China Timeline

Xia Dynasty

2200 BCE

The Xia were an ancient people that lived near the Huang River in the Neolithic era. They made many advancements, such as: improved methods of agriculture, and beginning to use written symbols. They eventually disappeared between 1750 B.C. and 1500 B.C.

Shang Dynasty

1600 BCE

The Shang Dynasty was a complex kingdom, with the rise of the bureaucracy and a hereditary king. Their religion was something new: animism. It combined the belief that spirits inhabit all things and ancestor worship. They were among the first to develop a written language and use oracle bones.

Oracle Bones

1200 BCE

In order to communicate with the long gone and dead, the ancient Chinese used oracle bones. They were shells or bones that had a heated rod pressed into them so that they would crack. These cracks were interpreted as the answers to questions.

Zhou Dynasty

1050 BCE

The Zhou Dynasty didn't create a centralized government after conquering the Shang Dynasty and instead granted territories to the residents. By about the 700's B.C., they began fighting among themselves, weakening their own forces. Their capital was destroyed in 771 B.C., but their power remained for another five hundred years, although weak.

Daoism

700 BCE

Thought to be the founder of Daoism, Laozi (or Lao Tzu), got tired of human mortality, so he rode west on a buffalo. When he reached the edge of the mountains the guardian would not let him pass until he wrote down his teachings. The book then inspired Dao, an indescribable force of all that exists. It said that yeilding was better than being assertive.

Confucius

551 BCE

He traveled from place to place, trying to influence a ruler. Although he never did, his teachings were culminated into a single book: the Analects. His teachings would become some of the most taught of all philosophers in China.

Legalism

221 BCE

The believers of this believed in harsh laws and power instead of virtue. Prosperity and peace could only be achieved by threatening people with punishment if they disobeyed the laws. There was a kingdom, the Qin dynasty, that failed after being very powerful because of the assumption of their strict belief in Legalism.

Buddhism

200

It was first introduced into China by travelers from the Silk Road, mainly from India. Some of the monks decided to investigate the religion for themselves. After China was in disarray from the collapse of the Han Dynasty, the people looked to Buddhism, as it addressed their problems.

Christianity

700

In the late 700's, records say how Christianity first came to China. They say that an emperor forced them to spread throughout the land to spread their word. However, the Christian presence was almost completely eliminated in China by the tenth century.

Paper Money

1050

The first paper money was invented in Song, China. Coin production was on the rise and many people began to use paper notes for convenience. The government later took over the system in the 1020's.