History of Ancient China
21st Century BC to 221 BC
China
This is a timeline of Ancient Chinese dynasties, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in China and its predecessor states.China 2070s BC China 21st Century BC China 20th Century BC Mingtiao, China 1600s BC Battle of Mingtiao
Mingtiao, China 1600s BC According to ancient records, the dynasty ended around 1600 BC as a consequence of the Battle of Mingtiao, which was between Xia dynasty and the Shang dynasty, resulting in a Shang victory that created the elevation circumstances of the Duke of Shang to the throne of China.
China 1600s BC Two sets Shang dynasty
China 1600s BC Archaeological findings providing evidence for the existence of the Shang dynasty, c. 1600–1046 BC, are divided into two sets. The first set, from the earlier Shang period, comes from sources at Erligang, Zhengzhou, and Shangcheng. The second set, from the later Shang or Yin (殷) period, is at Anyang, in modern-day Henan, which has been confirmed as the last of the Shang's nine capitals (c. 1300–1046 BC).
Yinxu, China 1300 BC China 1290s BC China 1250s BC China 1250s BC China 1192 BC China 1170 BC China 1147 BC China 1112 BC China 1101 BC China 1075 BC Muye, China 1046 BC China 1042 BC China 1034 BC China 1020s BC China 841 BC Gonghe Regency
China 841 BC The Gonghe Regency was an interregnum period in Chinese history from 841 BC to 828 BC after King Li of Zhou was exiled by his nobles during the Compatriots Rebellion when the Chinese people rioted against their old corrupt king. It lasted until the ascension of King Li's son, King Xuan of Zhou.
China 770s BC Spring and Autumn period
China 770s BC The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 771 to 476 BCE which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives from the Spring and Autumn Annals, a chronicle of the state of Lu between 722 and 479 BCE, which tradition associates with Confucius (551–479 BCE).
China 770s BC China 770s BC Luoyang, China 770s BC China 719 BC Changge, China 707 BC China 696 BC China 681 BC China 676 BC China 651 BC China (in Henan) 632 BC Battle of Chengpu
China (in Henan) 632 BC The Battle of Chengpu took place in 632 BC between the State of Jin and the State of Chu and its allies during the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. It was the first great battle in the protracted conflict between the states of the Yellow River valley, and the states of the Yangtze River valley. The Jin victory confirmed the hegemony of Duke Wen and checked Chu ambitions in the north for at least a generation.
Xingyang, China 597 BC Yanling, Henan, China 575 BC Qufu, Shandong, China 551 BC China 544 BC China 543 BC China 520 BC China 520 BC China 519 BC Zhou (Present-Day Luoyang) 518 BC Wu (Present-Day Suzhou, Jiangsu, China) 515 BC Wu (Present-Day Suzhou, Jiangsu, China) 514 BC Boju, State of Chu (Present-Day Macheng, Hubei, China) 506 BC China 500 BC Wu (Present-Day Suzhou, Jiangsu, China) 486 BC Wu (Present-Day Suzhou, Jiangsu, China) 482 BC China 476 BC Warring States period
China 476 BC The Warring States period was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest that saw the annexation of all other contender states, which ultimately led to the Qin state's victory in 221 BC as the first unified Chinese empire, known as the Qin dynasty.
China 475 BC Wu (Present-Day Suzhou, Jiangsu, China) 473 BC Lu, Zhou Kingdom (Present-Day Tengzhou, Shandong, China) 470 BC Zhou (Present-Day Luoyang) 440s BC Zhou (Present-Day Luoyang) 440s BC Zhou (Present-Day Luoyang) 440s BC Zhou (Present-Day Luoyang) 425 BC China (Present-Day Jiankang) 403 BC Zhou (Present-Day Luoyang) 401 BC China 5th Century BC China 5th Century BC Shandong, China 400 BC Kaifeng, China 5th Century BC China 389 BC Handan, China 386 BC Present-Day in Xichuan County, China 381 BC China 370 BC Present-Day Yanliang District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 361 BC Qin (Present-Day Yanliang District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China) 356 BC Canon of Laws
Qin (Present-Day Yanliang District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China) 356 BC Xiao's adviser Shang Yang implemented a legal code in Qin based on the Canon of Laws which established punishment for complicity in a crime, established a system of military ranks, and implemented policies encouraging the cultivation of unsettled land.
Handan, China 354 BC Handan, China 353 BC Henan, China 342 BC Battle of Maling
Henan, China 342 BC Qi dealt Wei a bloody defeat. The Battle of Maling took place in Maling, currently Dazhangjia Town, Shen County, Henan Province, in 342 BC during the Warring States period (476–221 BC). The combatants were the State of Qi, who fought on behalf of the State of Han, and the State of Wei. This battle is well recorded in history texts and is famous for the tactics of Sun Bin, known as the "Tactic of Missing Stoves", in which one side is led to underestimate the other by creating an illusion of soldiers running away from the army.
Shandong, China 319 BC Ba (Present-Day in Hubai, China) 316 BC Shu (Present-Day in Sichuan, China) 316 BC Zhao (Present-Day Jinyang, Handan, China) 310 BC Qin (Present-Day Yanliang District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China) 310 BC China 305 BC China 4th Century BC China 4th Century BC China 300s BC Present Day in Henan, China 293 BC Ying (Present-Day Xichuan County, Henan, China) 278 BC Present-Day in Gaoping, Shanxi, China 262 BC Battle of Changping
Present-Day in Gaoping, Shanxi, China 262 BC Zhao intercepted a Qin invasion of the commandery of Shangdang. The Battle of Changping was a military campaign that took place during the Warring States period in ancient China. It concluded in 260 BC with a decisive victory by the State of Qin over the State of Zhao, greatly weakening Zhao.
Present-Day in Gaoping, Shanxi, China Jul, 260 BC China Friday Feb 18, 259 BC Dujiangyan City, Chengdu, Sichuan, China 250s BC China 246 BC Han (Present-Day Xinzheng, China) 230 BC China 227 BC Wei (Present-Day Kaifeng, China) 225 BC Chu (Present-Day in China) 223 BC Zhao (Present-Day "most propably" in Handan, China) 222 BC Yan (Present-Day in Jicheng) 222 BC China 220s BC China 221 BC Qi (Present-Day Shandong, China) 221 BC China 220 BC