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Validated their rule through the mandate of heaven that was bestowed upon them after the Xia dynasty (which was probably fictional, being made up by the Shang)
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Like the Shang, the Zhou also claimed a mandate from heaven to rule. They also promoted unity through a single spoken language, Chinese Mandarin, which is spoken still today. Confucius also wrote his philosophies during this dynasty, which laid the foundation for Confucianism.
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The Great Wall of China was completed.
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Qin Shi Huangdi ruled this dynasty, and did so with an iron fist. He was a brutal ruler, but an effective control led to a good army and the construction of the Great Wall of China. This dynasty also made Chinese writing uniform, and thus completed the basis for a single language in China.
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The state bureaucracy workings improved, and formal training for Confucianism was introduced. Emperor Wudi supported Confucianism, and encouraged others to do the same.
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China is reunified. Construction on the Grand Canal begins and is completed, and is then used for the transportation of goods (agricultural and trade).
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Wendi established the "Three Department" system, which worked with the Six Ministries: Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Justice, and Public Works.
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Runs from the Luoyang River to the Huai River, then from the Jiangdu on the Yangtze River.
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Buddhism became more popular, and the only female empress, Empress Wu, came to power during this dynasty.
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Taizong welcomed Nestorian Christians and let a church be built.
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It was more well-known for its defense policies rather than territorial expansion. Mongol invaders presented a constant threat to the Chinese rule.
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The Mongols had been at war with the Jin and Chinese residents for awhile during this era.
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The Mongols ruled China during this time. Even though they lived amongst Chinese culture, they retained their own language. Marco Polo travelled through China during this dynasty as well.
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The civil service examination was also re-established, but it required that half the degrees be given to Mongols and other non-Chinese applicants, regardless of their competency.
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The Ming dynasty was never able to defeat the Mongols, so their rule was never fully expanded. It was an ordinary dynasty that favored the common man (poor over the rich).
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The Chinese were never able to fully liberate themselves from the Mongols. The emperor that had the most influence on this dynasty, Taizu, favored the common (peasants).
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This is the last Chinese dynasty before doing away with the classical system. China interacted with the world a lot more.
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It was the end of the Chinese dynasties.
