Dynasties

A dynasty is when one family rules a country or region over a long period of time. Generally, the head of the family will be the ruler of the land, like an emperor or king. When that ruler dies, another member of the family will take power, usually the oldest son. When a new family takes control, then a new dynasty begins.

Mandate of Heaven

The Mandate of Heaven is what the Chinese people believed gave their rulers the right to be king or emperor. It meant that the gods had blessed that person with the right to rule. A ruler had to be a good and just ruler to keep the Mandate of Heaven. When a ruler or dynasty lost power, this meant that they must also have lost the Mandate of Heaven.

XIA DYNASTY

• Considered to be a mythical, legendary story
• According to the legend, the dynasty ended around 1600 bc

SHANG DYNASTY

• Earliest written records of Chinese history. The “oracle bones”
• It included 31 kings
• The capital city was moved six times
• The final capital was the city of Yin

ZHOU DYNASTY

• Longest dynasty in the history of China (around 1000 years)
• It emerged along the Yellow river
• They ran a series of invasions along the valley of the Yangtze river

QIN DYNASTY

• Also known as Imperial China
• First legal code
• First Great Wall
• Terracota army