Chinese Dynasty Timeline

Period: 1766 BCE to 1111 BCE

Shang Dynasty
Period: 1111 BCE to 221 BCE

Zhou/Chou Dynasty
Period: 221 BCE to 206 BCE

Qin/Ch'in Dynasty
Period: 206 BCE to 221

Han Dynasty
Period: 217 to 580

Era of Division

Northern Dynasties:
Northern Wei (386-532 C.E.)
Western Wei (535-554 C.E.)
Southern Dyansties:
Western Chin (219-316 C.E.)
Eastern Chin (217-419 C.E.)
Period: 581 to 618

Sui Dynasty

Emperors:
Yang Jian (r. 581-604) reigned as Wendi
Yang Guang (r. 605-617) reigned as Yangdi
583

583

The Sui moved their capital to the newly built Chang’an, named after a previous Han capital city to the northwest. It became the largest city in the world for its day.
584

584 - 589

The Grand Canal was built from Chang’an eastward to the Tong Pass. In later years, The Grand Canal would be expanded to around 2,000 km long and reach Beijing.
586

586 - 587

Wendi repaired portions of the Great Wall. In 607, Wendi's son, Yangdi, further repaired and added to portions of the Great Wall.
589

589

China is reunified under Sui rule.
618

Fall of the Sui

Besides the Great Wall and the Grand Canal, Yangdi built roads, lavish palaces, and other grandiose public works projects costing an immense amount of money and human lives. The peasants were heavily burdened with taxes. To add fuel to their discontent, Yangdi planned and launched three expeditions against northern Korea. Huge revolts broke out throughout northern China. Yangdi fled to his southern capital at Jiangdu where he was assassinated a year later.
Period: 618 to 906

Tang/T'ang Dynasty

Emperors:
Gaozu (r. 618-616) born and known as Li Yuan in his lifetime; name of Gaozu given after his death
Taizong (r. 626-649) born Li Shimin
Gaozong (r. 649-683)
Zhonzong and Ruizong (r. 683-690 sequentially)
Wu Zhao (Empress Wu) (r. 690-700)
Xuanzong (r. 712-756) called Ming huang, Brilliant Monarch
630

630 - 645

Xuanzong traveled across Central Asia and India collecting Buddhist texts to be translated into Chinese. Later, Gaozong brought Lady Wu out of retirement from a Buddhist nunnery. Through ruthless scheming, she became Empress Wu.
660

660

Gaozong suffered a stroke. Empress Wu gained informal power as a regent. Later in 683, Gaozong died, but Empress Wu held her power and position as regent through her two sons: Zhonzong and Ruizong.
690

690

Empress Wu usurped power for herself and became the only female emperor in Chinese history, but was forced to abdicate her position as empress in 705, at the age of eighty years old.
712

712 - 745

The next emperor of the Tang dynasty, Xuanzong, worked to improve the political and social systems of his empire. He increased the court's trustworthy reputation by reducing corruption, he abolished the death penalty in ancient China, and he encouraged Chinese arts and literature, which lead to a time a great poets and artists, whose work outlived Xuanzong's reign. Xuanzong also allowed Buddhist schools and teachings to flourish.
745

745

Xuanzong fell in love with Yang Guifei, abandoning his responsibilities of ruler- ship. Between 755 and 763, A rebellion forced Xuanzong to flee with Yang Guifei. Palace troops strangled Yang Guifei, blaming her as the source of their troubles. Xuanzong abdicated to his son. This story became the subject of poems, paintings, and plays.
875

875 - 884

Rebellion destroyed the Tang Dynasty.
907

End of the Tang Dynasty

An Lu-shan declared himself emperor, only to be assassinated by his son, who in turn was assassinated. Various warlords competed for power. This time subsequently became known as the period of the Five Dynasties dating 907-960.
Period: 907 to 960

Five Dynasties
Period: 907 to 1128

Liao Dynasty
Period: 960 to 1279

Song/Sung Dynasty

Emperors:
Zhao Kuangyin (r. 960-976) reigned as Taizu
Zhou Kuangyi (r. 976-997) reigned as Taizong
Zhao Ji (r. 1101-1126) reigned as Huizong
Gaozong (r. 1127-1162)
1127

1127

Northern Song dynasty was overrun by nomadic groups calling themselves the Jin dynasty.
1210

1210

Mongols under Genghis Khan begin to attack northern frontiers, and capture Beijing in 1215.
1232

1232

Southern Song allied with Mongols to destroy the Jin. The Mongols then began to invade the Song, who fought off the Mongols from 1235 to 1279. This was the first time explosive weapons were used, first by the Song, and later adapted by the Mongols.
Period: 1260 to 1368

Yuan Dynasty

Emperors:
Kublai (r. 1260-1294) known posthumously as Shizu
Toghun Temur (r.1333-1368) reigned as Shundi
1274

1274

The Mongols ruled through military occupation. They resisted adapting to the Chinese culture by retaining the Mongol language and yearly summer visits to Mongolia.
1279

End of the Song Dynasty

The Song dynasty valiantly resisted Mongol invasion for 39 years. The dynasty did not concentrate on its military capabilities. Considering the Mongol swift conquests elsewhere, the armies of the Song had a remarkable effect.
1281

1274 and 1281

Kublai sent two fleets against Japan, one in 1274 and one in 1281. The second attempt was aborted by a typhoon’s destruction of the fleet which the Japanese regarded as divine intervention.
1295

1275 - 1295

The Venetian merchant Marco Polo traveled throughout Kublai’s
realm.
1344

1344 - 1352

Taizu became a monk at the age of 16 and was sent from his monastery to beg, wandering throughout east-central China. Then, in 1352 Taizu joined one of the rebel groups associated with the Red Turbans. Within this band, he rose quickly to command.
1368

The End of the Yuan Dynasty

From the 1340's - 1360's, the Yuan dynasty was plagued with ineptitude, intrigues, factionalism, military deterioration, the spread of deadly epidemics such as bubonic plague, and neglect of much-needed water programs. These problems led to the decline and defeat of the Yuan dynasty. During this time peasants revolted and civil war raged throughout the empire. Shundi, the last of the Mongol emperors, fled from Beijing to Mongolia to avoid capture.
1368

1368

Taziu captured Beijing after the Mongol emperor fled to Mongolia. The Ming dynasty was never able to defeat the Mongols, so they were never able to expand into inner Asia.
Taziu started a dynasty less grand and extravagant than previous dynasties. The Ming dynasty favored the common man over the rich, abolishing slavery and heavily taxing the wealthy.
Period: 1368 to 1644

Ming Dynasty

Emperors:
Zhu Yuanzhang (r.1368-1398) reigned as Hongwu
Zhu Di (r. 1402-1424) reigned as Yongle
Zhe Qizhen (r. 1436-1450; restored in 1457-1465) reigned as Zhentong, then as Tianshun
Guangzong (r. 1573-1620) reigned as Wanli
1405

1405 - 1433

Emperor Yongle sent seven expeditions out under Admiral
Zheng He to assert Chinese domination. This included collecting tribute. This marked the only time China was the dominant maritime power.
1644

End of the Ming Dynasty

Ming emperor committed suicide after rebels took Beijing.
Period: 1644 to 1911

Qing/Ch'ing Dynasty

Emperors:
Kangxi (r. 1662-1722)
Yongzheng (r. 1722-1736)
Qianlong (r. 1736-95)
Guangxu (r. 1898) from 1898-1909 Empress Dowager Cixi ruled, having imprisoned her nephew
1840

1840 - 1842

Opium War occurred ending with the Nanjing Treaty which gave
Hong Kong to Great Britain.
1850

1850 - 1864

Taiping Rebellion was a peasant uprising in which a Christian
convert called himself the Son of Heaven, identified himself as the younger brother of Christ, collected a huge following, and attempted to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.
1884

1884 and 1894

The Sino-French War occurred in 1884, and ten years later in 1894, the Sino-Japanese War occurred.
1898

1898

Guangxu emperor had attempted needed reforms which the Empress Dowager Cixi suppressed.
1912

Fall of the Qing Dynasty

In 1900, the Boxer Rebellion occurred, and 11 years after that, in 1911, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown by revolutionaries.