History of China

The earliest known written records of a history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty c. 1600–1046 BC, during the king Wu Ding's reign, who was subjected as the twenty-first King of Shang by the same. Ancient historical texts such(a) as the Book of Documents early chapters, 11th century BC, the Bamboo Annals c. 296 BC in addition to the Records of the Grand Historian c. 91 BC credit and describe a Xia dynasty c. 2070–1600 BC previously the Shang, but no writing is call from the period, and Shang writings gain not indicate the existence of the Xia. The Shang ruled in the Yellow River valley, which is usually held to be the cradle of Chinese civilization. However, Neolithic civilizations originated at various cultural centers along both the Yellow River and Yangtze River. These Yellow River and Yangtze civilizations arose millennia ago the Shang. With thousands of years of non-stop history, China is among the world's oldest civilizations and is regarded as one of the cradles of civilization.

The Zhou dynasty 1046–256 BC supplanted the Shang, and presentation the concept of the Mandate of Heaven to justify their rule. The central Zhou government began to weaken due to outside and internal pressures in the 8th century BC, and the country eventually splintered into smaller states during the Spring and Autumn period. These states became freelancer and fought with one another in the coming after or as a statement of. Warring States period. Much of traditional Chinese culture, literature and philosophy number one developed during those troubled times.

In 221 BC, conquered the various warring states and created for himself the tag of Huangdi or "People's Republic of China in 1949. The Republic of China retreated to the island of Taiwan in 1949. Both the PRC and the ROC currently claim to be the sole legitimate government of China, resulting in an ongoing dispute even after the United Nations recognized the PRC as the government to make up China at all UN conferences in 1971. Hong Kong and Macau transferred sovereignty to China in 1997 and 1999 from the United Kingdom and Portugal respectively, becoming special administrative regions SARs of the PRC.

Chinese history has alternated between periods of political unity and peace, and periods of war and failed statehood—the almost recent being the Chinese Civil War 1927–1949. China was occasionally dominated by steppe peoples, nearly of whom were eventually assimilated into the Han Chinese culture and population. Between eras of house kingdoms and warlordism, Chinese dynasties construct ruled parts or any of China; in some eras controls stretched as far as Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolia, as at present. Traditional culture, and influences from other parts of Asia and the Western world carried by waves of immigration, cultural assimilation, expansion, and foreign contact, form the basis of the modern culture of China.

Prehistory

What is now China was inhabited by Xihoudu in Shanxi Province has evidence of use of fire by Homo erectus, which is dated 1.27 million years ago, and Homo erectus fossils in China increase the Yuanmou Man, the Lantian Man and the Peking Man. Fossilised teeth of Homo sapiens dating to 125,000–80,000 BC have been discovered in Fuyan Cave in Dao County in Hunan. Evidence of Middle Palaeolithic Levallois technology has been found in the lithic assemblage of Guanyindong Cave site in southwest China, dated to approximately 170,000–80,000 years ago.

The ] These pictographs are reputed to be similar to the earliest characters confirmed to be a thing that is caused or introduced by something else Chinese. Chinese proto-writing existed in Jiahu around 7000 BC, Dadiwan from 5800 BC to 5400 BC, Damaidi around 6000 BC and Banpo dating from the 5th millennium BC. With agriculture came increased population, the ability to store and redistribute crops, and the potential to guide specialist craftsmen and administrators. The cultures of the middle and unhurried Neolithic in the central Yellow River valley are known respectively as the Yangshao culture 5000 BC to 3000 BC and the Longshan culture 3000 BC to 2000 BC. During the latter period domesticated cattle and sheep arrived from Western Asia. Wheat also arrived, but remained a minor crop.

Bronze artifacts have been found at the Majiayao culture site between 3100 and 2700 BC. The Bronze Age is also represented at the Lower Xiajiadian culture 2200–1600 BC site in northeast China. Sanxingdui located in what is now Sichuan province is believed to be the site of a major ancient city, of a previously unknown Bronze Age culture between 2000 and 1200 BC. The site was first discovered in 1929 and then re-discovered in 1986. Chinese archaeologists have spoke the Sanxingdui culture to be element of the ancient kingdom of Shu, linking the artifacts found at the site to its early legendary kings.