China History dates back as early as 16 th century B.C. and traces the incidents and situations that led to the progress of the world's oldest surviving civilization – China. China history in fact started with the Chinese civilization settling on the banks of the Yellow River, then proceeds through 221 B.C. when the country was unified into an empire and finally speaks about the different dynasties when bureaucracy prevailed, t5hat helped the Chinese emperors to control the vast territories of the Chinese empire.
Gatherers and Hunters to Cultivators :
China in ancient days was inhabited by Home Erectus, some 1.27 million years ago. Popularly known as the Peking Man, their primary occupation and source of livelihood was hunting wild animals and gathering foods from the forests. Gradually with time, they shifted to farming, administration and craftsmanship. This also led to the increase in their total population.
Xia Dynasty :
According to the China History , Xia Dynasty was founded some 4,200 years ago. This dynasty was ruled by as many as 17 kings through 14 generations, beginning from King Yu the Great to King Jie of Xia. This dynasty was inhabited mainly by the Zhou and the Shang people.
Shang Dynasty :
China history mentions 13 th century B.C. to be the starting date of the Shang Dynasty, with its capital at Anyang. This dynasty was reigned by 31 kings from King Tang of Shang to Zhou of Shang. Shifting its capital as many as six times, Shang Dynasty is considered to be the longest dynasty in China history.
Zhou Dynasty :
With the closing of the 2 nd millennium B.C., Zhou Dynasty saw its emergence on the valleys of the Yellow River. Overthrowing the Shangs, these Zhous ruled China in a semi-feudal system. The famous ruler of this dynasty, King Wu is known for his power who defeated the Shangs in the Battle of Muye.
Qin Dynasty :
The Qin Dynasty marked the end of the Qing Dynasty in China, which was basically imperialistic in nature. It was in this period that the Great Wall of China started to be constructed. The Qins were known to develop the idea of a central from of government, legal code unification and introduce Chinese currencies and measurements.
Han Dynasty :
202 B, C. was the year which witnessed the beginning of the Han Dynasty. This was the first Chinese dynasty which accepted the preaching nd philosophy of Confucius – the great religious preacher in China. This dynasty made considerable progress in the fields of science and arts. Moreover, Han Dynasty is renowned for introducing trade relations between the western world and China through the famous Silk Road.
Al these dynasties, followed by the Jin, Sui, Tang, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties gradually led to the modern era in the history of China. The two opium Wars fought during the modern period is the result of the Qing Dynasty that drained the royal treasury and China became virtually bankrupt. Subsequent revolts like the Taiping Rebellion and the Boxer Rebellion in the 20 th century continued to threaten China until Qing dynasty was overthrown and China was declared a Republic. Under the able leadership of Dr. Sun-Yat-Sen, China faced a series of battles and revolts and was ultimately declared the People's Republic in 1949, 1 st October. This marked the end of anarchy and monarchy in China and the dawn of peace, progress and prosperity began on the Chinese mainland.
