CHI 221 History Timeline

By jrdcarpenter
  • 2070 BCE

    XIa Dynasty (2070-1600 BCE)

    XIa Dynasty (2070-1600 BCE)
    First dynasty of China. Would be overthrown by the Shang. Very little is known about the Xia.
  • Period: 2070 BCE to 206 BCE

    China's History

  • 2000 BCE

    The Flood

    The Flood
    Flooding of the Yellow River disrupted Agriculture. Emperor Yao would put Gun in charge of handling the situation. Gun would eventually be imprisoned after 9 years of failed efforts trying to stop the flooding. His son would be given the task of finishing what his farther started.
  • 1046 BCE

    Oracle Bone (1046-1250 BCE)

    Oracle Bone (1046-1250 BCE)
    Oracle Bones were first used during the Shang Dynasty. They were used to divine the future. It was the very first writing system that was developed.
    Use mainly by the king to make important decisions to answer questions like “Would it rain today”, “When is the best day to go hunting”, “Will we receive good harvest” and etc.
  • 771 BCE

    War and Rivalry

    Spring and Autumn was the beginning of the Eastern Zhou Period. The ruling clan of the Zho Dynasty was named Ji. In 771, the ruler of a region called Shen and a nomadic tribe called the Quanrong attacked the capital at Haojing. This attack marked the end of their direct rule.
    In 497, Jin began a civil war leaving only Han, Wei, and Zho. In 403 they divided the Jin state between themselves. The partition of Jin marks the beginning of the Warring States Period (476-221).
  • 770 BCE

    JI

    JI
    The spring and Autumn period began in 770 BC and lasted till 476 BC. It was the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty which was located around the yellow river. The ruling clan at the time were known as JI.
  • 770 BCE

    Philosophy

    Philosophy
    Amongst these years of crisis culture was able to flourish and this period was aptly named the time of the “hundreds schools” of philosophy. This period is also the period of Confucius and other famous thinkers. Pic: 19th century replica of annotated annals
  • 221 BCE

    Terracotta Warriors

    Terracotta Warriors
    The Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑 Bīngmǎyǒng) were constructed during the Qin dynasty to protect the emperor in the afterlife. The Qin Emperor believed greatly in the concept of the afterlife and immortality. The Terra Cotta warriors are important to Chinese history because they portray a number of different aspects of Chinese military, society, and beliefs from the time period. The Warriors were held in a secret underground location which was just uncovered and excavated starting in the 1970s.