Western Zhou Dynasty

Water Ding (19cm high and 16cm wide)

The Zhou Dynasty existed approximately from the 11thcentury BC to 221BC, lasting more than 800 years, with 34 kings. In the 11thcentury BC, King Wu of the Zhou vanquished the Shang Dynasty and established the Zhou Dynasty, founding the capital in Hao (southwest of Xi'an City in Shaanxi Province). In 256BC, the Zhou was conquered by the Qin.

The Zhou was originally a dependent state to the Shang Dynasty (17th-11thcentury BC). According to legend the ancestor of the Zhou tribe was Di Ku. The Zhou grew strong and extended its power during the reign of King Wen and King Wu. King Wu launched an attack on Muye, overthrew the Shang Dynasty and established the Zhou Dynasty, which is known as the Western Zhou in Chinese history.

Agriculture, economy, religion, education and art continued to prosper in the Zhou, especially the rites, which not only inherited that of the Shang but also had their own innovations. In the early Zhou, the ruler prohibited people from excessive drinking to put an end to the popularly extravagant practices of the late Shang. Bronze metallurgy continued to develop, but drinking vessels commonly seen in the Shang gradually vanished. The oracle-bone divination method was still popular in the Zhou. Unearthed oracle bones, which date back as far as King Wen, are similar to those of the Shang in shape and material.

Towards the end of the Western Zhou, the intensification of internal contradictions within the ruling class grew sharper and land and power was seized. Uprisings in the kingdom shook the ruling class to its very foundations. In 771BC, King You was killed by the Quan Rong tribe, sounding the fall of the Western Zhou Dynasty.

From[ chinaculture.org ]

Zhou Dynasty

Changxin bronze serial bells (8.5 to 48 cm)

The Golden Age of Wuding did not continue for very long after his death. In the subsequent reigns, especially when Diyi and Dixin were in power, internal social conflicts became more serious and neighboring states began to rebel. The last Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC) monarch, Dixin, more commonly known as King Zhou, was a despot just like King Jie of the Xia Dynasty (21st-17th century BC). Regardless of the instability of the state, Dixin ordered the construction of splendid palaces and gardens. He also used large numbers of armies to attack the Eastern Yi Tribe. As he devised and used cruel tortures to repress those who disobeyed him, social unrest soon became intense.
In the 11th century BC, a frontier state called Zhou gained prominence. Under the reign of King Wen, the kingdom of Zhou soon became powerful. When King Wen died, his son Jifa, known as King Wu, succeeded him. In 1122BC, assisted by Jiangshang and Zhoudan, King Wu launched a punitive attack against King Zhou of the Shang. Having suffered much during the reign of King Zhou, the Shang army led the Zhou army to the Shang capital. King Zhou committed suicide and the Shang Dynasty collapsed.

The Shang was followed by a new dynasty named Zhou. The Zhou Dynasty is traditionally divided into two periods: the Western Zhou (11th century-711BC) with Haojing as its capital, and the Eastern Zhou (770-221BC), when the capital was moved east to the present-day Luoyang.

The Zhou reigned over 800 years and was the longest-ruling dynasty in Chinese history. It was especially noted for its brilliant achievements in culture.

From[ chinaculture.org ]

Shang Dynasty

Script on animal bones and tortoise shells The Shang Dynasty (17th-11th century BC) is the second slave dynasty in Chinese history. With its first capital established in Bo. the Shang moved its center of activities several times. finally settling in Yin (present-day Xiaotun in Anyang County. Henan Province) under the king of Pan Geng. Hence. the Shang Dynasty is also called the Yin Dynasty. consisting of 31 kings who belonged to 17 generations.
The Shang basically followed the system of a hereditary monarchy with the younger brother succeeding the elder one at first. and gradually developing into the eldest-son succession system in the later period of the Shang. This laid an important foundation for the patriarchal clan system adopted by the following Zhou Dynasty (11th century-256BC).
Simuwu Rectangle Ding (110 cm long and 78cm wide) The Shang is very famous for its augury and the existing Jiaguwen (inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells) is the witness of augury of the time. The ruling area of the king was limited to a small central area. with surrounding areas belonging to princes of the royal family and other tribes. At that time. the centralization of state power had not yet been developed.
The Shang Dynasty inherited the tradition of astronomical phenomena observation. Many inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells discovered in Yin ruins record astronomical phenomena. including the description of the solar and lunar eclipses. stars. and the earliest record of new stars in the world.
Square Zun with the design of four sheep heads on four sides Based on the Xia calendar. the Shang used a lunar calendar that was combined with the solar year through the addition of an intercalary month once every few years to make up the difference between a year of 12 lunar months and a solar year. The number of days in a month was fixed at 30 for a long month and 29 for a short one. The intercalary month was added at the end of the year as a 13th month. This is the origin of an intercalary month in Chinese history. which laid down the foundation for the traditional Chinese calendar. Compiling calendars had since experienced many changes and the calculations have become increasingly exact.
Sets of musical instruments have been unearthed in the Yin ruins. including pottery Xun (an egg-shaped wind instrument). stone Qing (chime stone). copper bell. copper cymbals and drum. One big stone Qing with an embossment of a staring tiger was discovered in a tomb in Wuguan Village in Anyang of Henan Province. It is the earliest existing large musical instrument and also a piece of sculpture with high artistic value.

Xia Dynasty

Bronze Jue (a wine vessel) (22.5 cm high) As the first slave dynasty in Chinese history. the Xia Dynasty (21st-16th century BC) began with the reign of Qi. the son of the Great Yu. and ended with the fall of Jie. With its capital located in Anyi (north of Xia County in mid-west Shanxi Province). the Xia was ruled by the descents of the Xiahou tribe. Altogether. there were 16 kings in 13 generations.
Ding (a container to store food) with cloud patterns Formed on an alliance of a dozen closely related tribes led by the Xiahou tribe. the Xia Dynasty carried out a system of hereditary monarchy and nobility. Noble organizations at different levels kept their original consanguinity and were strictly restricted to different surnames. The king of the Xia practiced enfeoffment on lords. With the patriarchy clan at the core of the social system. the nobles were divided into different levels according to positions in the family hierarchy and close or distant relationships between clans.
Square tomahawk with cross patterns The Xia established its own army and penal code Yu Xing (penal code of Yu). The Xia also created a calendar. which is said to be China`s first calendar. using the Big Dipper to determine months. Xia Xiao Zheng. kept in Da Dai Li Ji (Book of Rites by Da Dai). is an important existing document of the Xia calendar. It recorded the movements of the sun. moon and stars in line with the 12 lunar months of the year and also the seasons of stockbreeding and farming accordingly. Xia Xia Zheng. to certain extent. reflects the development of animal husbandry and agriculture in Xia. leaving an invaluable record of the earliest scientific knowledge in ancient China.

Chinese Dynasties

Dynastys of China
ca. 2000-1500 B.C. Xia
1700-1027 B.C. Shang
1027-771 B.C. Western Zhou
770-221 B.C. Eastern Zhou
770-476 B.C. -- Spring and Autumn period
475-221 B.C. -- Warring States period
221-207 B.C. Qin
206 B.C.-A.D. 9 Western Han
A.D. 9-24 Xin (Wang Mang interregnum)
A.D. 25-220 Eastern Han
A.D. 220-280 Three Kingdoms
220-265 -- Wei
221-263 -- Shu
229-280 -- Wu
A.D. 265-316 Western Jin
A.D. 317-420 Eastern Jin
A.D. 420-588 Southern and Northern Dynasties
420-588 Southern Dynasties
420-478 -- Song
479-501 -- Qi
502-556 -- Liang
557-588 -- Chen
386-588 Northern Dynasties
386-533 -- Northern Wei
534-549 -- Eastern Wei
535-557 -- Western Wei
550-577 -- Northern Qi
557-588 -- Northern Zhou
A.D. 581-617 Sui
A.D. 618-907 Tang
A.D. 907-960 Five Dynasties
907-923 -- Later Liang
923-936 -- Later Tang
936-946 -- Later Jin
947-950 -- Later Han
951-960 -- Later Zhou
A.D. 907-979 Ten Kingdoms
A.D. 960-1279 Sung
960-1127 -- Northern Sung
1127-1279 -- Southern Sung
A.D. 916-1125 Liao
A.D. 1038-1227 Western Xia
A.D. 1115-1234 Jin
A.D. 1279-1368 Yuan
A.D. 1368-1644 Ming
A.D. 1644-1911 Qing
A.D. 1911-1949 Republic of China (in mainland China)
A.D. 1949- Republic of China (in Taiwan)
A.D. 1949- People`s Republic of China