Chinese Dynasty Overview Shang to Qing AP World History
Shang ( 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 ( 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 ( BCE) Taoism and Confucianism introduced Decline: Inefficient rulers can’t control fighting between city-states Period of Warring States
Qin ( 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 ( BCE) Brutal ruler - executed dissenters, burned books Many enemies, dynasty falls after his death
Han (202 BCE CE) Legalism replaced by Confucianism Introduced civil service examination (scholar gentry) Silk Roads developed, opens trade
Han (202 BCE CE) Buddhism introduced, paper invented Great increase in population, land holdings Decline Nomadic raiders Corruption, weak leaders Collapse of bureaucracy
(CE) Warlords control china - no centralized gov’t Non-Chinese nomads control much of China Buddhism becomes popular - Confucianism failed
Sui ( CE) Completed Grand Canal High taxes, forced labor Military failures (couldn’t conquer Korea) Assassination ends dynasty
Tang ( 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 ( CE) Wu Zetian - Only Empress in Chinese history Decline Weak emperors, nomadic incursions, economic difficulties Warlords take control
Song ( CE) Large centralized bureaucracy (Neo- Confucian) Mercantile class grows, increased trade Magnetic compass, growing sea power Weak military
Yuan ( 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 ( 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 ( 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