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Art History 371
Chinese Painting
Spring 2012

Chronology of Chinese History

The traditional way of dividing Chinese history is in terms of dynasties. The use of this system is so widespread that it is the usual way to refer to the Chinese past (for instance, people refer to "Tang poetry" or "Ming gardens").   Nonetheless, dynastic change does not necessarily correlate closely with social, economic, and cultural developments. In the following list, pinyin spelling is used, and Wade-Giles spelling is given in square brackets if it differs.

PRE-IMPERIAL CHINA

Emperor Yao (legendary) 3rd Millennium BCE
Emperor Shun (legendary) 3rd Millennium BCE
Xia [Hsia] Dynasty 21 C. BCE ~ 16 C. BCE [or 2183-1752 BCE?] 
Shang Dynasty 16 C. BCE ~ 1066 BCE [or 1751-1112 BCE?]
Zhou [Chou] Dynasty 1111 BCE ~ 249 BCE [or 1027-249 BCE?]
Western Zhou [Chou] 1066-771 BCE
Eastern Zhou [Chou] 771-221 BCE
Spring and Autumn 722-481 BCE
Warring States 480-222 BCE

THE EARLY EMPIRE

Qin [Ch'in] Dynasty (255-) 221 BCE ~ 206 BCE
    Capital city at Changan Ch'ang-an [mod Xian Sian]
Han Dynasty 206 BCE ~ 220 CE
    Capital cities at Changan Ch'ang-an [mod Xian Sian], Luoyang Loyang
Western [Former] Han 206 BCE-23 CE
Jin [Hsin] 9-23 CE
Eastern [Later] Han 25-220
Three Kingdoms
Wei 220-265
Shu Han 221-263
Wu 222-280
Jin [Chin] Dynasty 265 ~ 420
Western Jin [Chin] 265-316
Eastern Jin [Chin] 317-420
Sixteen Kingdoms 304 ~ 420
Southern & Northern Dynasties 420 ~ 589
South
Liu Song [Sung] 420-479
Southern Qi [Ch'i] 479-502
Liang 502-557
Chen [Ch'en] 557-589
North
Northern Wei 386-535
Eastern Wei 534-550
Western Wei 535-556
Northern Qi [Ch'i] 550-577
Northern Zhou [Chou] 557-581

THE MIDDLE-PERIOD EMPIRE

Sui Dynasty 581 ~ 618
Tang [T'ang] Dynasty 618 ~ 907
    Capital City at Changan Ch'ang-an [mod Xian Sian]
Five Dynasties 907 ~ 979
South (major regimes)
Wu Yue [Yueh]  902-978
Southern Tang [T'ang] 937-975

West
Shu 907-925
Later Shu 934-965
North
Later Liang 907-923
Later Tang [T'ang] 923-936
Later Jin [Chin] 936-47
Later Han 947-950  
Later Zhou [Chou] 951-960

THE LATER EMPIRE

Liao (907-) 947-1125
Song [Sung] Dynasty 960 ~ 1279
Northern Song [Sung] 960-1127
    Capital city at Kaifeng
Southern Song [Sung] 1127-1279
    Capital city at Hangzhou Hangchow
Western Xia [Hsi-hsia] Dynasty (990)-1032-1227
Jin [Chin] Dynasty 1115-1234
Yüan [Mongol] Dynasty 1279 ~ 1368
    Capital city at Beijing Peking
Ming Dynasty 1368 ~ 1644
    Capital city at Nanjiing Nanking, Beijing Peking
Qing [Ching] [Manchu] Dynasty 1644 ~ 1911
    Capital city at Beijing Peking

POST IMPERIAL CHINA

Republic of China 1912 ~ [still in Taiwan]
    Capital city at Nanjing Nanking
People's Republic of China 1949.10 ~ [still in mainland China]
    Capital city at Beijing Peking