Dates marked by * are ones you should know precisely.
Neolithic | Shang | Western Zhou | Spring-Autumn | Warring States | Qin | Han
DATE (B.C.) |
POLITICS |
SOCIETY |
CULTURE |
PEOPLE |
7000-2000 |
Neolithic era |
Flourishing of Yang-shao, Long-shan, & Liang-zhu cultures |
Legendary rulers (Yellow Emperor, Yao, Shun) projected to 3000-2500 |
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c. 2000 |
Xia Dynasty ? |
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Early Bronze Age China |
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| 2000-1500 | Earliest use of bronze technology (gradually superseded by iron technology after c. 500) |
Earliest bronze ritual vessels |
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c. 1500 |
Shang Dynasty begins |
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c. 1250 |
Imporation, through Central Asia, of the war chariot |
Zhou people move to Wei River valley |
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c 1200 |
Reign of King Wu-ding |
Earliest inscribed oracle bones |
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1100-1050 |
Reigns of last Shang king, and of King Wen of Zhou |
Age of King Wen |
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1045* |
Zhou conquest of Shang |
Intiation of Zhou feudal system |
Triumph of King Wu |
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1043-40 |
Death of Zhou founder, King Wu, leads to civil war; regency of Duke of Zhou (to 1036) |
Earliest chapters of the Book of Documents probably date from these years |
Era of the Duke of Zhou |
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1040 |
Founding of "Eastern" capital at Cheng-Zhou (Luo-yang) |
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11th-8th centuries |
Era of Bronze inscriptions |
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771* |
Fall of the Western Zhou capital at Zong-Zhou; flight of infant king to Eastern capital at Ch'eng-Zhou |
Beginning or era of civil wars and the growth of chariot warfare as a principal occupation of the patrician class |
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707 |
Armies of the state of Zheng crush armies of Zhou royal alliance; last attempt of Zhou kings to assert power |
During the period c. 800-650, the Book of Poetry is compiled from earlier and contemporary poems. |
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680 |
Duke Huan of Qi acknowledged as first "Hegemon" (assembly of Juan) |
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680-643 |
Hegemony of Duke Huan of Qi |
Institution of household registration, government market goals, and codified law in Qi. |
Guan Zhong serves as prime minister in Qi (to 645) |
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632-628 |
Hegemony of Duke Wen of Jin |
Duke Wen's system of power-sharing in Jin brings stability to Jin patricianate; Jin becomes preeminent power |
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594 |
State of Lu initiates tax on farming acreage. |
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584 |
Jin & Wu form alliance |
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551 |
Confucius born in Lu |
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546 |
Sung minister Xiang Shu brokers peace treaty among the states ("The Peace of Xiang Shu") |
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540-529 |
King Ling of Chu prevails as hegemon from 538 until his disastrous defeat in Wu |
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526 |
Han Qi visits the state of Zheng, where Zi-chan is prime minister |
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506 |
The invasion of Chu by Wu |
Wu Zi-xu advisor to King He-Lü of Wu |
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Iron Age China |
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c. 500* |
Development of iron technology begins |
Date assigned to the first flourishing of Confucius and his teachings. |
Confucius exiled from Lu |
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c. 500-484 |
Period of Confucius's wandering |
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482 |
Hegemony of King Fu-chai of Wu; Wu invaded by Yue armies of King Gou-jian |
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479 |
Confucius dies in Lu |
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453 |
The division of Jin into three states (Zhao, Han, Wei) -- dividing point of Spring-Autumn and Warring States Periods |
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446 |
Marquis Wen becomes ruler of Wei and initiates call for wise men from all states to join his court. |
Wei's policies initiate the era of the "wandering persuaders." |
Confucius's disciple Zi-xia travels to Wei and become Court Tutor, spreading Confucian thought. |
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c. 420 |
Prime Minister Li Kui's policies of government intervention in markets contributes to emergence of state power in Wei. |
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c. 400 |
Mohist cults reach first flourishing. |
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386 |
The Tian family completes its usurpation of the ruling throne in Qi |
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360-338 |
Shang Yang is Prime Minister in Qin |
Qin reforms: establishment of centralized bureaucracy, right to buy and sell land, fixed codes of penal and administrative law. |
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c. 350 |
Development of early Daoist cults. |
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c. 350-325 |
Rulers of Qi establish the Ji-xia Academy; endures to 265. |
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335 |
Rulers of Qi and Wei first adopt title "King." |
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c. 325-314 |
Mencius's career as a wandering persuader. |
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320-256 |
Era of "Horizontal & Vertical Alliances" of states collaborating with or resisting Qin. |
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314 |
Qi invades Yan. |
Mencius retires after debacle of Yan invasion. |
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300 |
Lord Meng-chang flourishes in Qi |
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284-279 |
Yan occupation of Qi; weakness of Qi opens more opportunity for Qin |
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c. 275 |
Naturalistic schools of thought flourish at Ji-xia. |
The Confucian Xun-zi a leader of the Ji-xia Academy |
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257 |
Lord Xin-ling of Wei rescues the Zhao capital city of Han-dan from the siege of the Qin army. |
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256 |
Qin extinguishes the Zhou royal house (the end of the Zhou Dynasty). |
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246 |
Ying Zheng, the future First Emperor, takes the throne in Qin; Lü Bu-wei is Prime Minister (to 237). |
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233 |
The influence of Li Si in Qin begins to grow. |
Legalist thinker Han Fei-zi dies in Qin |
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230-221 |
Qin armies conquer Han, Zhao, Yan, Wei, Chu, and Qi. |
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221* |
Qin state re-unifies China |
Feudalism abolished on recommendation of Li Si, who becomes Prime Minister |
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213 |
The great book proscription |
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210 |
First Emperor dies while on tour seeking immortals; death concealed by Li Si & Zhao Gao |
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209 |
Rebellion of Chen She |
Shu-sun Tong flees from Qin |
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208 |
Rebel forces of Liu Bang & Xiang Yu occupy Qin |
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206 |
Official date of founding of Han Dynasty |
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206-202 |
Civil War (Liu Bang vs. Xiang Yu) |
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202 |
Han takes control: Liu Bang becomes Gao-di (Emperor Gao) |
Establishment of ten "feudal" kingdoms in eastern China |
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201 |
Unsuccessful Xiong-nu war |
Establishment of appeasement policies in dealings with non-Chinese peoples |
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195 |
Nine of ten feudal kingdoms have, through policy of "provoke and conquer" been brought under Liu control |
Death of Liu Bang -- beginning of influence of his wife, Empress Lü |
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191 |
Lifting of the book ban |
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179-157 |
Reign of Wen-di |
Reinstatement of "provoke and conquer" policies towards feudal kingdoms |
Height of Huang-Lao influence Gradual imperial patronage of Confucian scholarship |
Dong Zhong-shu appointed "erudite" of Spring & Autumn Annals |
154 |
Unsuccessful rebellion of feudal kingdoms permanently breaks their power |
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140-87 |
Reign of Wu-di |
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140-135 |
Huang-Lao court influence persists through power of Dowager Empress Dou (widow of Wen-di) |
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140 |
Wu-di calls for talent search and policy advice -- Dong Zhong-shu responds |
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135 |
Wu-di implements recommendations of ong Zhong-shu |
Establishment of Confucianism as state ideology |
Empress Dou dies |
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98 |
Sima Qian's defense of General Li Ling's conduct leads to his castration. |
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91 |
Great witchcraft crisis closes Wu-di's reign in a shambles |
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78 |
The Sui Meng incident |
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