Chinese Dynasty Essay

1716 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The rise of the Qin dynasty

Dynasties
Throughout the years, the People's Republic of China underwent a numerous amount of heartache to get the where it is now - a Republican country. A dynasty is a succession of rulers from the same family or line. The very first Chinese dynasty was the Xia dynasty (2100 BCE) and concluded with the Qing dynasty (1912), which then led to a Republic Period and eventually the People's Republic of China. There were over 13 dynasties in china however, I will only talk about the pivotal dynasties, the dynasties, I believe, that made China what it is today - Xia dynasty (2100-1600 BCE), Zhou dynasty (1046-256 BCE), Qin dynasty (221-206 BCE), Han dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) and the Qing dynasty (1644-1912).
The Xia Dynasty is dated back to 2070 BCE to 1600 BCE and is one of the very earliest dynasties mentioned in legends and historical chronicles such as Records of the Grand Historian and Bamboo Annuals. The founder of this dynasty was Yu, a man who was credited with having engineered the draining of the waters of the great flood. Yu allegedly made the ruler ship hereditary in his family and therefore founding the first imperial dynasty of China.
The Zhou Dynasty (1050-256 BCE) conquered and succeeded the Shang Dynasty to which later generations seeked to reclaim and preserve the idealized peace of the early Zhou period. This early Zhou period was known as "Spring and Autumn" (722-481 BC) and saw relative stability and the growth of trade, towns and a middle class of merchants and artisans. However, this stability and increase in income to the princes caused Zhou's decline as it gave the local princes to do three things: firstly, it allowed the princes to build canals. This increased trade, thus giving the princes more tolls and ta...

... middle of paper ...

...sciplined and incompetent. The West and Japan were encroaching for trade interests. The explosion of the Taiping Rebellion and other insurgencies, together with the infringement by foreign powers, significantly undermined the Qing court. By 1900, China was forced to grant long-term territorial leases to foreign powers. External pressures and internal rebellion finally brought about dynastic collapse in 1911, when the revolution led by Sun Yatsen established the Republic of China.
To conclude, I find the Chinese Dynasty particularly interesting as these dynasties are what created China, and are very important in Chinese history. Of course there are many more Chinese Dynasties such as the: Tang dynasty (618-906 CE), Song dynasty (960-1279), Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) which all led to the People's Republic of China which came about in 1949.

Show More
Related

  • Changes And Continuities In The Shang Dynasty

    1657 Words  | 4 Pages

    The fall of the Shang dynasty ended the river valley society in China, and made way for the beginning of developed civilization in China. After the collapsed Shang dynasty came the Zhou dynasty, which began in 1029 BCE and flourished until 700 BCE, but it did not officially collapse until 403 BCE. Following that came the period of political disintegration and unease, known as the Era of the Warring States, from 402 BCE to 222 BCE. Finally, the Qin dynasty arose in 221 BCE and brought order back to China, however this did not last, and the dynasty fell in 207 BCE. Revolts over the Qin emperor’s death broke out, and it was the rise of the Han dynasty that restored China’s political

    Read More

  • Liang Fa's Good Words To Ext The Age

    496 Words  | 1 Pages

    China has an extensive history that spans thousands of years and various dynasties. Each dynasty has made their own significant achievements which have contributed to the shaping of China. However, some historians believe that because China followed a "dynastic cycle" for so long, the society was unchanging and stagnant. But the fact of the matter is that China was actually undergoing massive changes within itself which would lead to the shaping of a new China.

    Read More

  • Han Dynasty Compare Contrast Essay

    1198 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Classical Era, the collapse of the Roman Empire was similar to the collapse of the Han Dynasty in that they both fell due to external and internal conflict. However, they differed in that the Roman Empire became politically and culturally fragmented while the Han Dynasty was reconstituted as a political and cultural whole.

    Read More

  • Song Dynasty Essay

    1581 Words  | 4 Pages

    One of the eras of a majestic ancient civilization that has left a lasting impression upon the world of today is the Chinese Song Dynasty. Established by General Zhao Kuangyin this dynasty lasted from 960–1279 AD and brought a new stability to China after many decades of civil war, and ushered in a new era of modernization. It was divided into the Bei (Northern) and the Nan (Southern) Song periods. This brilliant cultural epoch gave birth to major advances in economic reform, achievements in technology, and helped to further medical knowledge.

    Read More

  • The Xia Dynasties: The Rise And Fall Of Ancient Chinese Civilization

    323 Words  | 1 Pages

    Later, the Shang Dynasty came around 1766-1122 BCE. The Shang Dynasty had 31 emperors in a time period of 600 years. During this time period social class divided the society. The lower class was kept from advancing and maintaining the power of the upper class. Stability within the dynasty existed largely because despite inequality the government protected the lower class. According to the website "Ancient Chinese Dynasties: Advancements and Achievements." China had many achievement that help shape the civilization of China such as ‘the developed a refined

    Read More

  • Essay On The Han Dynasty

    567 Words  | 2 Pages

    Of the many dynasties that make up China’s history, one of the most notable is the Han Dynasty, which lasted from 206 BCE to 220 CE, under the rule of numerous emperors. It made many contributions to China’s history and made lasting changes, some of which remained for millennia following the dynasty’s collapse. They made changes to China’s economy, technology, social order, religion, philosophy, and education that revolutionized the way China operated. Also, as the Han Dynasty expanded greatly during its rule, many of the territory that the dynasty conquered became part of what would later be modern day China. These changes helped to shape the country that China became.

    Read More

  • The Sui, Tang, and Song Dynasties

    469 Words  | 1 Pages

    Major changes in political structure, social and economic life define the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties. Each period laid the foundation for the next, with changes and improvements to create a new order.

    Read More

  • Fall Of The Han Dynasty Essay

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    Most often, all in life eventually comes to an end, which additionally brings the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire to mind, who have also collapsed and came to an end. The Han Dynasty was one of China’s largest dynasties, while the Roman Empire was the most expansive political and social structure in their civilization. Both Roman Empire and Han Dynasty have fallen but several pundits believe that the United States may be in the same crisis like the others who have went through a state of decline.

    Read More

  • China

    468 Words  | 1 Pages

    began during Qin’s rule, although it didn’t reach its full glory until the Ming dynasty, “The

    Read More

  • The Song Dynasty

    786 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Song Dynasty (960-1279) was a ruling dynasty in China. This dynasty is divided into two periods: Northern Song and Southern Song. Social life was vibrant in the Song dynasty. Literature and knowledge were enhanced by wood block printing and movable type printing. Confucianism infused with Buddhist ideals emphasized a new organization of classic texts brought out the core doctrine of Neo-Confucianism. The civil service examinations became more prominent in the Song period. Administrative sophistication and complex organization was during this era. Song Dynasty was prosperous in many respects of the society. Even though this dynasty was technologically and culturally advanced, Song people were not militarily powerful.

    Read More

  • The Han Dynasty

    1393 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Han Dynasty, the amazing Chinese era that has unified China for over 400 years. This era in China’s history began in 206 B.C. when a rebel army rose up against the Qin army. One rebellion, led by Chen Sheng and Wu Kuang was later joined by Xiang Liang, Xiang Yu, Ying Bu, and Peng Yue joined forces with Liu Bang. The people of the Qin Dynasty were unhappy under the rule of Qin Shihuang, who ran his empire with an iron fist. His rule was absolute and disagreeing was punishable by death, though Emperor Qin was the one who to end the Warring States as well as complete the conquering of China in 221 B.C, thus expanding the Chinese state.

    Read More

  • Tang Dynasty Essay

    1309 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Tang Dynasty (618 -907 A.D), also known as China’s glorious revelation, was a time of major change both politically and economically in the Chinese Empire. During this time period, trade became greater than ever. The military power strengthened. The population also increased during this time period from fifty million to eighty million in just two centuries with its large population base, the dynasty was able to raise professional and conscripted armies of hundreds of thousands of troops to contend with nomadic powers in dominating Inter Asia. The Tang also has a strong influence on its neighboring states such as Korea (which was at the time made if of three kingdoms) and Japan. During this time period the Silk Road expanded and trade

    Read More

  • Tang And Song Dynasty Essay

    871 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Tang Dynasty’s rise is similar to the rise of the Han Dynasty, which began over 800 years earlier. The first emperor of the tang, Kao-tsu (618-626 C.E.), implemented many of the practices and ideas established during the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Kao-tsu carried on the tradition of local government rule, and also awarded each adult male in China equal amounts of land, in exchange for taxes. Emperor Taizong, who began rule in 626 C.E., was the son of Kao-tsu, also played an important role in the economic expansion of China and ruled during the beginning decades of the Tang. Emperor Taizong’s reign beg...

    Read More

  • Essay On The Tang Dynasty

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Bill and Ted project provided an insightful look on the topic I chose. The rise of the Tang dynasty was essential for Chinese intellectual development. To begin with, the fall of the Sui dynasty was also the rise of the Tang dynasty. The decline began once Sui rulers failed to conquer Korea.

    Read More

  • Ancient Chinese Civilization

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    The governmental structure of the Chinese dynasties evolved with each changing regime. Even the title of king, as was called in the beginning, changed to emperor because it was not grand enough. Each dynasty had the king or emperor as the head of its government. They had supreme power over the economy, government, military, and religious beliefs of the country. The empires used a centralized bureaucracy that had overall control over the country. They learned vast amount from this form of government, each reign modified its structure accordingly, ranging from very strict to almost a hands-off approach. It was not replaced with any other form government; it simply evolved into what was suitable for each period. As the country expanded and became too vast for one man to rule, a feudal system was created, similar to the ones in ancien...

    Read More

More about Chinese Dynasty Essay

Open Document