Chinese Dynasty Overview Shang to Qing AP World History

Shang (1700 - 1027 BCE) First recorded Dynasty (Xia - no written records) Ruled by aristocracy First Chinese cities, center of court life Developed writing, worked with bronze, created silk Honored ancestors, used oracle bones Shang tyrant emperor overthrown

Zhou (1027 - 250 BCE) Longest lasting Chinese Dynasty Beginning of Mandate of Heaven Early: Feudal system, lords had total authority Later: City-states Built roads, expanded trade, made agricultural advancements

Zhou (1027 - 250 BCE) Taoism and Confucianism introduced Decline: Inefficient rulers can’t control fighting between city-states Period of Warring States

Qin (221 - 207 BCE) Qin She Huanshi - only emperor Adopted Legalism Developed highly centralized gov’t with bureaucratic administration Standardized currency, language, measurements, laws Built first Great Wall

Qin (221 - 207 BCE) Brutal ruler - executed dissenters, burned books Many enemies, dynasty falls after his death

Han (202 BCE - 221 CE) Legalism replaced by Confucianism Introduced civil service examination (scholar gentry) Silk Roads developed, opens trade

Han (202 BCE - 221 CE) Buddhism introduced, paper invented Great increase in population, land holdings Decline Nomadic raiders Corruption, weak leaders Collapse of bureaucracy

221 - 581 (CE) Warlords control china - no centralized gov’t Non-Chinese nomads control much of China Buddhism becomes popular - Confucianism failed

Sui (581 - 618 CE) Completed Grand Canal High taxes, forced labor Military failures (couldn’t conquer Korea) Assassination ends dynasty

Tang (618 - 907 CE) High point of Chinese culture Rebuilt bureaucracy Examination system Confucian education Limited social mobility Buddhism supported, then oppressed Invention of movable print, porcelain, gun powder

Tang (618 - 907 CE) Wu Zetian - Only Empress in Chinese history Decline Weak emperors, nomadic incursions, economic difficulties Warlords take control

Song (969 - 1279 CE) Large centralized bureaucracy (Neo-Confucian) Mercantile class grows, increased trade Magnetic compass, growing sea power Weak military

Yuan (1279 - 1368 CE) Mongol Khubilai Khan conquers China Economic stability and prosperity China more open to trade and travel (Marco Polo) Ignored Chinese traditions, replaced bureaucrats with non-Chinese Unsuccessful attacks on Japan, corruption weakens dynasty Peasant rebellion ends Yuan

Ming (1368 - 1644 CE) Tried to erase all signs of Mongols Reinstated civil service, Confucian scholars Eunuchs play growing role (Zheng He) - resented by scholar gentry Rebuilt and extended Great Wall Collapsed after famines and riots

Qing (1644 - 1911 CE) Manchus (from Manchuria) move south Take Korea, Japan, then China Manchus hold top posts, but relied upon scholar gentry “Son of Heaven” concept emphasized Would be final Chinese Dynasty Eventually would be weakened by European / American interventions

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