One of the great secrets of history is the immense contribution of Chinese society, including technology, to the Western world. Equally interesting, is the failure of some discoveries in China to cross over to Western civilization, or even to survive into modern times. |
1.6 Million BC | YuanMou Man | Earliest
human findings in China Stone tools and use of fire. |
|
700,000 -500,000 |
Yuanmou Man, Lantian Man, Peking Man |
||
20,000 BC | Upper Cave Man | ||
5,000 BC | YangShao Culture | Farming villages in the Yellow River valleys, painted pottery. | |
2,500 BC | LongShan Culture | East China and Central River valleys. Wheel-made pottery, divination and ancestral worship. | |
2852 -2205 BC |
Three Rulers & Five Emperors | Mythical rulers,credited with inventing farming, building, medicine, silk culture. | |
2205 -1766 BC |
Xia Dynasty | China's legendary first dynasty. Emperor Yu is credited with flood control and irrigation systems. | |
1766 -1122 BC |
Shang Dynasty | First verifiable dynasty. Ritual bronze vessels and
"oracle bones" calligraphy. Evidence of a relatively
sophisticated medical system using acupuncture needles and medical
observations.
Timeline indicates technology developing in China, and the approximations for Western civilization refer to some form of the discovery observed later. Decimal
place system (14th century BC) - 2300 years later in Western
civilization |
|
1122 -256 BC |
Zhou Dynasty | Western Zhou later cited as a model period.
Capital city near Xian. Confucius born in 551 BC. Flowering in
classical literature, arts, and philosophy; Confuciansim, Taoism. Lao
Tze and Chuang Tze lived around this period. Internal alchemy, meditation, and breathing
techniques developed. 6th century BC Row cultivation of crops and intensive hoeing - 2200
years later in Western civilization 5th century BC Spouting bowls and standing waves experimentation. 4th century BC The trace efficient horse harness - 500
years later in Western civilization |
|
770 -256 BC |
Eastern Zhou | ||
722 -481 BC |
Spring and Autumn | ||
403 -221 BC |
Warring States | ||
221 -206 BC |
Qin Dynasty | Unification of China under Emperor Qin Shi Huang. State walls are joined to form the Great Wall. Palace and mausoleum near Xian, standardization of weights, measures, calligraphy. Emperor Qin Shi Huang creates burial pit city including thousands of clay soldier figuerines (Terracotta warriors). | |
206 BC -220 AD |
Han Dynasty |
Capitals at Changan and Luoyang rivals that of Rome. Buddhism enters China from India. Birth of Confucian civil service. 2nd century BC Paper
invented - 1400 years later in Western civilization Deep drilling for natural gas - 1900 years
later in the West Water power - 1200 years later in the West |
|
206 BC -9 AD |
Western Han | ||
25-220 AD | Hou Han Later or Eastern Han |
||
220-280 | San Kuo (Three
Kingdoms) Wei, Shu-Han, Wu |
Han generals divide empire. This period is romanticized
as a time of chivalry and heroism in later literature. 2nd century AD Recognition of sunspots as solar
phenomena - 1300 years later in Western civilization |
|
265-317 | Western Chin (Jin) | China briefly united under one Emperor. Capitals at
Luoyang, Changan. 3rd century AD Cybernetic machine - 1600 years
later in Western civilization |
|
317-420 | Eastern Chin (Jin) |
4th century AD Umbrella - 1200 years later in
Western civilization |
|
420-479 | (Liu) Sung | ||
479-581 | Southern and Northern Dynasties | 5th century AD Essentials of steam engine - 1200
years later in Western civilization Succession of numerous dynasties, including 24 short-lived ones, on the north and south sides of the Yangtze. Developing period for Buddhism. Cave temples at Dunhuang, Yungang, and Longmen. |
|
386-535 | Northern Wei | ||
535-556 | Western Wei | Bohidarma (TaMo) arrives in China. Shaolin Monastery
built and Shaolin boxing develops.
|
|
534-550 | Eastern Wei | ||
550-577 | Northern Ch'i | ||
557-581 | Northern Chou | ||
581-618 | Sui Dynasty | Golden
Age of China North conquers south and unites China. The Grand
Canal is built. The capital is established at Changan.
6th century AD Discovery of the solar wind - 1400
years later in Western civilization |
|
618-907 | Tang Dynasty | The
Heavenly Khan Scholarship and the Arts flourish. Mechanical clock - 585 years later
in Western civilization |
|
907-960 | Five Dynasties (North) and Ten Kingdoms (South) | A period of war and fragmentation, as North and South divides into smaller kingdoms. | |
960-1279 |
Sung Dynasty |
Chain drive - 800 years later in the
West
|
|
960-1127 |
Northern Sung |
||
1127-1279 |
Southern Sung | ||
1279-1368 | Yuan Dynasty (Mongol) | Kublai Khan conquers China. A new capital is established
at Peking (Beijing) and the Grand Canal is extended to supply the
capital. Marco Polo visits and serves Khan in China. War technology |
|
1360 | Zhang Sanfeng (Chang Sanfeng) travels to Wudang Mountains and is generally credited with inventing the 13 postures of Taijiquan (T'ai Chi Ch'uan) | ||
1368-1644 | Ming Dynasty | Mongols are defeated. Strong Emperors bring about a prosperous era. Building of the Forbidden City and Imperial Tombs. Arrival of Jesuits. Changan city changes its name to Xian. | |
1644-1911 | Qing Dynasty (Manchu) | Han People are subjugated by the Manchus. The neglected Forbidden City is restored and the Summer Palace is rebuilt. | |
1839-1842 | Foreign trade pressures leads to the Opium War. | ||
1850-1864 | Taiping Rebellion in the south. Anti-Qing revolt is inspired by mixture of Chinese and Christian ideas. | ||
1858-1860 | Anglo-French invasions at Canton, Tianjin. Foreign troops destroy the Summer Palace near Peking. | ||
1894-1895 | Sino-Japanese War. Japan dominates Korea and Taiwan | ||
1900 | Anti-foreign Boxer Rebellion is suppressed by foreign troops. Qing court flees and Westerners occupy Peking. | ||
1911-1949 | Republic of China |
1911 Revolution. China attempts democratic government. | |
1912 | Sun Yat-Sen briefly serves as China's first president. Kuomintang (KMT) or Nationalist party is formed. | ||
1916 | Warlord period begins. | ||
1921 | Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is founded) | ||
1926-1927 | Joint KMT-CCP expedition against warlords has limited success, but causes a hostile division of the country. | ||
1934-1935 | Long march of the Communists to the northwest. | ||
1937-1945 | Second Sino-Japanese War. KMT is led by Chiang Kai-shek, joining with the CCP, led by Mao Tse Tung. American military aids during World War II. Japan surrenders. | ||
1946-1949 | Civil war erupts between the KMT and the CCP. KMT and millions of citizens flee China for Formosa (Taiwan), the U.S., Canada and other sanctuaries. | ||
1949- | People's Republic of China | Mao Tse Tung leads the PRC as it turns inwards from the world. |
As I collect information and resources on Chinese invention and discovery, I would be happy to collaborate with other authors.
From: randy@computersmiths.com