4000 Years of Chinese Dynasties Part 1 Quiz

The Xia Dynasty (2070 BC-1600 BC)
Xia was the first recorded ancient dynasty in China, established by Yu the Great after he was handed the throne by Shun. Shun was the last of the Five Emperors namely, Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu, Emperor Ku, Emperor Yao, and Emperor Shun. The dynasty was located in an area near the east coast of China around Beijing and Tianjin and the Yellow River. Yu the Great became the first Chinese ruler to hand the throne to his son.

The Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1046 BC)
This was the second of the three ancient Chinese dynasties. King Tang, leader of the Shang tribe was the founder of the dynasty. He overthrew the last oppressive Xia ruler named Jie. The capital was established at Anyang.

Shang was the first dynasty with written records which were inscribed on bones and bronze objects. Wall cities were built for the first time and silk industry was developed.

The Zhou Dynasty was established in 1046 BC after King Wu defeated the emperor of Shang dynasty in the Battle of Muye. The Western Zhou period was from 1046 BC to 771 BC when the Zhou rulers held real power for 275 years. The capital city was set in Haojing (present-day the southern part of Xi'an, Shaanxi Province

Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC-221 BC)
The Eastern Zhou period started when the capital was moved to Luoyi (present-day Luoyang in Henan Province) in 770 BC. For the next 515 years, the Zhou rulers only acted as figure heads, with the actual powers held by various powerful feudal lords.

Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC-476 BC)
This period was named after the Spring and Autumn Annals written by Confucius, which lasted for 275 years. The period started the Eastern Zhou kingdom moved the capital to Luoyi in 770 BC, when they started to lose real powers which were held by various powerful feudal lords. This was a turbulent period where there were constant warfare with over 140 states vying for power. Many small and weaker states were annexed by the larger powerful states

Warring States Period (476 BC-221 BC)
For the next 255 years, after many wars were fought, only seven states were left after all the smaller states were annexed. The seven states were: Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei and Qin. The most significant reform was introduced by Shang Yang (395 BC - 338 BC) in the state of Qin. Shang Yang implemented Legalism which eventually made the Qin the most powerful of the seven states.

Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC)
After conquering the other six states, Qin Dynasty established the first imperial empire. Qin Shihuang became the first Chinese emperor. The capital was established in Xianyang, which is a now a prefecture-level city in present-day Shaanxi province. Although the dynasty lasted only 15 years, it had a lasting cultural impact on the following dynasties. The Chinese writing was unified during this period.

Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-9 AD)
Han dynasty was founded by Liu Bang aka Emperor Gaozu, who established the dynasty after four years of civil wars, started by peasant uprisings against the harsh rule the Qin Dynasty. He established the capital in Xian, Shaanxi Province. This period lasted for 215 years. The silk route was established by the dynasty, which connected the trading route from China to the West.

Xin Dynasty (9 AD-23 AD)
This was a short-lived dynasty which lasted only 14 years established by Wang Mang, who was a nephew of the queen of Han Yuandi. He usurped the throne of the Emperor Ping of Han and the infant "crown prince" Liu Ying. Although he carried out a series of measures, his empire was quickly thrown in great disarray. The dynasty was ended by peasant revolt led Liu Xiu who was a descendant of Emperor Jing.

Eastern Han Dynasty (25 AD-220 AD)
This period started when Liu Xiu who was a descendant of Emperor Jing overthrew the short-lived Xin dynasty. The capital was moved from Xian to Luoyang. The Eastern Han dynasty lasted for 195 years. After the reigns of Emperors Guangwu, Ming, and Zhang from 25 AD to 88 AD, the Han Dynasty regained its prosperity. The economical, scientific and cultural development surpassed that of the Western Han Dynasty.