Chinese History Chronology
Dynasty |
Period |
Founder |
Capital |
Prehistoric Times | 1.7 million years ago - the 21st century BC | recorded leaders include Yellow Emperor, Yao, Shun... | around the Yellow River and Yangtze River in central China |
Xia Dynasty | 21st - 17th century BC | Yu the Great |
Anyi ( in Yuncheng, Shanxi); Yangcheng (in todays's Dengfeng, Zhengzhou, Henan); Yangdi (in todays's Yuzhou, Henan); Zhenxun (in Luoyang, Henan) |
Shang Dynasty | 17th century BC - 1046 BC | Tang | Bo (in Shangqiu, Henan); Yin (in Anyang, Henan) |
Zhou Dynasty | 1046 - 256 BC | ||
Western Zhou | 1046 BC - 771 BC | King Wu (Ji Fa) | Fengjing and Haojing (in today's Xian, Shaanxi) |
Eastern Zhou | 770 - 256 BC | King Ping (Ji Yijiu) | Luoyi (today's Luoyang) |
770 - 476 BC | |||
---Warring States | 475 - 221 BC | ||
Qin Dynasty | 221 - 207 BC | Qin Shi Huang (Ying Zheng / Zhao Zheng) |
Xianyang (in today's Xianyang and Xian of Shaanxi) |
Han Dynasty | 202 BC - 220 AD | Liu Bang | |
Western Han | 202 BC - 9 AD | Liu Bang | Chang'an (today's Xian) |
Xin Dynasty | 9 - 23 AD | Wang Mang | Chang'an (today's Xian) |
Eastern Han | 25 - 220 AD | Liu Xiu | Luoyang |
Three Kingdoms | 220 - 280 AD | ||
Wei | 220 - 265 AD | Cao Pi | Luoyang |
Shu | 221 - 263 AD | Liu Bei | Chengdu |
Wu | 222 - 280 AD | Sun Quan | Jianye (today's Nanjing, Jiangsu) |
Jin Dynasty | 265 - 420 AD | Sima Yan | |
Western Jin | 265 - 316 AD | Sima Yan | Luoyang |
Eastern Jin | 317 - 420 AD | Sima Rui | Jiankang (Nanjing, Jiangsu) |
304 - 439 AD | |||
Southern & Northern | 420 - 589 AD | ||
Southern Dynasties | 420 - 589 AD | ||
--- Song | 420 - 479 | Liu Yu | Jiankang (today's Nanjing) |
--- Qi | 479 - 502 | Xiao Daocheng | Jiankang (Nanjing) |
--- Liang | 502 - 557 | Xiao Yan | Jiankang (Nanjing) |
--- Chen | 557 - 589 | Chen Baxian | Jiankang (Nanjing) |
Northern Dynasties | 386 - 581 AD | ||
--- Northern Wei | 386 - 534 | Tuoba Gui | Pingcheng (today's Datong, Shanxi); Luoyang |
--- Eastern Wei | 534 - 550 | Yuan Shanjian (actually controlled by Gao Huan) | Yecheng (in Linzhang, Handan, Hebei) |
--- Western Wei | 535 - 557 | Yuan Baoju (actually controlled by Yuwen Tai) | Chang'an (today's Xian) |
--- Northern Qi | 550 - 577 | Gao Yang | Yecheng (in Linzhang, Handan, Hebei) |
--- Northern Zhou | 557 - 581 | Yuwen Jue | Chang'an (today's Xian) |
Sui Dynasty | 581 - 618 AD | Yang Jian | Daxing (in today's Xian, Shaanxi); Luoyang |
Tang Dynasty | 618 - 907 AD | Li Yuan | Chang'an (today's Xian); Luoyang |
907 - 960 AD | Bianliang (Kaifeng, Henan); Luoyang | ||
--- Later Liang | 907 - 923 AD | Zhu Wen (Zhu Quanzhong / Zhu Huang) | Bianliang (Kaifeng) |
--- Later Tang | 923 - 936 AD | Li Cunxu | Luoyang |
--- Later Jin | 936 - 946 AD | Shi Jingtang | Bianliang (Kaifeng) |
--- Later Han | 947 - 950 AD | Liu Zhiyuan | Bianliang (Kaifeng) |
--- Later Zhou | 951 - 960 AD | Guo Wei | Bianliang (Kaifeng) |
Ten States | 902 - 979 AD | ||
Song Dynasty | 960 - 1279 AD | Zhao Kuangyin | |
Northern Song | 960 - 1127 AD | Zhao Kuangyin | Bianjing (Kaifeng) |
Southern Song | 1127 - 1279 AD | Zhao Gou | Nanjing (today's Shangqiu, Henan); Lin'an (Hangzhou) |
Liao | 907 --- 1125 AD | Yelü Abaoji | Shangjing (Baarin Left Banner, Chifeng, Inner Mongolia) |
Western Xia Dynasty | 1038 - 1227 AD | Li Yuanhao | Xingqing (today's Yinchuan, Ningxia) |
Jin Kingdom | 1115 - 1234 AD | Wan-yen A-ku-ta (Wanyan Aguda / Wanyan Min) | Huining (Harbin, Heilongjiang); Zhongdu (today's Beijing); Bianjing (Kaifeng) |
Yuan Dynasty | 1271 - 1368 AD | Kublai Khan | Dadu (today's Beijing) |
Ming Dynasty | 1368 - 1644 AD | Zhu Yuanzhang | Yingtian (today's Nanjing, Jiangsu); Shuntian (today's Beijing) |
Qing Dynasty | 1644 - 1911 AD | Aisin Gioro Nurhachi / Hong Taiji / Fulin (Emeror Shunzhi) | Beijing |
Republic of China | 1911-1949? | Nanjing(Chongqing 1938-1945) | |
People's Republic of China |
1949- | Mao Zedong | Beijing |