Dynasties
| Dynasty | Rulers | Ruling House or Clan | Years | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning | ||||
| Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors | 三皇五帝 | Sān Huáng Wǔ Dì | As English | (list) | various | 2852-2070 BC | 782 |
| Xia Dynasty | 夏 | Xià | Unknown, Possibly Toponym | (list) | Sì (姒) | 2070–1600 BC | 470 |
| Shang Dynasty | 商 | Shāng | Toponym | (list) | Zǐ (子) | 1600–1029 BC | 571 |
| Western Zhou Dynasty | 西周 | Xī Zhōu | Toponym | (list) | Jī (姬) | 1029–771 BC | 275 |
| Eastern Zhou Dynasty |
東周 / 东周
|
Dōng Zhōu Chūnqiū |
Toponym
|
(list)
|
Jī (姬)
|
770–256 BC
|
514
|
| Qin Dynasty | 秦 | Qín | Unknown, Possibly Toponym | (list) | Yíng (嬴) | 221–206 BC | 15 |
| Western Han Dynasty | 西漢 / 西汉 | Xī Hàn | Toponym | (list) | Liú (劉 / 刘) | 206 or 202 BC–9 AD, 23-25 AD | 215 |
| Xin Dynasty | 新 | Xīn | "New" | (list) | Wáng (王) | 9–23 AD | 14 |
| Eastern Han Dynasty | 東漢 / 东汉 | Dōng Hàn | Toponym | (list) | Liú (劉 / 刘) | 25–220 | 195 |
| Three Kingdoms | 三國 / 三国 | Sān Guó | As English | (list) | Cáo (曹) Liú (劉 / 刘) Sūn (孫 / 孙) |
220–265 or 280 | 45 |
| Western Jin Dynasty | 西晉 / 西晋 | Xī Jìn | Ducal title | (list) | Sīmǎ (司馬 / 司马) | 265–317 | 52 |
| Eastern Jin Dynasty | 東晉 / 东晋 | Dōng Jìn | Ducal title | (list) | Sīmǎ (司馬 / 司马) | 317–420 | 103 |
| Southern and Northern Dynasties | 南北朝 | Nán Běi Cháo | As English | (list) | various | 386 or 420–589 | 169 |
| Sui Dynasty | 隋 | Suí | Ducal title (随 homophone) |
(list) | Yáng (楊 / 杨) | 581–618 | 37 |
| Tang Dynasty | 唐 | Táng | Ducal title | (list) | Lǐ (李) | 618–907 | 289 |
| Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms | 五代十國 / 五代十国 | Wǔ Dài Shí Guó | As English | (list) | various | 907–960 | 53 |
| Northern Song Dynasty | 北宋 | Běi Sòng | Toponym | (list) | Zhào (趙 / 赵) | 960–1127 | 167 |
| Southern Song Dynasty | 南宋 | Nán Sòng | Toponym | (list) | Zhào (趙 / 赵) | 1127–1279 | 152 |
| Liao Dynasty | 遼 / 辽 | Liáo | "Vast" or "Iron" (Khitan homophone) |
(list) | Yelü (耶律) | 907 or 916–1125 | 209 |
| Jin Dynasty | 金 | Jīn | "Gold" | (list) | Wanggiyan (完顏 / 完颜) |
1115–1234 | 119 |
| Western Xia | 西夏 | Xī Xià | Toponym | (list) | Li (李) | 1038–1227 | 189 |
| Yuan Dynasty | 元 | Yuán | "Great" or "Primacy" | (list) | Borjigin (ᠪᠣᠷᠵᠢᠭᠢᠨ; 孛兒只斤 / 孛儿只斤) |
1271–1368 | 97 |
| Ming Dynasty | 明 | Míng | "Bright" | (list) | Zhū (朱) | 1368–1644 or 1662 | 276 |
| Qing Dynasty | 清 | Qīng | "Pure" or "Gold" (Manchu homophone) |
(list) | Aisin Gioro (ᠠᡳᠰᡳᠨ ᡤᡳᠣᡵᠣ; 愛新覺羅 / 爱新觉罗) |
1636 or 1644–1911 | 268 |
Read more about this topic: Dynasties In Chinese History
Famous quotes containing the word dynasties:
“When the finishing stroke was put to his work, it suddenly expanded before the eyes of the astonished artist into the fairest of all the creations of Brahma. He had made a new system in making a staff, a world with full and fair proportions; in which, though the old cities and dynasties had passed away, fairer and more glorious ones had taken their places.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“All forms of government symbolize an immortal government, common to all dynasties and independent of numbers, perfect where two men exist, perfect where there is only one man.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)