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March 8, 2014
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
Dynasties in Chinese history

Wikipedia

 
Below is a table of the dynasties in Chinese history.

In most cases the dates given in the table are the commonly used conventional dates marking the generally agreed point at which power in China changed hands.

There is, however, still much dispute about dates in the Western Zhou period and earlier. It should also be noted that history is rarely as neat as it is portrayed and it was rare indeed for one dynasty to end calmly and give way quickly and smoothly to a new one. Dynasties were often established before the overthrow of an existing regime, or continued for a time after they had been defeated. In addition, China was divided for long periods of its history, with different regions being ruled over by different groups. At times like these there was no dynasty ruling a unified China.

One example of the potential for confusion will suffice. The conventional date 1644 marks the year in which the Manchu Qing dynasty armies occupied Beijing and brought Qing rule to China proper, succeeding the Ming dynasty. However, the Qing dynasty itself was established in 1636 (or even 1616, albeit under a different name), while the last Ming dynasty pretender was not disposed of until 1662. The change of ruling houses was a messy and prolonged affair, and the Qing took almost twenty years to extend their control over the whole of China. To pretend that everything changed all at once all over China in the year 1644 would make a nonsense of what actually happened.

For more details of the dynasties listed here and their emperors, follow the relevant links in the table. Click on H for the history of the dynasty, and E for a table its emperors (or other rulers).






Dynasty Links Years
Legendary sage kings 三皇五帝 (Sanhuangwudi|H - Sanhuangwudi|E) before 2070 BC
Xia (Xia dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Xia Dynasty|E) 2070 BC - 1600 BC
Shang (Shang dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Shang Dynasty|E) 1600 BC - 1046 BC
Western Zhou 西周 (Zhou dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Zhou Dynasty|E) 1046 BC - 770 BC
Eastern Zhou
traditionally divided into
Spring and Autumn Period
Warring States Period
東周

春秋
戰國
(Zhou dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Zhou Dynasty|E)

(Spring and Autumn Period|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Zhou Dynasty|E)
(Warring States period|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Zhou Dynasty|E)
770 BC - 256 BC

770 BC - 476 BC
475 BC - 221 BC
Qin (Qin dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Qin Dynasty|E) 221 BC - 206 BC
Western Han 西漢 (Han dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Han Dynasty|E) 206 BC - 9|9 AD
Xin (Xin Dynasty|H - Wang Mang|E) 9 - 25
Eastern Han 東漢 (Han dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Han Dynasty|E) 25 - 220
Three Kingdoms 三國 (Three Kingdoms|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Three Kingdoms Period|E) 220 - 265
Western Jin 西晉 (Jin Dynasty (265-420)|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Jin Dynasty|E) 265 - 317
Eastern Jin 東晉 (Jin Dynasty (265-420)|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Jin Dynasty|E) 317 - 420
Northern and Southern Dynasties 南北朝 (Southern and Northern Dynasties|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Northern and Southern Dynasties|E) 420 - 581
Sui (Sui dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Sui Dynasty|E) 581 - 618
Tang (Tang dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Tang Dynasty|E) 618 - 907
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 五代十國 (Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms|E) 907 - 960
Northern Song 北宋 (Song dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Song Dynasty|E) 960 - 1127
Southern Song 南宋 (Song dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Song Dynasty|E) 1127 - 1279
Liao (Liao dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Liao Dynasty|E) 916 - 1125
Jin (Jin Dynasty (1115-1234)|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Jin Dynasty 2|E) 1115 - 1234
Yuan (Yuan dynasty|H - Table of Chinese monarchs#Yuan Dynasty|E) 1271 - 1368
Ming (Ming dynasty|H - Ming dynasty emperors|E) 1368 - 1644
Qing (Qing dynasty|H - Qing dynasty emperors|E) 1644 - 1912







  • History of China

  • Timeline of Chinese history<br>

  • Table of Chinese monarchs (Note: This page is VERY long.)<br>


pt:Dinastias chinesas
zh:中国朝代

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dynasties in Chinese history".


Last Modified:   2005-04-13


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