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The Shang were the first recorded Chinese dynasty. The dynasty began in the mid 18th to mid 16th century BCE and ended in 1111 BCE. The Shang were rich in culture and practiced a variety of traditions, they were also the first dynasty to use bronze. Some of the earliest Chinese characters can be found on bronze, other examples would be on oracle bones. Oracle bones were ways of guiding the empire in wisdom and prediction, by inscribing words and questions into animal bones and shells and cracking them priests and oracles would be able to read the bones to know the future. The Shang also developed complex forms of irrigation and farming to guard against the flooding of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. The Shang were polytheistic, the major god was Shang Ti. They also practiced ancestral worship, if the dead spirits of a family were pleased then crop and family life would be good. The last king of the Shang was King Zhou, he was taken over by rebel Wu-Wang.

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Oracle bones

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The Zhou (also Chou) ruled from 1045 BCE to 256 BCE and was China's longest running dynasty. The Zhou were the ones to introduce the idea of the 'mandate of heaven'. The mandate of heaven is basically the god given right to rule. The mandate of heaven goes into place in times of crises in the dynasty, when things get really bad that dynasty loses the mandate of heaven and someone else can start a new dynasty. The Zhou rulers distributed the land with trusted family and advisers. When a weaker ruler was overthrown the dynasty moved east and became what is now known as the the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Then civilization flourished, merchants, money developed and the famous philosopher Confucius started to teach his ideas.

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The Qin Dynasty first emerged as a power in the seventh century BCE when the Zhou were still in power. The Qin extended their state into the Huang He river, and eventually were given ruler ship over their own region. At this point many of the states in China were fighting for control. The Qin being farther from the fight zone were able to develop a government and stay out of the fighting. Some of the most influencial changes happened when Shang Yang partnered with the current Qin emperor. Shang Yang reorganized the way the local governments worked and operated, he also encouraged increased agricultural production and the breakdown of the extended family structure. In fifty years the Qin began to divide and conquer, they gained undisputed power over their neighbors. After a fight with the Zhou destroyed military powers they eventually fell and the Qin took the throne of the new and unified China. In the unified china it's king took the title of 'Emperor'. Under this Emperor several reforms were made,including the complete abolition of the Feudalistic system. In order to control his empire he sent out government officials to manage local affairs, and inspectors were sent to make sure the local government was doing it's job. He was also responsible for the Great Wall of China. When he died he was buried with terracotta soldiers, 6000 of them all lifesize. The empire fell after he died. He was very cruel emperor, due to his many construction projects many people died, he also banned many books on medicine law and art, fearing that these books would be dangerous. After his death the last Qin prince surrendered in 206 BCE.

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The Great Wall of China

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The Han Dynasty is considered one of China's most successful and peaceful periods of history, starting in 202 BCE the Han built and expanded an empire that started the silk road and opened up China to the rest of the world. The Han invented paper and porcelain, they also were innovators in medicine, innovating acupuncture and working with herbs. The emperor Wu Ti expanded the empire into Vietnam and Korea, and when he went westward he established connections with western countries and established trading routes, one became known as the silk road, imports and exports traveled up and down this road, as well as religion. The Han continued the Great Wall where the Qin left off. The Han were eventually overthrown in 220 AD, kicking off several centuries of political chaos.

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The Sui Dynasty ruled from 581 AD to 618 AD. It was started when Yang Jian ended the 400 years of civil war. He issued new laws, moved the capital, and promoted Buddhism. There is a possibility he was murdered by his son, who ruled after him. His son built the Grand Canal and tried to take over Korea. When he attacked Korea the Korean army destroyed the Sui army. The citizens then became distrustful of their current empire. The Sui then unsuccessfully fought the eastern Turks, Sui Yangdi returned to his capitol where he was assassinated and the Dynasty ended.

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The Tang Dynasty began in 628 AD. The first emperor gave land and made money, and he also made a system of laws that would be reviewed and updated every 20 years in accordance with the change of times. One of his sons was a general, who ended up killing all of his brothers and taking the throne. Once he took the throne he shrunk the government and with the money her saved he bought the food surplus in case of famine. In order to become a court judge he established the test of civil exams, which created a wiser court system. After the Turks were defeated the Tang had no political opposition and thus began the Tang golden age. The Tang empire expanded and they kept up the silk road and kept in contact with places like Persia and the Byzantine Empire. In the Tang era Buddhism really caught on, and some developed their own style, a notable example of this is Zen Buddhism. The Tang era was the golden age of art in literature for the Chinese. However the end was nigh and soon rebellion and warring of factions grew. And around 880 AD the empire collapsed.

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The Song ruled from 960 AD and 1279 AD. The first Emperor unified China under a strong government. They invented a hand-held gun and movable type. Ship building and manufacturing processes were advanced, while the dramatic landscapes that marked classical Chinese art were painted. The Civil Service exams were in practice and produced smart government officials. Neo-Confucianism was on the rise, it was a combination of Confucianism Buddhism and Taoism. The Song also were the first to use paper money.

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The Ming Dynasty lasted from 1368 AD to 1644 AD, it was an Autocratic society with an Emperor and a chief adviser. The Ming continued to have problems with their borders, everyone from the Mongols, to Japan, to Korea, attacked China in the Ming dynasty. Art and ceramics also advanced. China's signature blue and white ceramics rose to popularity at this time, and a form of opera was also really popular with the people of the Ming Dynasty.

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-Newsela Article(Shang): "Shang Dynasty: China's First Recorded History." Adapted by Newsela Staff. USHistory.org, 28 June 2017. Newsela, https://newsela.com/read/lib-ushistory-ancient-china-shang-dynasty/id/32199/.
-Oracle Bone photo: Lang, Sidney. Oracle Bone Description. Henan Province, Anyang.
-Zhou World Book Article: Hardy, Grant. "Zhou dynasty." World Book Advanced, World Book, 2018, www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar616794. Accessed 17 Dec. 2018.
-Newsela Article(Qin): "The Qin Dynasty and the Unification of China: 221-202 B.C."Adapted by Newsela Staff. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 August 2017. Newsela, https://newsela.com/read/lib-overview-qin-dynasty/id/33048/
-Great Wall Picture: Ogeron , Pierre. The Great Wall. 2016.
-Newsela Article(Han): "China's Han Dynasty Rises and Falls." Adapted by Newsela Staff. USHistory.org, 28 June 2017. Newsela, https://newsela.com/read/lib-ushistory-china-han-dynasty/id/32154/
-Hardy, Grant. "Sui dynasty." World Book Advanced, World Book, 2018,
www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar538455. Accessed 20 Dec. 2018.
-Newsela Article(Tang): "Tang Dynasty — The Golden Age of China" Adapted by the Newsela Staff. USHistory.org, 27 June 2017. Newsela, https://newsela.com/read/lib-ushistory-china-tang-dynasty/id/32168/
-World book article(Song): Hardy, Grant. "Song dynasty." World Book Advanced, World Book, 2018,
www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar519820. Accessed 20 Dec. 2018.
-Newsela Article(Ming): "The Ming Dynasty of China: 1368-1644". Adapted by Newsela Staff. Encyclopedia Britannica. 13 October 2017, Newsela, https://newsela.com/read/lib-china-ming-dynasty/id/36087/