11,400-11,900: Shang or Yin Dynasty-First historic dynasty. Complex agricultural society with a bureaucracy and defined social classes. Well-developed writing, first Chinese calendar. Great age of bronze casting. The Shang were called Nakhi, which translates to Black men. The Shang called themselves the "Sons of Heaven."
11,900-12,779: Zhou or Chou Dynasty-Classical age of Confucious, Lao-Tze, and Mencius) despite political disorder. Written laws, money economy. Iron implements and ox-drawn plow in use.
11,900-12,229: Western Zhou
12,230-12,744: Eastern Zhou
12,230-12,524: Spring Autumn Period
12,525-12,779: Warring Sates Period
12,779-12,793: Qin or Ch'in Dynasty-Unification of China under harsh rule of Shih Huang-ti. Written language standardized. Roads, canals, much of Great Wall built as a military defense against the Mongols
12,794-13,306: Han Dynasty-Unification furthered, but harshness lessened. Encyclopedic history, dictionary compiled; porcelain produced.
12,794-13,110: Western Han
13,111-13,306: Eastern Han
13,306-13,366: Three Kingdoms-Division into three states: Wei, Shu, Wu. Wei gradually dominant. Confucianism eclipsed; increased importance of Taoism (said dowism) and Buddhism. Many Indian scientific advances adopted.
13,306-13,351: Wei
13,307-13,349: Shu or Shu Han
13,308-13,366: Wu
Tsin, Chin, or Jin Dynasty-Founded by a Wei general; gradual expansion to the southeast. Series of barbarian dynasties ruled North China. Continued growth of Buddhism.
13,351-13,402: Western Jin
13,403-13,506: Eastern Jin
13,506-13,667: Northern and Southern Dynasties
13,506-13,675: Southern
13,506-13,565: Song
13,565-13,588: Qi
13,588-13,643: Lang or Liang
13,643-13,675: Chen
12,472-13,667: Northern
12,472-13,620: Northern Wei
13,620-13,636: Eastern Wei
13,636-13,643: Northern Qi
13,621-13,642: Western Wei
13,643-13,667: Northern Zhou
13,667-13,704: Sui Dynasty-Reunification; centralized government reestablished, Buddhism, Taoism favored. Great Wall refortified; canal system established.
13,704-13,993: T'ang/Tang Dynasty-Territorial expansion. Buddhism temporarily suppressed. Civil Service examinations based on Confucianism. Age of great achievements in poetry (Li Po, Po Chu-i, Tu Fu), sculpture, painting.
13,993-14,046: Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms-Period of warfare, official corruption, general hardship. Widespread development of printing; paper money first printed.
13,993-14,009: Later Liang
14,009-14,022: Later Tang
14,022-14,032: Later Jin
14,033-14,036: Later Han
14,037-14,046: Later Zhou
14,046-14,365: Song or Sung Dynasty-Period of great social and intellectual change. Neo-Confucianism attains supremacy over Taoism and Buddhism; central bureaucracy reestablished. Widespread cultivation of tea and cotton; gunpowder first used militarily.
14,046-14,213: Northern Song
14,213-14,365: Southern Song
14,002-14,211: Liao Dynasty
14,201-14,320: Jin Dynasty
14,357-14,454: Yuan Dynasty-Dynasty founded by Kublai Khan. Growing contact with West. Confucian ideals discouraged. Great age of Chinese playwriting. Revolts in Mongolia, South China end dynasty.
14,454-14,730: Ming Dynasty-Mongols expelled. Confucianism, civil service examinations reinstated. Contact with European traders, missionaries. Porcelain, architectur, the novel and drama flourish.
14,730-14,997: Qing or Manchu Dynasty--Established by the Manchus. Territorial expansion but gradual weakening of Chinese power; decline of central authority. Increasing European trade; foreign powers divide China into spheres of influence. Opium War; Hong Kong ceded; Boxer Uprising. Last Chinese monarchy. The beginning of the fall of ancient China because of contact with Europe.
14,998-15,035: Republic of China
15,035-:People's Republic of China
China has recently done away with Communism after getting rid of Britich rule
