Background
- 2100 BCE, with no early written history, legend states Chinese civilization the work of great Sages. By the end of era, first Chinese dynasty, Xia, emerged.
- 1700 BCE, Shang dynasty ruled and initiated first written history of China. Book of Changes, or I Ching, also put into writing.
1066 BCE, Zhou dynasty overtook Shang. Mandate of Heaven initiated, and mightiest of the early dynasties. When Zhou weakened, their semi-feudal system broke into many warring states.
- 476 BCE, only seven states remained in The Warring States period. New methods like “The Art of War" by Sun Tzu, replaced old styles, and philosophy’s search for the Way, or Tao grew. Lao-Tzu proposed non-action, while Confucius espoused doing things right. Many schools of thought emerged in this chaotic time.
- 221 BCE, state of Qin conquered all others, and First Emperor unified China for first time. Barbarians were pushed back, a centralized bureaucracy formed, and Imperial China begun.