Dynasties in Chinese history
Below is a table of the
dynasties in Chinese history.
In most cases the dates given in the table are the commonly used conventional dates marking the generally agreed point at which power in
China changed hands.
There is, however, still much dispute about dates in the Western Zhou period and earlier. It should also be noted that history is rarely as neat as it is portrayed and it was rare indeed for one dynasty to end calmly and give way quickly and smoothly to a new one. Dynasties were often established before the overthrow of an existing regime, or continued for a time after they had been defeated. In addition, China was divided for long periods of its history, with different regions being ruled over by different groups. At times like these there was no dynasty ruling a unified China.
One example of the potential for confusion will suffice. The conventional date
1644 marks the year in which the
Manchu Qing dynasty armies occupied
Beijing and brought Qing rule to
China proper, succeeding the
Ming dynasty. However, the Qing dynasty itself was established in
1636 (or even
1616, albeit under a different name), while the last Ming dynasty pretender was not disposed of until
1662. The change of ruling houses was a messy and prolonged affair, and the Qing took almost twenty years to extend their control over the whole of China. To pretend that everything changed all at once all over China in the year 1644 would make a nonsense of what actually happened.
For more details on the dynasties listed here and their emperors, follow the relevant links in the table. Click on
H for the
history of the dynasty, and
E for a table of its
emperors (or other rulers).
One version
width="20" 三皇"帝夏商周
春秋戰國秦漢流
三國魏晉南北隋
"宋元明清民" | width="30" sān huáng w" dì xià shāng zhōu
chūn qiū zhàn guó qín hàn liú
sān guó wèi jìn nán běi suí
táng sòng yuán míng qīng mín shōu |
Another version
width="20" "堯虞舜夏商周，春秋戰國亂悠悠。
秦漢三國晉統一，南朝北朝是對頭。
隋""代又十國，宋元明清帝王休。
| width="30" táng yáo yú shùn xià shāng zhōu, chūn qiū zhàn guó luàn yōu yōu.
qín hàn sān guó jìn t'ng yī, nán cháo běi cháo shì duì tóu.
suí táng w" dài yòu shí guó, sòng yuán míng qīng dì wáng xiū. |
*
History of China*
Timeline of Chinese history*
Table of Chinese monarchs
