Todays Fact: Chinese Dynasties

Chinese Dynasties come up a lot, but its hard to remember them all. Here I will give some facts that are related to each dynasty in the next two days:

Mandate of Heaven was a divine support for the ruling dynasty. Whenever a ruler was deemed to have lost support of the gods, he would be overthrown by someone else. This led to dynastic cycle.

Xia Dynasty- This is probably a mythological dynasty, but it was what the Shang dynasty called the dynasty before them.

Shang Dynasty (1700-1100 B.C.E.)
-Mostly known from oracle bones.
-Development of Chinese pictographic writing system.
-The capital of the dynasty was at Yin (now ruins of Yin).

Zhou Dynasty (1100-256 B.C.E.)
-First use of Mandate of Heaven.
-Longest dynasty in Chinese History.
-practiced a Feudal System.
-There was written script and the use of iron was introduced.
-Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism arose during this dynasty.
-Disintegrated into the Warring States Period.

Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.E.)
-founded under Qin Shi Huang or Shi Huangdi
-Unified China and there was a big road network that was laid out.
-Shi Huangdi built the Great Wall of China and created the terra cotta army.
-He endorsed legalism and executed non-legalists

Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E. - 220 C.E.)
-founded by Liu Bang
-State Religion became Confucianism
-First Civil service, open to anyone who could pass the exams.
-Silk Road gave a big boost to the economy

Sui Dynasty (581-618)
-Completed the Grand Canal, a link between the Yangtze and Yellow rivers.