The Chinese history is as old as 5000 years. The civilization can be dated back to the Neolithic era along the yellow river valley. The very first dynasty is the Xia Dynasty between ca. 2100 BCE – 1600 BCE. This dynasty was followed by the Shang dynasty during ca. 1700 BCE – ca. 1046 BCE. In fact, some of the ancient writings have been dated back to 1500 BCE. The other dynasty that followed Shang was the Zhou dynasty. It marked the origin of the Chinese culture, literature, and philosophy. These three dynasties were in existence during the ancient era, which was then followed by the Imperial era. There were several dynasties in the imperial era. Here is a synopsis of different dynasties during the Imperial era.
Imperial Era Of Chinese History
The Imperial era lasted quite long and China saw its first president Sun Yat-sen and slavery was abolished in 1910. The republic of China was formed in 1912 with Sun Yat-sen as the president. Given below is the timeline of various dynasties and periods during the Imperial era.
- Qin Dynasty - 221-206 BCE
- Han Dynasty - 202 BCE–220 CE
- Wei and Jin Period - 265–420 CE
- Wu Hu Period - 304–439 CE
- Southern and Northern Dynasties -420–589 CE
- Sui Dynasty - 589–618 CE
- Tang Dynasty - 618–907 CE
- Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms - 907–960 CE
- Song Dynasty and Liao, Jin, Western Xia - 960–1234 CE
- Yuan Dynasty - 1234–1305 CE
- Ming Dynasty - 1368–1644 CE
- Qing Dynasty - 1644–1911 CE
Chinese History And Culture
The culture of this country is quite complex with great varsity between towns, provinces, and cities. The customs and traditions differ with different regions and geographic locations. There are 56 ethnic groups in China and the regions too are divided into sub-cultures. China has adopted its values and belief system from Confucianism and Taoism. The philosophies and preaching of these wise men have been a gift for the people of this nation. In fact, in the earlier days, a man was not considered morally upright of he did not learn the values and morals of Confucianism or Taoism. Even Buddhism was a part of the Chinese history and its culture. This country has a strong spiritual orientation. In fact, the art of Feng Shui (pronounced as foong shway) originated in China. It believes in maintaining a balance between the elements of fire, air, and water. The concept is quite deep and has been accepted globally. It is based on the concept of positive and negative energy. China is also famous for its martial arts. Some of the forms of martial arts include Kung Fu, Shaolin monasteries, and Wudang mountains. Another interesting but grueling part of the Chinese culture included foot binding. The feet of a woman were tied tightly so that they do not grow big. It caused a lot of pain and hurt but this culture was followed for several years. Women with small feet were considered beautiful and men preferred to marry such women. In fact, they would look at the feet before marrying. The Chinese history has seen several changes and is known to be a culturally rich country.
The Economy Of China
The economy of this country has seen radical changes from the dynasty days to the republic of China and very recently the modern China. We shall discuss the different eras and the economic conditions during each of them.
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Economic History Prior To 1911 – Like most of the countries, agriculture was practiced widely in China. It was then followed by the bronze-age culture wherein, labor force was used on a large scale to manufacture bronze and silk. This lead to the birth of handicraft industries. However, it lasted until the western Zhou dynasty was in force. After the collapse of the western Zhou dynasty, the power was shifted from nobles to the kings. This phase saw the emergence of merchant class and increased trade in the Chinese history. Later, during the Song dynasty, there were additional economic reforms. Paper money and technological advancements were quite impressive.
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Economic History Of Modern China Post 1911 – The end of Qing dynasty denoted the beginning of modern Chinese economy. However, there was massive disruption in the economy of this country during the Nanjing decade from 1927 to 1937. The Republic of China was formed under the leadership of Sun Yat-sen in 1912. He was the first president of the country and unfortunately there was civil war, famine, and turmoil in the Chinese history during that era. Nevertheless, it saw the development of domestic industries and foreign direct investment. The currency of the republic of China was also formed during this phase that lasted until 1949. After this stage the people’s republic of China was formed under the leadership of Mao Zedong in 1949. The period when he stayed in power, i.e., from 1949 to 1976 was termed as the Mao era. He made several policies and promises in the first five-year plan that resulted in collectivization of industry and agriculture. There were economic developments in the fifties and a great leap forward. This era also witnessed the emergence of reformist faction. There was a cultural revolution too and finally the economy collapsed. The Chinese history is quite interesting for what followed next is the shift from planned economy to free market powerhouse.
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Economic History Of Modern China Post 1976 – The post–Mao era saw some drastic changes. There was de-collectivization of agriculture, liberalization of business, contracting system, foreign investment and industrialization, privatization of state enterprises in 1990s and corporatization of economy.
Timeline Of Chinese History
Here are some of the remarkable dates in the history of China.
- 7600 BCE – There was an archaeological evidence for domestication of pig during this year.
- 7500 BCE – There were Chinese rice residues found that had been domesticated during this phase.
- 6000 BCE – This year indicated archaeological evidence of domestication of dog and chicken.
- 2194 BCE - Bronze Age in China
- 2100 BCE – Existence of Erlitou Culture
- 1400 BCE – Prevalence of Erligang Culture
- 722 BCE – Inception of the Spring and Autumn Period. The State of Lu starts the chronicle of Spring and Autumn Annals.
- 5487 BCE - Weiqi or go board game can be dated back to the Chinese history.
- 481 BCE - End of Spring and Autumn Period.
- 403 BCE - The State of Jin is partitioned, marking the beginning of the Warring States.
- 370 BCE - Philosopher Zhuangzi is born around this time.
- 319 BC - Philosopher Mencius becomes an official in the State of Qi
- 256 BC - Last king of Zhou dies, marking the end of the dynasty.
- 220 BCE – The construction of Great Wall of China begins during this stage.
- 30 BCE - First mention of the wheelbarrow in history.
Chinese Philosophy
Confucius - China was and is a very fortunate country since it witnessed the birth of a great philosopher, Confucius. He was known for his teachings in China. He taught moral and ethical values on several aspects of human life. His philosophies were considered as a fundamental course of study for several Chinese scholars. He taught on the lines of spirituality, his preaching were based on subjects like, action, education, goals, ignorance, knowledge, anger, mistakes, learning, practice, and much more. He focused a lot on righteousness, loyalty, filial piety, etc. Though his teachings were not written anywhere in the books, it was carried forward by his disciples and students. The teachings were recorded in the form of Confucius quotes or analects. These quotes were written over a period of 30 to 50 years during the spring and autumn period. Confucius lived from 551 to 479 BCE. A man was not considered upright if he did not learn the preaching’s of this great philosopher.
Tao – Taoism is pronounced as ‘Daoism’. The Chinese history and philosophy had yet another famous philosopher and his teachings were known as Taoism. In fact, this philosophy later developed into a religion. It advocated non-action, the strength of softness, spontaneity, and relativism. He emphasized on harmony and peace from inside. His teachings were often compared to that of Confucianism. People would often say that you must practice Taoism from inside and Confucianism from outside. Another philosophy of the Chinese history talks about Buddhism, which focuses on discovering the true nature of reality. It believes in enlightenment and adopts meditation techniques to attain salvation. Though Buddha was not born in China, his teachings have spread across the world with followers and disciples.
Indeed, China is a culturally rich country and had some famous philosophers. If we look back, the country was not over populated as it is now. In fact, it was a self-sufficient country with an average economic condition.
The Chinese history has a lot more for you to explore and each timeline has some specific significance. The philosophies too can be learned in depth if you wish to tread on the path of self realization and spirituality.
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