The history of China is very extensive. They start with the Chinese dynasties and end with the Cultural Revolution. But what was such a dynasty actually and how did a dynasty progress? And what role did the emperor have and what did the Heavenly Mandate mean in a dynasty?
Chinese culture is one of the oldest in the world
It is impossible to say how old Chinese culture is, but it is clear that it is one of the oldest in the world. It is clear that China was ruled by dynasties for centuries. The first to be proven is the Shang Dynasty. Evidence of this has been found in the ground. The beginning and end times of this dynasty are not certain, but are estimated to run from 1550 BC to 1050 BC.
What does a dynasty mean?
In dynastic times, people assumed that the emperor was chosen and blessed. He had a heavenly mandate that also passed on to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The task assigned to him (heavenly mandate) was to rule virtuously. If he did not do this, the heavenly mandate was transferred to someone else.
How did a dynastic cycle proceed in China?
A dynasty had a clear beginning and end. That went like this:
- A new emperor was appointed and came to power
- This brought about a period of prosperity, reforms, development and inventions
- This often resulted in happy subjects and a flourishing and prosperous economy
- But this bloom often had a dark side. The emperor started to behave differently and asked for more and more luxury or wanted to expand his territory. The latter was accompanied by wars
- Due to both a decadent attitude of an emperor and the waging of wars, the treasury became empty
- This caused the people to revolt
- The dynasty therefore fell apart
- A period of unrest and instability followed
- The emperor had to relinquish his heavenly mandate to someone else and a new dynasty was born
Natural disasters and crop failures and the heavenly mandate
Moreover, other matters were often used to overthrow a dynasty. In particular, natural disasters and crop failures followed by famine were often used as a sign that the heavenly mandate had been lifted. This was often the immediate reason for the emperor’s subjects to revolt and overthrow the dynasty.
What dynasties have there been in China that we know of?
- Shang Dynasty from 1550 to 1050 BC
- Zhou Dynasty from 1050 to 221 BC
- Qin Dynasty from 221 BC to 206 BC
- Han Dynasty from 206 BC to 220 AD
- Three Kingdoms period from 220 to 280 AD
- Jin Dynasty from 265 to 420 AD
- Period of the Sixteen Kingdoms from 316 to 439 AD
- Southern and Northern Dynasties from 420 to 589 AD
- Sui Dynasty from 581 – 618 AD
- Tang Dynasty from 618 to 907 AD
- Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms from 907 to 960 AD
- Song Dynasty from 960 to 1279 AD
- Yuan Dynasty from 1279 to 1368 AD
- Ming Dynasty from 1368 to 1644 AD
- Qing Dynasty from 1644 to 1912 AD
The Han Dynasty: one of the greatest dynasties in the history of China
During the Han dynasty, the state was ruled according to Confucianism, a movement in Buddhism. Everyone, but also every person in power, had to strive for the happiness of the other and good education played a major role in this. During this period the state flourished in the fields of culture and science. The Silk Road to the west was also opened during that period. Moreover, there was more cohesion between the different regions and as a result, an increasingly larger Chinese empire slowly emerged. The Han dynasty fell due to the economic rise of the regions around the southern Sichuan Plain and the Yangtse Valley. Uprisings were organized there, causing China to split into three states. These were:
- The Wei
- The Shu
- The Wu
These three states were at war with each other for hundreds of years, resulting in a completely fragmented country. The Tang and Song Dynasties emerged from that period.