Milestones in China's history

From the First Emperor to a modern superpower: China's turbulent history;China's colossus
Damian Whitworth
412 words
30 August 2007
The Times
Times2 4
English
(c) 2007 Times Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved

2200BC-1700BC Xia Dynasty.

1500BC-1050BC Shang Dynasty.

1050BC-221BC Zhou Dynasty. The early years are considered a golden age, bringing stability to the region.

551BC Confucius is born. Encourages traditional hierarchies and rituals to avert disorder.

221BC-207BC Qin Dynasty. Qin Shihuangdi unites the war-torn states of China into an empire. Introduces one system for money, writing, weights and measures.

210BC Qin Shihuangdi dies. Buried with the Terracotta Army.

207BC-AD220 Han Dynasty.

AD65 First records of Buddhism, which entered China via the Silk Road (trade route linking Xi'an in central China with the eastern Mediterranean).

221-589 Period of disunity.

589-618 Sui Dynasty.

618-906 Tang Dynasty.

906-960 Five Dynasties.

960-1279 Song Dynasty.

1215 Genghis Khan and the Mongol army invade Northern China, destroying 90 cities, including Beijing.

1227 Khan dies. Mongols rule from the Pacific Ocean to the Caspian Sea.

1279-1368 Yuan Dynasty. Kubilai Khan, Genghis's grandson, becomes emperor.

1368-1644 Ming Dynasty Mass. production of famous blue and white porcelain.

Chinese keep the method of making it secret; Europeans don't learn until 1708.

1644-1911 Qing Dynasty. Expand empire and establish Beijing as capital.

1842 Treaty of Nanking after the first Opium War cedes Hong Kong to the UK.

1908 The last Emperor Puyi inherits the throne at the age of 3.

1911-1949 Puyi forced to abdicate. Revolutionaries declare the Republic of China.

The provisional government is weak and China is essentially ruled by warlords.

1931 Japan invades.

1949 Mao Zedong, chairman of the Communist Party, declares the People's Republic of China. Civil war has been ongoing between the Nationalists and the Communists for some years.

1966-1976 Cultural Revolution. Officially announced as an attempt to rid China of its bourgeois values but seen as Mao's attempt to regain political control within his own party, using the Red Guards (youth militia) and the CR Authority. Throws China into turmoil.

1976 Mao dies. The Gang of Four (Mao supporters, including his wife Jiang Qing) arrested. Deng Xiaoping serves as de facto leader of the People's Republic until 1997.

1997 Hong Kong (right) celebrates becoming a special administrative region of China, following the Joint Declaration of 1984. Granted "high degree of autonomy" and retention of capitalist system for 50 years.

Sources: British Library; Times database