A date history of Chinese Dynasties

• Mythical Rulers
  • Pre-historic
    • 有巢 50,000 BC - 2700 BC
    • 燧人 - Taught man to use fire to cook
  • 三皇
    • 伏羲 - First taught the people fishing, herd domestication, and the inventor of the octogram and writing.
    • 女媧 - Younger sister of 伏羲, fashioned four pillars of multicoloured stone set upon the back of a turtle to prop up the heavens.
    • 神農 - Introduced agriculture, medicines and healing and the formulated the 64 hexagrams.

• Semi-mythical Rulers
  • 五帝 2697 BC - 2033 BC
    • 黃帝 Inventor of the calendar, music, presided over the systemisation written language and healing
      • 倉頡, minister to 黃帝, systemised the written language.
    • 顓頊 Grandson of 黃帝, lived in GaoYang (high-sun) in modern Henan province
    • 帝嚳 (嚳) Great grandson of 黃帝
    • 唐堯 (堯) Said to have created a the calendar, Great-great grandson of 黃帝, fifty years on the throne, ruled wisely.
    • 虞舜 (舜) Took reign after 堯 retired, controlled water and noted for his filial piety.
  三代 Three Dynasties
  • 禹 founder of 夏 the Xia Dynasty
  • 湯 founder of 殷 the Yin (商) or Shang Dynasty
  • 武 founder of 西周 the Western Zhou Dynasty
  先王 Ancient Kings
  • 堯
  • 舜
  • 禹 founder of 夏 the Xia Dynasty
  • 湯 founder of 殷 the Yin (商) or Shang Dynasty
  • 文
  • 武 founder of 西周 the Western Zhou Dynasty
  三代之聖王 Sage Kings of the Three Dynasties
  • 禹 first ruler of 夏 the Xia Dynasty
  • 湯 first ruler of 殷 the Yin (商) or Shang Dynasty
  • 文 called 姬昌 was father to 武
  • 武 first ruler of 西周 the Western Zhou Dynasty
  三代之暴君 Cruel Rulers of the Three Dynasties
  • 桀 last ruler of 夏 the Xia Dynasty (died 1562? BC)
  • 紂 last ruler of 殷 the Yin (商) or Shang Dynasty (died 1050)
  • 幽 last ruler of 西周 the Western Zhou Dynasty (died 771 BC)
  • 厲 cruel ruler during 西周 the Western Zhou Dynasty (died 826 BC)

• Xia 夏 2033-1562 BC
  禹 First ruler of Xia, tamed floods, one of the Sage kings.
• Shang 商 1562-1066 BC
  湯 overthrew the tyrannical ruler in the last days of the 夏 tribe. A Sage king.
• Zhou Dynasty 周
  武 name 武王姬發 established the Zhou Dynasty. A Sage King. Father of 成王.
  文 father of 武 (name 西佰昌) ancestor of the dukes of the Lu 魯 and Jin 晉 states during the Zhou Dynasty.
  • Western Zhou 西周 1066-771 BC
    武王
    成王
    康王
    穆王
    共王
    Yi4 王
    孝王
    夷王
    厲王 841 BC
    宜王 827 BC
    幽王 781 BC
    
  • Eastern Zhou 東周 770-256 BC
    平王 770 BC
    桓王 719 BC
    莊王 696 BC
    釐王 681 BC
    惠王 676 BC
    襄王 651 BC
    頃王 618 BC
    匡王 612 BC
    定王 606 BC
    簡王 585 BC
    靈王 571 BC
    景王 544 BC
    敬王 519 BC
    元王 475 BC
    貞定王 468 BC
    考王 440 BC
    威烈王 425 BC
    安王 401 BC
    烈王 375 BC
    顯王 368 BC
    慎靚王 320 BC
    赧王 314 BC
    
    • Chun Qiu Period 春秋 770-476 BC
    • Warring States 戰國 475-221 BC (7 Most Powerful)
      • Qin 秦
        昭襄王 306 BC
        考文王 250 BC
        莊襄王 249 BC
        始皇王 246 BC see Qin 秦 below ***
        
      • Wei 魏
      • Zhao 趙
      • Han 韓
      • Chu 楚
      • Yan 燕
      • Qi 齊etc.
• Qin 秦 221-207 BC
  始皇王 246 BC ***
  二世皇帝 209 BC
  
• Han 漢
  • Western Han 西漢 206 BC - 8 AD
  • Xin 新 9AD - 25 AD
  • Eastern Han 東漢 25-220
• Three Kingdoms 三國 220 - 265
  • Wei 魏 220-265
  • Shu Han 蜀漢 221-263
  • Wu 吳 222-280
• Jin 晉 265-420
  • Western Jin 265-317
  • Eastern Jin 317-420
  • Sixteen States 十六國
    • Han 漢 (Former Zhao 前趙) 304-328
    • Ran Wei 冉魏 (Later Zhao 後趙) 319-352
    • Cheng 成 (Han 漢) 303-347
    • Former Qin 前秦 351-394
    • Former Yan 前燕 307-370
    • Late Yan 後燕 384-409
    • Southern Yan 南燕 398-410
    • Late Qin 後秦 384-417
    • Xia 夏 407-431
    • Northern Wei 北魏 409-436
    • Former Liang 前涼313-376
    • Late Liang 後涼 386-403
    • Southern Liang 南涼 397-414
    • Northern Liang 北涼 397-439
    • Western Liang 西涼 400-421
    • Western Qin 西秦 385-431
• Northern and Southern Dynasties 南北朝
  • Southern Dynasties 南朝
    • Song 宋 420-479
    • Qi 齊 479-502
    • Liang 梁 502-557
    • Chen 陳 557-589
  • Northern Dynasties 北朝
    • Northern Wei 北魏 386-534
    • Eastern Wei 東魏 534-550
    • Northern Qi 北齊 550-577
    • Western Wei 西魏 535-556
    • Northern Zhou 北周 557-581
• Sui 隋 581-618
• Tang 唐 618-907
• Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 五代十國
  • Five Dynasties 五代
    • Later Liang 後梁 907-923
    • Later Tang 後唐 923-936
    • Later Jin 後晉 936-946
    • Later Han 後漢 947-950
    • Later Zhou 後周 951-960
  • Ten Kingdoms 十國
    • Wu 吳 902-937
    • Former Shu 前蜀 907-925
    • Wu Yue 吳越 907-978
    • Chu 楚 907-951
    • Min 閩 909-945
    • Nan Han 南漢 917-971
    • Jing Nan 荊南 (NanPing 南平) 924-963
    • Later Shu 後蜀 934-965
    • Southern Tang 南唐 937-975
    • Northern Han 北漢 951-979 etc
• Song Dynasty 宋
  • Northern Song 北宋 960-1127
  • Southern Song 南宋 1127-1279
  • Liao 遼 916-1125
  • Western Xia 西夏 1032-1226
  • Jin 金 1115-1234
• Yuan 元 1279-1368
• Ming 明 1368-1661
• Qing 清 1636-1911
  • TaiPing TianGuo 太平天國 1850-1878
• Republic of China 中華民國 1912 -
  • moved to Taiwan 1949 - present
• People's Republic of China 中華人民共和國 1949 - present