

They are known for heated beds called kangs, qipaos and queue hairstyle.

Chronology:
The 19th century was marked by rapid deterioration of the imperial system and a steady increase
of foreign pressure from the West and from Japan.

In 1839, Chinese officials confiscated and destroyed huge amounts of opium from British ships in
th harbor at Guangzhou and applied restriction to the British Trading Community. Hostilities broke
out i late 1839. one

The First Opium War was concluded in 1842 with the signing of the Treaty of Nanking. The treaty
granted Great Britain trade preferences it sought; Hong kong and Kowloon were also ceded to
them. On July 1, 1997, after 156 years of British colonial rule, Hong kong was finally returned to
China,

In December, 1999, Portugal returned Macao to China.

During the first decade of the 20th century, dissatisfied with Manchu rule, Dr. Sun Yat Sen initiated
a revolutionary movement called Kuomintang (Nationalist Party or KMT) and established a
republican government.

On October 10, 1912, Dr. Sun Yat Sen led a National Revolution (also called Wuhan Uprising) tha
resulted in the downfall of the Manchu Dynasty. However, the Chinese Republic maintained a
tenuous existence from 1912 until 1949.

During World War I (1914 - 1918), Japan gained undisputed supremacy in China, virtually
reducing it to a Japanese protectorate. It demanded among other concessions the transfer of
German holdings of Shandong to Japan.

Despite Dr. Sun's death in 1925, the rejuvenated KMT, under the leadership of Gen. Chiang Kai-
Shek, sought to reunify China under Kuomintang rule and rid the country of imperialists and
warlords. But problems abound like the rise of Chinese Communist Party under Mao Zedong, who
had actively mobilized peasants' support in the countryside; and the Japanese aggression in
North China.

In 1932, Japan made Henry Pu Yi, the last ruler of Manchu Dynasty as Emperor Xuantong
(Hsuan-Tung), chief of state of Manchuria (Manchukuo).

As Japanese aggression intensified, the Chinese realized it had to stop fighting among themselves
and t unite against Japan.

In 1937, Gen. Chiang and the Communists adopted a united front (common policy) against the
Japanese.

In 1945, shortly after Japan had surrendered, fighting broke between Communist and KMT troops
over the reoccupation of Manchuria. US Gen. George C. Marshall tried to mediate but hostilities
continued. The government forces were wearied by two decades of nearly continuous warfare.
There was internal disunity and spiraling inflation. Finally, in the summer of 1949, the government
sought refuge on the island of Taiwan establishing a democratic form of government called
Republic of China.