Imperial China

This article is about the empire that existed until 1912. For the later restoration attempt, see Imperial China (1915-1916).

The Empire of China was founded in 221 BC by Emperor Qin Shihuangdi. He formed it from several kingdoms that he had gradually conquered. In its long history, the empire broke up several times into at times numerous constituent states and was reunited three times: in 280 by the Jin dynasty, in 589 by the Sui dynasty and in 1279 by the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

The empire existed (with interruptions) for 2132 years until the proclamation of the Chinese Republic by Sun Yat-sen on January 1, 1912; the last emperor, Aisin Gioro Puyi, abdicated on February 12, 1912. Yuan Shikai, the first president of the Republic of China, made himself "Emperor of China" in 1915. This "empire", which was already abolished in 1916, and later attempts at restoration are of little historical significance.

The partly mythical rulers of the early period (see Chinese mythology) have been included in historiography and are sometimes referred to as "original emperors" (Chinese partly as huang, 皇, partly as di, ), especially in Western accounts. In the strict historical sense, they were not emperors (huangdi, 皇帝). The rulers of the pre-imperial Zhou dynasty are considered kings (wang,).

Imperial China at the time of the Qing Dynasty, 1820Zoom
Imperial China at the time of the Qing Dynasty, 1820

Traditional chronology of the ruling dynasties

Main article: History of China and Chronology of China

There have been various dynasties in Chinese history. The partly mythological "dynasties" before the emergence of China as a unitary state - that is, precisely before the founding of the Chinese Empire - were:

Dynasty

Pinyin

Time span

Ruler

The Three Exalted Ones and the Five Primordial Emperors

Sān Huáng Wǔ Dì

?-2184 BC.

Rulers List

Xia dynasty

Xia Chao

ca. 2200-1800 B.C.

Rulers List

Shang Dynasty

Shāng Cháo

ca. 1500-1100 BC

Rulers List

Zhou Dynasty

Zhōu Cháo

1122/1045-770 BC Western Zhou Dynasty

Rulers List

770-256 B.C. Eastern Zhou Dynasty

Rulers List

Time of spring and autumn annals

Chūnqiū Shídài

722-481 BC.

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The Time of the Disputing Empires

Zhànguó Shídài

475-221 BC.

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The dynasties of the Empire of China, founded in 221 BC by the ruler of the then Kingdom of Qin (秦國) and unifying the whole empire for the first time, were:

Dynasty

Pinyin

Time span

Ruler

Qin Dynasty

Qín Cháo

221-207 BC.

Rulers List

Han Dynasty

Hàn Cháo

206 B.C.-9 A.D. (First Reign)

Rulers List

23 A.D.-220 A.D. (Second Reign)

Xin Dynasty

Xīn Cháo

9-23 (Interregnum)

Rulers List

Time of the Three Kingdoms

Sān Guó

220–280

Ruler list2

Jin Dynasty

Jìn Cháo

265–420

Rulers List

Sixteen kingdoms

Shíliù Guó

304–439

Ruler list3

Southern and Northern Dynasties

Nán Běi Cháo

420–581

Ruler list4

Sui Dynasty

Suí Cháo

581–618

Rulers List

Tang Dynasty

Táng Cháo

618–907

Rulers List

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms

Wǔdài Shíguó

907–979

Rulers List

Liao Dynasty

Liáo Cháo

916–1125

Rulers List

Song Dynasty

Sòng Cháo

960–1279

Rulers List

Jin Dynasty

Jīn Cháo

1125–1234

Rulers List

Western Xia Dynasty

Xī Xià

1038–1227

Rulers List

Yuan Dynasty

Yuán Cháo

1279–1368

Rulers List

Ming Dynasty

Míng Cháo

1368–1644

Rulers List

Qing Dynasty

Chinese river dolphin

1644–1912

Rulers List



See also

  • Chinese urban development
  • Names of Chinese emperors
  • President of the Republic of China (Heads of State after 1912)
  • List of the Presidents of the People's Republic of China (Heads of State since 1949)

Questions and Answers

Q: What was Imperial China?


A: Imperial China was a period of Chinese history that lasted over 2,000 years.

Q: When did Imperial China begin?


A: Imperial China began with Qin Shi Huang's uniting of China under the Qin dynasty in 221 BC.

Q: When did Imperial China end?


A: Imperial China ended with the overthrow of the Qing dynasty in 1911.

Q: What features of Chinese civilization spread throughout China during Imperial China?


A: Confucianism, standardized testing, standardized weights and counting systems, trade routes, and Chinese characters spread throughout China during Imperial China.

Q: How was China ruled during Imperial China?


A: China was ruled by many different dynasties, including the Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan/Mongol, Ming, and Qing/Manchu dynasties, and there were also several periods where China had been ruled by several different kingdoms.

Q: Who were the rulers of Imperial China?


A: Throughout most of Imperial China, China had been ruled by emperors and empresses who were Han Chinese. However, there were some dynasties where the ruling class was made of Chinese minority groups, such as the Yuan and Qing dynasties which were ruled by the Mongols and Manchus in that same order.

Q: What was China known for during Imperial China?


A: China became known worldwide for features such as Confucianism, standardized testing, standardized weights and counting systems, trade routes, and Chinese characters during Imperial China.

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