Ancient China Timeline

By Delani Grauman
  • 2100 BCE

    Xia Dynasty

    Xia Dynasty
    2100-1600 BCE. The first dynasty in Chinese History. The Dynasty was located along the Yellow River Valley. They were ruled by King Yu. The dynasty lasted about 500 years until the Shang took over
  • 1600 BCE

    Shang Dynasty

    Shang Dynasty
    1600-1046 BCE. Overthrew the Xia Dynasty. The leader of the Shang was Tang. Shang cities had palaces and temples, housing for the upper classes and commoners, and some craft workshops for metal workers, potters, stone carvers, and they had burial grounds. Shang was a Bronze Age civilization. The Shang people were very skilled metal workers, and they created amazing bronze vessels using a piece-mold technique that is not found anywhere else in the world.
  • 1200 BCE

    Oracle Bones

    Oracle Bones
    1200-1000 BCE. Shang Kings communicated with their ancestors through divination; divination is "the practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means."-google dictionary. One of the ways they used divination was oracle bones. Oracle bones were made by pressing a heated rod into a cattle bone or a turtle shell. When the bone cracked, the cracks were interpreted as the ancestors' answers to questions posed by the Shang kings
  • 1046 BCE

    Zhou Dynasty

    Zhou Dynasty
    1046-256 BCE. The longest of all dynasties. It followed the Shang. It was also the Strongest. Thanks to the Zang, Buddhism became very public. The Zang came after the Shang
  • 770 BCE

    Spring and Autumn Period

    Spring and Autumn Period
    770-476 BCE. The first half of the Zhou rule. This era was known for its violence, instability and overall moral crisis. However, during this period, China's intellectual foundations were formed. Confusius also lived during this time.
  • 551 BCE

    Confucius

    Confucius
    551-497 BCE. Confucius was born in Lu, in North East China. In the Spring and Autumn period of the Zhou dynasty, many states were in conflict. So rulers gathered Confucius and other men as advisers and officials. Confucius tried to persuade people to do good and except traditional social roles.
  • 551 BCE

    Daoism

    Daoism
    Laozi founded the philosophy Daoism. Dao means "The Way." Daoism is all about living in harmony. Daoism is a philosophical and religious tradition that was developed in China. A man named Laozi created these beliefs. Daoism is similar to Confucianism.
  • 475 BCE

    Legalism

    Legalism
    475-221 BCE. Legalism was another Chinese Philosophy. This rationalized political control of societies. Many people did not like this philosophy. Below is a video about Buddhism
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9qgkJHybE8
  • 600

    Islam

    Islam
    600 CE. There were Muslims in China in the 600 CE. These Muslims were mostly traders. These traders came from West Asia to China's southern seaboard. The Tang held the introduction the to the Islam
  • 618

    Buddhism

    Buddhism
    618 CE. Buddhism became a significant part of Chinese tradition during the rule of the Tang. During the Han Dynasty, Buddhism spread from China to India. Even after the fall of the Han, Buddhism continued to spread. In the beginning, Buddhism was criticised as a foreign religion. Below is a link to a video about Buddhism
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ykOfyaLnwI&t=23s