What is the earliest written record of Chinese history?
Q: What is the earliest written record of Chinese history?
A: The earliest written record of Chinese history dates back to 1500 BC in the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC).
Q: What evidence has been found that suggests China began as city-states in the Yellow River valley?
A: Turtle shells with writing similar to ancient Chinese writing from the Shang Dynasty have been carbon dated to about 1500 BC, suggesting that China began as city-states in the Yellow River valley.
Q: When did China become a big Kingdom or Empire?
A: China became a big Kingdom or Empire in 221 BC under the Qin emperor Qin Shi Huang.
Q: What ideas did Qin Shi Huang have about state governance?
A: Qin Shi Huang based his ideas about state governance on legalism and fought Confucianism, which marked the beginning of what we now call Chinese civilization.
Q: How long has Chinese civilization existed for?
A: With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest civilizations.
Q: When was Zhou Dynasty established? A: The Zhou Dynasty was established in 1045 – 256 BC.
Q: Who were some external forces that exerted pressure on Zhou Dynasty? A: The Zhou Dynasty began to bow to external and internal pressures in the 8th century BC, leading to its eventual break up into smaller states during Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States period.
