Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c4.s1: Timeline of Chinese Dynasties and Other Key Events

v1.c4.s1.1

| ca. 2100-1600 BCE | |
| Xia (Hsia) Dynasty | |
| **ca. 1600-1050 BCE** | |
| Shang Dynasty | Capitals: near present-day Zhengzhou and Anyang |
| **ca. 1046-256 BCE** | |
| Zhou (Chou) Dynasty | Capitals: Hao (near present-day Xi’an) and Luoyang |
| Western Zhou (ca. 1046-771 BCE) | Spring and Autumn Period (770-ca. 475 BCE) |
| Eastern Zhou (ca. 771-256 BCE) | Confucius (ca. 551-479 BCE) |
| | Warring States Period (ca. 475-221 BCE) |
| **221-206 BCE** | |
| Qin (Ch’in) Dynasty | Capital: Chang’an, present-day Xi’an |
| | Qin Shihuangdi dies, 210 BCE |
| **206 BCE-220 CE** | |
| Han Dynasty | |
| Western/Former Han (206 BCE-9 CE) | Capital: Chang’an |
| | Confucianism officially established as basis for Chinese state by Han Wudi (r. 141-86 BCE) |
| Eastern/Later Han (25-220 CE) | Capital: Luoyang |
| **220-589 CE** | |
| Six Dynasties Period | Period of disunity and instability following the fall of the Han; Buddhism introduced to China |
| Three Kingdoms (220-265 CE) | Cao Wei, Shu Han, Dong Wu |
| Jin Dynasty (265-420 CE) | |
| Period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589 CE) | |
| **581-618 CE** | |
| Sui Dynasty | Capital: Chang’an |
| **618-906 CE** | |
| Tang (T’ang) Dynasty | Capitals: Chang’an and Luoyang |
| **907-960 CE** | |
| Five Dynasties Period | |
| Song (Sung) Dynasty | |
| Northern Song (960-1127) | Capital: Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng) |
| Southern Song (1127-1279) | Capital: Lin’an (present-day Hangzhou) |
| Yuan Dynasty | The reign of the Mongol empire; Capital: Dadu (present-day Beijing) |
| Ming Dynasty | Re-establishment of rule by a Han ruling house; Capitals: Nanjing and Beijing |
| Qing (Ch’ing) Dynasty | Reign of the Manchus; Capital: Beijing |
| Republic Period | Capitals: Beijing, Wuhan, and Nanjing |
| **1949-present** | |
| People’s Republic of China | Capital: Beijing |