Imperial China

History makes it begin with the Xia dynasty in -2205, but it is only with Qin Shi Huangdi - considered as the first emperor - that feudal China gives way to a strong and centralized power.

After decades of decadence under the Qing Dynasty, the Chinese Revolution of 1911 struck a fatal blow to the imperial system, and the Republic of China was officially proclaimed on January 1, 1912.

Drapeau dynastie chinoise

Dynasties of Imperial China

DynastiesYears
Xia dynasty 夏 xià 2100 BC - 1600 BC 500 years
Shang dynasty 商 shāng 1600 BC - 1046 BC 554 years
Western Zhou dynasty 西周 xī zhōu 1046 BC - 771 BC 275 years
Eastern Zhou dynasty 東周 dōng zhōu 770 BC - 256 BC 514 years
Spring and Auumn period 春秋 chūn qiū 722 BC - 476 BC 246 years
Warring States period 戰國 zhàn guó 475 BC - 221 BC 254 years
Imperial dynasties
Qin dynasty 秦 qín 221 BC - 206 BC 15 years
Western Han dynasty 西漢 xī hàn 206 BC - AD 9 215 years
Xin dynasty 新 xīn 9 - 26 15 years
Eastern Han dynasty 東漢 dōng hàn 25 - 220 195 years
Three H`Kingdoms 三國 sān guó 220 - 265 45 years
Western Jin dynasty 西晉 xī jìn 265 - 317 52 years
Eastern Jin dynasty 東晉 dōng jìn 317 - 420 103 years
Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 nán běi cháo 420 - 581 161 years
Sui dynasty 隋 suí 581 - 618 37 years
Tang dynasty 唐 táng 618 - 907 289 years
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 五代十國 wǔ dài shí guó 907 - 960 53 years
Northern Song dynasty 北宋 běi sòng 960 - 1127 167 years
Southern Song dynasty 南宋 nán sòng 1127 - 1279 152 years
Liao dynasty 遼 liáo 916 - 1125 209 years
Jin dynasty 金 jīn 1115 - 1234 119 years
Yuan dynasty 元 yuán 1271 - 1368 97 years
Ming dynasty 明 míng 1368 - 1644 276 years
Qind dynasty 清 qīng 1644 - 1912 267 years
Discover the history of major imperial dynasties
dynasties