The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to ancient China:

Ancient China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapt ...

– China under the rule of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, beginning around 2070 B.C. and extending until approximately 256 B.C.

Geography of ancient China

Locations in ancient China

List of Bronze Age sites in China This list of Bronze Age sites in China includes sites dated to either the Chinese Bronze Age, or Shang and Western Zhou according to the dynastic system. It is currently based on China's Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the Nat ...

Regions of ancient China

* Regions of ancient China during the Xia and Shang dynasties **

Nine Provinces The term Nine Provinces or Nine Regions (), is used in ancient Chinese histories to refer to territorial divisions or islands during the Xia and Shang dynasties and has now come to symbolically represent China. "Province" is the word used to ...

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Ji Province Ji Province, also known by its Chinese name Jizhou, was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China. It is referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the '' Tribute of Yu'', ''Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Rites of Zhou,Offices of Summer (� ...

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Jing Province Jingzhou or Jing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China referenced in Chinese historical texts such as the '' Tribute of Yu'', ''Erya'' and '' Rites of Zhou''. Jingzhou became an administrative division during the reign of Empe ...

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Liang Province Liang Province or Liangzhou () was a province in the northwest of ancient China, in the approximate location of the modern-day province of Gansu. It was bordered in the east by Sili Province. History Establishment The province was first con ...

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Qing Province Qingzhou or Qing Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China dating back to BCE that later became one of the thirteen provinces of the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). The Nine Provinces were first described in the ''Tribute ...

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Xu Province Xuzhou as a historical toponym refers to varied area in different eras. Ordinarily, it was a reference to the one of the Nine Provinces (China), Nine Provinces which modern Xuzhou inherited. History Pre-Qin era Xuzhou or Xu Province was one ...

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Yan Province Yan Province or Yanzhou was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China. During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), it covered roughly present-day southwestern Shandong, eastern Henan, and the northwestern corner of Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ...

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Yang Province Yangzhou, Yangchow or Yang Province was one of the Nine Provinces of ancient China mentioned in historical texts such as the ''Tribute of Yu'', '' Erya'' and ''Rites of Zhou''. Name There are four different theories regarding the origin of the ...

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Yong Province Yong Province or Yongzhou was the name of various regions and provinces in ancient China, usually around the Wei River or the imperial capital. Geographical region In the '' Book of Documents'', Yongzhou is mentioned as one of the legendary ...

**# Yu Province

Government and politics of ancient China

* Political thought in ancient China **

Mandate of Heaven The Mandate of Heaven () is a Chinese political philosophy that was used in ancient and imperial China to legitimize the rule of the King or Emperor of China. According to this doctrine, heaven (天, '' Tian'') – which embodies the nat ...

Ancient Chinese states Ancient Chinese states () were typified by variously sized city-states and territories that existed in China prior to its unification by Qin Shi Huang in 221 BCE. In many cases these were vassal states and fiefs established in the '' fengjian'' ...

* Interstate relations during the Spring and Autumn period *

Family tree of ancient Chinese emperors This is a family tree of Chinese monarchs covering the period of the Five Emperors up through the end of the Spring and Autumn period. Five Emperors The legendary Five Emperors were traditionally regarded as the founders of the Chinese state. ...

* Aristocracy in ancient China (nobility)

Rulers in ancient China

* Kings of the Xia dynasty **

Yu the Great Yu the Great (大禹) was a legendary king in ancient China who was famed for his introduction of flood control, his establishment of the Xia dynasty which inaugurated dynastic rule in China, and his upright moral character. He figures promine ...

** Qi **

Tai Kang Tai Kang () was the third king of the Xia Dynasty. He was the son of the king Qi of Xia and paternal grandson of Yu the Great and queen Nu Jiao. Biography Tai Kang loved to hunt and did not rule well. According to the ''Bamboo Annals'', Tai ...

Zhong Kang Zhong Kang () was the fourth king of the Xia Dynasty, the first dynasty in traditional Chinese history. Family Zhong Kang was a son of king Qi of Xia and thus the younger brother of Tai Kang. He was the father of Xiang of Xia. Reign According ...

** Xiang ** Shao Kang ** Zhu ** Huai ** Mang ** Xie **

Bu Jiang Bu Jiang (不降) was the eleventh king of the semi-legendary Xia Dynasty. He ruled for 59 years. Family Bu Jiang was a son of Xie of Xia and his consort and thus a grandson of Mang of Xia and brother of Jiong of Xia. His consort is unknown, ...

** Jiong ** Jin **

Kong Jia Kǒng Jiǎ (孔甲) was a king of ancient China, family name Sì (姒), the 14th ruler of the semi-legendary Xia dynasty. He possibly ruled for 31 years. Family Kong Jia was a son of King Bù Jiàng and an unknown woman and grandson of King ...

** Gao ** Fa ** Jie * Kings of the Shang Dynasty ** Early Shang period *** Da Yi ***

Da Ding Da Ding () or Tai Ding () was the eldest son of King Tang but sources are conflicted as to whether he actually succeeded his father as a Shang dynasty King of China or not. Records In the ''Records of the Grand Historian'' he was said by Sima ...

***

Da Jia Tai Jia () or Da Jia, personal name Zǐ Zhì, was the son of Prince Da Ding and a king of the ancient Chinese Shang dynasty. Biography In the ''Records of the Grand Historian'' he was listed by Sima Qian as the fourth Shang king, succeeding his ...

***

Bu Bing Bu Bing or Wai Bing, personal name Zǐ Shèng, was a Shang dynasty King of China. In the ''Records of the Grand Historian'', he was listed by Sima Qian as the second Shang king, succeeding his father Tang, following the earlier death of his elder ...

*** Da Geng ***

Xiao Jia Xiao Jia (), personal name Zi Gao (), was a Shang dynasty King of China. In the ''Records of the Grand Historian'' he was listed by Sima Qian as the seventh Shang king, succeeding his brother Tai Geng (). He was enthroned in the year of Dingsi ( ...

*** Da Wu *** Lü Ji ***

Zhong Ding Zhong Ding (), personal name Zǐ Zhuāng, was a Shang dynasty King of China. In the ''Records of the Grand Historian'' he was listed by Sima Qian as the tenth Shang king, succeeding his father Tai Wu (). He was enthroned in the year of Xinchou () ...

*** Bu Ren *** Jian Jia *** Zu Yi *** Zu Xin *** Qiang Jia *** Zu Ding *** Nan Geng *** Xiang Jia **

Yin Yin may refer to: *the dark force in the yin and yang from traditional Chinese philosophy and medicine *Yīn (surname) (), a Chinese surname *Yǐn (surname) (), a Chinese surname *Shang dynasty, also known as the Yin dynasty **Yinxu or Yin, the S ...

period *** Pan Geng ***

Xiao Xin Xiao Xin (), personal name Zi Song, was a Shang dynasty King of China. Records In the ''Records of the Grand Historian'' he was listed by Sima Qian as the twentieth Shang king, succeeding his older brother Pan Geng. He was enthroned in the yea ...

*** Xiao Yi ***

Wu Ding Wu Ding (); personal name Zi Zhao, was a king of the Shang dynasty who ruled China around 1200s BC. He is the earliest figure in Chinese history mentioned in contemporary records. The annals of the Shang dynasty compiled by later historians were o ...

*** Zu Geng ***

Zu Jia Zu Jia (祖甲) or Di Jia (帝甲), personal name Zǐ Zǎi (子載), was a Shang dynasty King of China. Records His capital was at Yin (殷). In the 12th year of his reign, he sent troops to fight Rong people in the west until winter. In t ...

***

Lin Xin Lin Xin (廩辛) was king of the Shang dynasty of China. His name by ''Bamboo Annals'' is Feng Xin (冯辛), another book The Historic People of Han Book (汉书, 古今人表) also called him Feng Xin. He got his throne in the year of Gengyan (� ...

*** Kang Ding *** Wu Yi ***

Wen Wu Ding Wen Wu Ding () or Wen Ding (), personal name Zi Tuo (), was a king of the Shang dynasty of Ancient China. His reign was from 1116 to 1106 BC. Records According to ''Bamboo Annals'', his capital was at Yin (殷) or Zimou. In the second year o ...

*** Di Yi ***

Di Xin King Zhou (; ) was the pejorative posthumous name given to Di Xin of Shang () or King Shou of Shang (), the last king of the Shang dynasty of ancient China. He is also called Zhou Xin (). In Chinese, his name Zhòu ( 紂) also refers to a horse cr ...

Ancient Chinese law

Traditional Chinese law Traditional Chinese law refers to the laws, regulations, and rules used in China up to 1911, when the last imperial dynasty fell. It has undergone continuous development since at least the 11th century BCE. This legal tradition is distinct from ...

Military history of ancient China

Military of ancient China

* Ancient Chinese armor *

Crossbow A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an Elasticity (physics), elastic launching device consisting of a Bow and arrow, bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar ...

* Military thought ** During the Zhou Dynasty *** '' Six Secret Teachings'' – attributed to Lü Shang (aka Jiang Ziya), a top general of King Wen of Zhou, founder of the Zhou dynasty ** During Warring States period – great period for military strategy; of the

Seven Military Classics The Seven Military Classics () were seven important military texts of ancient China, which also included Sun-tzu's '' The Art of War''. The texts were canonized under this name during the 11th century AD, and from the time of the Song dynasty, w ...

of China, four were written during this period: *** ''

The Art of War ''The Art of War'' () is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the Late Spring and Autumn Period (roughly 5th century BC). The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun"), is com ...

'' – attributed to

Sun Tzu Sun Tzu ( ; zh, t=孫子, s=孙子, first= t, p=Sūnzǐ) was a Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer who lived during the Eastern Zhou period of 771 to 256 BCE. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of '' The ...

, a highly influential study of strategy and tactics. *** ''

Wuzi The ''Wuzi'' () is a classic Chinese work on military strategy attributed to Wu Qi. It is considered one of China's Seven Military Classics. It is said there were two books on the art of war by Wu Qi, but one was lost, hence leaving the ''Wuzi ...

'' – attributed to Wu Qi, a statesman and commander who served the states of Wei and then Chu. *** ''

Wei Liaozi The ''Wei Liaozi'' () is a text on military strategy, one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China. It was written during the Warring States period. History and authorship The work is purportedly named after Wei Liao, who is said to have ...

'' – of uncertain authorship. *** '' The Methods of the Sima'' – attributed to Sima Rangju, a commander serving the state of Qin.

General history of ancient China

Ancient Chinese history, by period

History of ancient China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...

Neolithic China This is a list of Neolithic cultures of China that have been unearthed by archaeologists. They are sorted in chronological order from earliest to latest and are followed by a schematic visualization of these cultures. It would seem that the defin ...

(c. 8500 – c. 2070 BC) – predates ancient China * Bronze Age China **

Xia dynasty The Xia dynasty () is the first dynasty in traditional Chinese historiography. According to tradition, the Xia dynasty was established by the legendary Yu the Great, after Shun, the last of the Five Emperors, gave the throne to him. In tradit ...

(c. 2070 – c. 1600 BC) **

Shang dynasty The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang) that ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium BC, traditionally succeeding the Xia dynasty a ...

(c. 1600 – c. 1046 BC) **

Zhou dynasty The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...

(c. 1046 – 256 BC, BCE) ***

Western Zhou The Western Zhou ( zh, c=, p=Xīzhōu; c. 1045 BC – 771 BC) was a royal dynasty of China and the first half of the Zhou dynasty. It began when King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty at the Battle of Muye and ended when the Quanrong n ...

(1046–771 BC) *

Iron Age China The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly app ...

** Zhou dynasty (continued) ***

Eastern Zhou The Eastern Zhou (; zh, c=, p=Dōngzhōu, w=Tung1-chou1, t= ; 771–256 BC) was a royal dynasty of China and the second half of the Zhou dynasty. It was divided into two periods: the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States. History In 770 ...

****

Spring and Autumn period The Spring and Autumn period was a period in Chinese history from approximately 770 to 476 BC (or according to some authorities until 403 BC) which corresponds roughly to the first half of the Eastern Zhou period. The period's name derives fr ...

(771 – 476 BC) ****

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...

(475 – 221 BC)

Ancient Chinese history, by region

: ''See also Regions of ancient China, above * Ancient history of Beijing * Ancient history of Shanghai * Ye

Ancient Chinese history, by subject

: ''See the rest of this outline''

Works on ancient Chinese history

* ''

Records of the Grand Historian ''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese his ...

'' * ''

The Cambridge History of Ancient China ''The Cambridge History of China'' is a series of books published by the Cambridge University Press (CUP) covering the history of China from the founding of the Qin dynasty in 221 BC to 1982 AD. The series was conceived by British historian Den ...

'' * ''

Twenty-Four Histories The ''Twenty-Four Histories'' (), also known as the ''Orthodox Histories'' (), are the Chinese official dynastic histories covering from the earliest dynasty in 3000 BC to the Ming dynasty in the 17th century. The Han dynasty official Sima Qia ...

Culture of ancient China

* Architecture in ancient China **

Ancient Chinese wooden architecture Ancient Chinese wooden architecture is a style of Chinese architecture. In the West it has been studied less than other architectural styles. Although Chinese architectural history reaches far back in time, descriptions of Chinese architecture are ...

* Dogs in ancient China * Games in ancient China **

Chuiwan Chuiwan () was a game in ancient China. Its rules resemble modern golf. The book ''Dongxuan lu'' (東軒錄), written by Wei Tai ((魏泰) fl. 1050–1100) of the Song dynasty, describes how a southern Tang official teaches his daughter how to ...

Cuju ''Cuju'' or ''Ts'u-chü'' (蹴鞠) is an ancient Chinese football game. Cuju is the earliest known recorded game of football. It is a competitive game that involves kicking a ball through an opening into a net without the use of hands. Descripti ...

** Go **

Liubo ''Liubo'' () was an ancient Chinese board game played by two players. The rules have largely been lost, but it is believed that each player had six game pieces that were moved around the points of a square game board that had a distinctive, sym ...

* Mythology of China **

Chinese creation myth Chinese creation myths are symbolic narratives about the origins of the universe, earth, and life. In Chinese mythology, the term "cosmogonic myth" or "origin myth" is more accurate than "creation myth", since very few stories involve a creator deit ...

Chinese dragon The Chinese dragon, also known as ''loong'', ''long'' or ''lung'', is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and Chinese culture at large. Chinese dragons have many Outline of life forms, animal-like forms such as Bixi (my ...

Ancient Chinese urban planning Ancient Chinese urban planning encompasses the diverse set of cultural beliefs, social and economic structures, and technological capacities that historically influenced urban design in the early period of Chinese civilization. Factors that have ...

* Women in ancient and imperial China

Art in ancient China

Performing arts in ancient China

* Juggling in ancient China * Music in ancient China **

Yayue ''Yayue'' () was a form of classical music and dance performed at the royal court and temples in ancient China. The basic conventions of ''yayue'' were established in the Western Zhou. Together with law and rites, it formed the formal represent ...

Language in ancient China

Old Chinese Old Chinese, also called Archaic Chinese in older works, is the oldest attested stage of Chinese, and the ancestor of all modern varieties of Chinese. The earliest examples of Chinese are divinatory inscriptions on oracle bones from around 12 ...

or Archaic Chinese *

Classical Chinese Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning "literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning "literar ...

or Literary Chinese * History of names in ancient China ** History of Chinese personal names ** History of Chinese surnames in ancient China *** Origin of Chinese surnames ***

Eight Great Surnames of Chinese Antiquity The eight great surnames of Chinese antiquity were among the most important Chinese surnames in Chinese antiquity. They are all Chinese ancestral surnames, and as such have Chinese clan surnames branching off from them During the earliest Chin ...

* Evolution of written Chinese **

Oracle bone script Oracle bone script () is an ancient form of Chinese characters that were engraved on oracle bonesanimal bones or turtle plastrons used in pyromantic divination. Oracle bone script was used in the late 2nd millennium BC, and is the earliest k ...

– earliest confirmed evidence of the Chinese script yet discovered is the body of inscriptions carved on oracle bones from the late Shang dynasty (c. 1200–1050 BC). **

Chinese bronze inscriptions Chinese bronze inscriptions, also commonly referred to as bronze script or bronzeware script, are writing in a variety of Chinese scripts on ritual bronzes such as ''zhōng'' bells and '' dǐng'' tripodal cauldrons from the Shang dynasty (2nd m ...

Seal script Seal script, also sigillary script () is an ancient style of writing Chinese characters that was common throughout the latter half of the 1st millennium BC. It evolved organically out of the Zhou dynasty bronze script. The Qin variant of se ...

Literature in ancient China

* Ancient Chinese classics

People in ancient China

List of ancient Chinese A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to: People * List (surname) Organizations * List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America * SC Germania List, German rugby union ...

Ancient Chinese philosophers This article is a list of Chinese philosophers. Ancient philosophers Confucianism * Confucius, arguably the most influential Chinese philosopher ever. * Dong Zhongshu, integrated Yin Yang cosmology into a Confucian ethical framework. * Gao ...

Philosophy in ancient China

Ancient Chinese philosophy *

Hundred Schools of Thought The Hundred Schools of Thought () were philosophies and schools that flourished from the 6th century BC to 221 BC during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period of ancient China. An era of substantial discrimination in China ...

* School of Names *

Economics and infrastructure of ancient China

* Economic history of ancient China * Coinage in ancient China

Science and technology of ancient China

* Chariots in ancient China **

Xi Zhong Xi Zhong (Chinese language, Chinese: ) was a legendary Xia dynasty minister claimed to have served Yu the Great credited in traditional Chinese sources with the invention of the Chinese chariot, chariot during the 2nd millennium BC. Modern arch ...

Bamboo and wooden slips Bamboo and wooden slips () were the main media for writing documents in China before the widespread introduction of paper during the first two centuries AD. (Silk was occasionally used, for example in the Chu Silk Manuscript, but was prohibit ...

References

External links

Ancient China's Geography

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