Heinz-Murray 2E.book

CHRONOLOGY OF CHINESE HISTORY

4500

B.C.E.

1700

1100

221

206 B.C.E.
C.E.

268

386

581

618

906

960

1200

1368

1644

1912

1949

Neolithic Ya n g s h a o ,

Longshan, Liangzhu Culture

Xia 2200–1700 B.C.E.

Shang 1700–1100 B.C.E.

Zhou 1100–221 B.C.E.

Western Zhou

1100–771 B.C.E.

Eastern Zhou

771–221 B.C.E.

Qin 221–206 B.C.E.

Han 206 B.C.E.–220 C.E.

Western Han 206 B.C.E.–

9 C.E.

Wang Mang Interregnum

9–21 C.E.

Eastern Han 23–220 C.E.

Western Jin 268–317

6 Dynasties

Sui 581–618

Ta n g 618–906

5 Dynasties 906–960

Song 960–1280

Yuan 1280–1368

Ming 1368–1644

Qing 1644–1912

Republican Period

Communist Period

Walled settlements, wheel thrown pottery

Cities of 10,000; bronze; glazed pottery; silk; writing; horse

chariot

“Golden Age” of feudalism

Cast bronze coinage; stamped gold coins; glass; wrought iron;

crossbow

Confucius (551–479)

Great Wall begun; Grand Canal begun

First imperial unification under the “First Emperor,” Qin Shihuang;

destruction of Confucian texts

Tomb of First Emperor at Xi’an [Chang’an]; completion of

Great Wall

Sima Qian, “Grand Historian”

Restoration of Confucianism

Communication with West

65 C.E. White Horse Temple, first Buddhist monastery

Paper, porcelain; tea; coal, wheelbarrow

Gunpowder

Block printing

399 Faxian to India; 401 Indian monk Kumarajiva

446 first Buddhist persecution; 574 second persecution

Beginning of “Golden Age of Buddhism”

627–645 Xuanzang to India

690–705 Empress Wu

Peak of Buddhism; paper money, canal locks

Chang’an greatest city in the world

Beginning of Japanese cultural borrowing

868 Diamond Sutra, oldest printed book in world

Meritocracy

Movable type printing

Neo-Confucianism

1130–1200 Zhu Xi’s Family Rituals

Examination system

Spread of foot binding

Kublai Khan conquers China, 1279; beginning of Mongol control;

capital established in Beijing; embrace Tibetan Lamaism;

rebuild Great Wall

Marco Polo

Overthrow of the Mongol Yuan dynasty by Han-Chinese

1406–1420 Construction of Forbidden City

Jesuit Mission

Emperor Kangxi (r. 1661–1722)

Pu Yi, Last Emperor

Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-shek

Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping