Dynasties in Chinese history - wikipedia Dynasties in Chinese history This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2017 ) Approximate territories occupied by the various dynasties and states throughout the history of China History of China ANCIENT Neolithic c. 8500 -- c. 2070 BC Xia dynasty c. 2070 -- c. 1600 BC Shang dynasty c. 1600 -- c. 1046 BC Zhou dynasty c. 1046 -- 256 BC Western Zhou Eastern Zhou Spring and Autumn Warring States IMPERIAL Qin dynasty 221 -- 206 BC Han dynasty 206 BC -- 220 AD Western Han Xin dynasty Eastern Han Three Kingdoms 220 -- 280 Wei, Shu and Wu Jin dynasty 265 -- 420 Western Jin Eastern Jin Sixteen Kingdoms Northern and Southern dynasties 420 -- 589 Sui dynasty 581 -- 618 Tang dynasty 618 -- 907 ( Second Zhou dynasty 690 -- 705 ) Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 907 -- 960 Liao dynasty 907 -- 1125 Song dynasty 960 -- 1279 Northern Song Western Xia Southern Song Jin Yuan dynasty 1271 -- 1368 Ming dynasty 1368 -- 1644 Qing dynasty 1644 -- 1912 MODERN Republic of China 1912 -- 1949 People 's Republic of China 1949 -- present Related articles Chinese historiography Timeline of Chinese history Dynasties in Chinese history Linguistic history Art history Economic history Education history Science and technology history Legal history Media history Military history Naval history view talk The following is a chronology of the dynasties in Chinese History. Contents 1 Background 2 Dynasties of China 3 See also 4 References 4.1 Citations 4.2 Sources 5 External links Background One might incorrectly infer from viewing historical timelines that transitions between dynasties occur abruptly and smoothly. Rather, dynasties were often established before the complete overthrow of an existing reign, or continued for a time after they had been effectively defeated. For example, the conventional date 1645 marks the year in which the Qing dynasty armies overthrew the preceding Ming dynasty, according to the dynastic cycle of China. However, the Qing dynasty was established in 1636 ( or even 1616, albeit under a different name ), while the last Ming dynasty pretender was not deposed until 1663. This change of ruling houses was a messy and prolonged affair, and the Qing took almost twenty years to extend their control over the whole of China. It is therefore inaccurate to assume China changed suddenly and all at once in the year 1645. In addition, China was divided for short periods of its history, with different regions being ruled by different groups. During such periods, there was not any single dynasty ruling a unified China. As a case in point, there is much dispute about times in and after the Western Zhou period. In the Chinese historiographical tradition, each new dynasty would write the history of the dynasty which preceded it. This cycle was disrupted, however, when the Xinhai Revolution overthrew the Qing dynasty in favor of a republic. Even an attempt by Republicans to draft the history of the Qing was disrupted by the Chinese Civil War, which resulted in the division of China into the People 's Republic of China on mainland China and the Republic of China on Taiwan. Dynasties of China Dynasty Rulers Ruling house or clan of houses From To Term Name Chinese ( Traditional / Simplified ) Pinyin Meaning Feudal dynasties Xia dynasty 夏 Xià Tribe name ( list ) Sì ( 姒 ) 2070 BC 1600 BC 470 years Shang dynasty 商 Shāng Toponym ( list ) Zǐ ( 子 ) 1600 BC 1046 BC 554 years Western Zhou dynasty 西周 Xī Zhōu Toponym ( list ) Jī ( 姬 ) 1046 BC 771 BC 275 years Eastern Zhou dynasty 東周 / 东周 Dōng Zhōu Toponym ( list ) Jī ( 姬 ) 770 BC 256 BC 514 years Spring and Autumn period 春秋 Chūn Qiū As English 770 BC 476 BC 294 years Warring States period 戰國 / 战国 Zhàn Guó As English 476 BC 221 BC 255 years Imperial dynasties Qin dynasty 秦 Qín Toponym ( list ) Yíng ( 嬴 ) 221 BC 207 BC 14 years Western Han dynasty 西漢 / 西汉 Xī Hàn Toponym ( list ) Liú ( 劉 ) 202 BC AD 9 210 years Xin dynasty 新 Xīn `` New '' ( list ) Wáng ( 王 ) AD 9 AD 23 14 years Eastern Han dynasty 東漢 / 东汉 Dōng Hàn Toponym ( list ) Liú ( 劉 ) AD 25 AD 220 195 years Three Kingdoms 三國 / 三国 Sān Guó As English ( list ) Cáo ( 曹 ) Liú ( 劉 / 刘 ) Sūn ( 孫 / 孙 ) AD 220 AD 280 60 years Western Jin dynasty 西晉 / 西晋 Xī Jìn Toponym ( list ) Sīmǎ ( 司馬 ) AD 266 AD 316 50 years Eastern Jin dynasty 東晉 / 东晋 Dōng Jìn Toponym ( list ) Sīmǎ ( 司馬 ) AD 317 AD 420 103 years Southern and Northern dynasties 南北朝 Nán Běi Cháo As English ( list ) various AD 420 AD 589 169 years Sui dynasty 隋 Suí Ducal title ( 随 homophone ) ( list ) Yáng ( 楊 ) AD 581 AD 618 37 years Tang dynasty 唐 Táng Ducal title ( list ) Lǐ ( 李 ) AD 618 AD 907 289 years Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms 五代 十 國 / 五代 十 国 Wǔ Dài Shí Guó As English ( list ) various AD 907 AD 960 53 years Northern Song dynasty 北宋 Běi Sòng Toponym ( list ) Zhào ( 趙 ) AD 960 AD 1127 167 years Southern Song dynasty 南宋 Nán Sòng Toponym ( list ) Zhào ( 趙 ) AD 1127 AD 1279 152 years Liao dynasty 遼 / 辽 Liáo `` Vast '' or `` Iron '' ( Khitan homophone ) ( list ) Yelü ( ; 耶律 ) AD 907 AD 1125 218 years Jin dynasty 金 Jīn `` Gold '' ( list ) Wanggiya ( ; 完 顏 ) AD 1115 AD 1234 119 years Western Xia 西夏 Xī Xià Toponym ( list ) Li ( 𘝾 ; 李 ) AD 1038 AD 1227 189 years Western Liao 西 遼 / 西 辽 Xī Liáo `` Vast '' or `` Iron '' ( Khitan homophone ) ( list ) Yelü ( ; 耶律 ) AD 1124 AD 1218 94 years Yuan dynasty 元 Yuán `` Great '' or `` Primacy '' ( list ) Borjigin ( ᠪᠣᠷᠵᠢᠭᠢᠨ ; 孛 兒 只 斤 ) AD 1271 AD 1368 97 years Ming dynasty 明 Míng `` Bright '' ( list ) Zhū ( 朱 ) AD 1368 AD 1644 276 years Qing dynasty 清 Qīng `` Pure '' ( list ) Aisin Gioro ( ᠠᡳᠰᡳᠨ ᡤᡳᠣᡵᠣ ; 愛 新 覺 羅 ) AD 1636 AD 1912 276 years Modern China Republic of China 中華 民國 / 中华 民国 Zhōnghuá Mínguó `` Chinese Republic '' ( list ) various AD 1912 until AD 1949 controlled Chinese mainland, after AD 1949 de facto controls Taiwan only controlled Chinese mainland for 37 years, de facto controls Taiwan only for 69 years, total length is 106 years People 's Republic of China 中華 人民 共和國 / 中华 人民 共和国 Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó `` Chinese People 's Republic '' ( list ) various AD 1949 present 69 years Timeline graph See also This article contains Tangut text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Tangut characters. History of Imperial China portal China portal Monarchy portal History of China Conquest dynasties Timeline of Chinese history List of Chinese monarchs List of recipients of tribute from China List of tributaries of Imperial China Xia -- Shang -- Zhou Chronology Project Dynastic cycle Republic of China ( 1912 - 1949 ) People 's Republic of China Yuan Shikai -- claimed to be emperor of China from December 1915 to March 1916 as the Hongxian Emperor. References Citations Jump up ^ `` Chiang Kai - shek and retrocession ''. Taiwan : China Post. November 5, 2012. p. 2. Retrieved December 2, 2012. Sources China Handbook Editorial Committee, China Handbook Series : History ( trans., Dun J. Li ), Beijing, 1982, 188 -- 89 ; and Shao Chang Lee, `` China Cultural Development '' ( wall chart ), East Lansing, 1984. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dynasties of China. Columbia University. Dynasties song Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dynasties_in_Chinese_history&oldid=853243181 '' Categories : Dynasties in Chinese history History of Imperial China History of China Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from June 2017 All articles needing additional references Articles containing Chinese - language text Talk Contents About Wikipedia বাংলা Brezhoneg Čeština Dansk Esperanto فارسی Français 贛 語 客家 語 / Hak - kâ - ngî हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano ქართული Kiswahili Latviešu Македонски മലയാളം Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ नेपाली नेपाल भाषा 日本 語 ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Português Română Simple English Slovenčina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Tagalog Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt 粵語 中文 30 more Edit links This page was last edited on 3 August 2018, at 11 : 03 ( UTC ). 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Question: the last two major chinese dynasties in its history were the
Answer: Qing dynasty