2.13EARLY CIVILIZATIONSEARLY CIVILIZATIONS

Major Chinese Dynasties and Periods c. 2205 BCE-907 CE.0 Greatest extent

of territory

PacificOcean

Hsiac. 2205-1766 BCE

PacificOcean. Chou

c. 1122-256BCE

. Sui581-618 CE

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Han202 BCE-220CE

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@Diagram

0

~

0

1000 km

~1000 miles

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Shangc. 1766-1122 BCE

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Ch'in256-206 BCE

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Three Kingdomsand Six Dynasties

220-589 CE

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Tang618-907 CE

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2.14EARLY CIVILIZATIONS

Hsia, Shang, & Chou Dynasties in China c. 2205*-256 BeE

DYNASTIES/PERIODS

Dc. 2205-1766* BCE

Hsia

" c. 1766-1122* BCE. Shang

ft c. 1122*-771 BCE. Western (early)Chou

1771-256 BCE

Eastern (later) Chou

ft 722-481 BCE. Ch'un Ch'iu (Spring and Fall)period

ft 403-221 BCE" Warring States period

A Shang tortoiseshell oracle showingearly Chinese writing.These were usedfor divination from around 1200 BCE

* Two sources are generally used to date thelegendary Hsia, Shang, and early Chou dynas-ties: The Bamboo Annals and the "orthodox"Chinese historical chronology. The dates of thetwo sources differ greatly until the year 841 BC,when they converge. Those given here belongto the "orthodox" chronology.

@ Diagram

BC

2250

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2050

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I ~O250

~ i m K ~"1 m~ ~ : m 1\

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS

EVENTS

c. 2205* BCELegendary king Yu founds Hsia dynasty,supposedly the first culturally "Chinese" dynasty, andrules to 2197

c. 1766* Last Hsia king Chieh, tyrant hated by hispeople, overthrown by Tang who establishes Shangdynastyc. 1200 Earliest written script preserved ontortoiseshells and bones, known as tortoiseshell

inscriptions or "oracle bones," used for religious rites.Gold, copper, tin, and lead in use, and bronze smeltingand casting at advanced stage; silkworms raised andsilk woven into cloth; horse-drawn chariots developedc. 1122* Last Shang king Chou Hsin, ruthless tyrant

hated by his people, defeated in battle by King Wu ofChou. Western (early) Chou dynasty established andrules over confederacy of Chinese states. Duringperiod of rule (to 771 BCE),Western Chou dynastyincreasingly devolves power to vassal lords of semi-independent statesc. 878-828* Reign of Western Chou king Li. Decline ofWestern Chou begins

841* First completely reliable date in Chinese history.Dates of "orthodox" Chinese chronology and TheBamboo Annals converge776 Earliest observation of solar eclipse is recorded in

Shi Ching (Classic of Poetry)771 Last Western Chou king Yu killed and Choucapital of Chou Tsung sacked by nomads. Eastern

(later) Chou dynasty established by King P'ing at Lo-i,near what is now Loyang. Eastern Chou dynastyvirtually powerless with merely nominal rule over rivalprinces of vassal states722-481 Ch'un Ch'iu (Spring and Fall) period: time

documented in historical Spring and Fall Annals ofChou vassal state of Lu, from which period takes itsname. Loose confederacy exists between states to pro-tect Chinese peoples from invading nomads. Chiefstates are Chin, Ch'i, Ch'in, Ch'u, Lu, Sung, and Yenc. 685 Emergence of five most powerful states (Chin,Ch'i, Ch'in, Ch'u, and Sung), whose lords each, in turn,command confederacy as overlords611 The Spring and Fall Annals record passage ofHalley's comet500-200 Confucian, Taoist, Moist, Legalist, and otherschools of philosophy flourish500-200 Iron-smelting technology makes greatprogress; iron tools widely used

453 Powerful state of Chin is carved up by three rivalnoble families into states of Chao, Han, and Wei (''threeChin"). Weakening of this former state allows its neigh-bor, Ch'in, to grow even more powerful403 Imperial house of Eastern Chou recognizes three

new states of Chao, Han, and Wei: Warring Statesperiod begins (continues to 221 BCE)as rival states of''three Chin," Ch'in, Ch'u, Ch'i, and Yen struggle foroverlordship307 Cavalry of archers begins to replace horse-drawnwar chariots (in state of Chao)256 Ch'in emerges as most powerful of Warring States.Ch'in kills last Chou king Nan and exterminatesEastern Chou dynasty.

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