Ancient China

The Beginning of the Shang Dynasty

1600 BCE

The Shang Dynasty arose around 1600 BCE. It is believed by some that the Shang Dynasty formed following the Xia Dynasty, but this is heavily argued among scholars. The first king of this dynasty was Cheng Tang

Shang Bronze Age

1500 BCE

Around 1500 BCE, mass bronze production began. More tools were being crafted, including spears, arrowheads, swords, battle axes, and many other useful tools.

Development of Writing System

1300 BCE

Around 1300 BCE, the Shang Dynasty began to develop a new writing system. They commonly inscribed these writings on oracle bones. Around this period, they also created a calendar following the moon's cycles.

Relocation of Capital City to Yin

1298 BCE

Up until the relocation of the capital city Yin (Modern-day Anyang), the capital of the Shang Dynasty had shifted many times. The constant movement was believed to have been caused by internal power struggles. They settled here for roughly 250 years until the overthrow of the dynasty.

Shang Military Expansion

1200 BCE

The Shang Dynasty performed conquest to gain more territory with the use of their military. This military was made of formation fighting, chariots, and many bronze weapons. Their battles were mostly fought against rival territories or kingdoms.

End of the Shang Dynasty

1050 BCE

It is estimated that the Shang Dynasty fell in about 1050 BCE. Conquers from the state of Zhou had overthrown them. Their reasoning for ending Shang was that Heaven no longer wanted him to be king.

Rise of the Zhou Dynasty

1046 BCE

The Zhou dynasty takes control of Ancient China. This occurs because of the result following the battle of Muye. The Zhou state overthrew the Shang Dynasty to gain control.

The Exile of King Li

840 BCE

King Li was a ruler of the Zhoe state. He had put in place a law that allowed him to put anyone who spoke against him to death. Learning this, many peasants and soldiers decided to revolt against him. He was then exiled from the country and two dukes took his place.

Relocation of Capital City

771 BCE

During this time, there were many nomadic attacks in the western region of the Zhou state. These attacks caused a relocation of the capital city. The capital ended up moving towards the east to a city named Luoyang.

Confucius Creates Confucianism

527 BCE

Confucius was an ancient philosopher who created a system still used today by many people around the world. This system was named Confucianism. Confucianism emphasizes respecting and honoring your ancestors. It also focuses on being morally correct.

The Warring States Period

481 BCE

The Warring States Period was a time when war was all that was known. The reasoning for all of this war was that each state was fighting for territorial advantage. There were also many technological and agricultural developments during this period. These wars lasted for roughly three centuries.

The Capture of the City Chengzhou

257 BCE

The Qin army fought and captured the city of Chengzhou. In addition to this, they had captured the final ruler, King Nan. He was then killed.

The Fall of the Zhou Dynasty

256 BCE

The warring state Qin finally takes over. Following the capture of the city of Chengzhou and the execution of King Nan, the Zhou Dynasty crumbled. This crumble of the Zhou Dynasty resulted in the rise of the Qin Dynasty

Rise of King Ying Zheng

246 BCE

After the fall of the Zhou Dynasty, the new country had to have a new leader. This leader becomes King Ying Zheng. At the beginning of King Ying Zheng's reign, he is only 12-13 years old.

The First Emperor of China

221 BCE

After his victory, King Ying Zheng claims the title Shi Huangdi. This title makes him the first emperor of China. It also makes him the founder of the Qin Dynasty.

The End of the Warring States

221 BCE

King Ying Zheng and his army defeated all of the other warring states. He then claimed the Mandate of Heaven. Meaning he thought he was selected by Heaven or the ancient god to rule.

The Beginning of the Great Wall

218 BCE

Shi Huangdi initiated the construction of the Great Wall. He did this to prevent invasions from the nomadic Xiongnu. The wall was constructed by convicts considered enemies of the state.

Introduction of Legalism

213 BCE

The Qin Dynasty began to use the philosophy of Legalism. This philosophy believed that people were evil by nature and needed laws to provide order. This resulted in a larger loss of culture amongst the Qin Dynasty.

The Death of Shi Huangdi

210 BCE

Shi Huangdi died while on a search to find the "elixir of life." He had 8,000 terracotta soldiers built in a palace. He did this so that they could protect him in the afterlife.

The Collapse of the Qin Dynasty

206 BCE

Following the death of Shi Huangdi, many different rulers took power over the next few years. This in turn caused chaos in the country because there was no real heir to the throne. This chaos caused a rebellion, resulting in the fall of the Qin Dynasty.