China is a magical country with a special culture, traditions and ancient history. Chinese civilization – one of the oldest in the world, whose age is about 5 thousand years. The earliest written records of it date back to the 4th Millennium BC the Chinese civilization originated in the river basins of the yellow river and the Yangtze. Here in the settlements of ancient farmers appeared the first cities and state associations of China.
The history of China can be divided into three periods:
- Pre-Imperial China (the dynasties of Xia, Shang, Zhou up to 221 BC);
- Imperial China (Dean. Qin 221 BC-DIN. Qing 1911);
- New China (1911 – present).
China's pre-Imperial history is characterized by unstable political power, which was often concentrated in the hands of religious leaders. Governors of small estates and provinces were actually independent from the power of the ruler. The strongest of the three dynasties of this period is considered to be the Shang dynasty, but it has not escaped the internecine wars, which, in the end, led the state of Shang Yin in decline.
The history of the Imperial dynasties of China covers a huge period of time from 221 BC to 1911 ad.during the reign of the eight strongest dynasties: Qin, Han, sui, Tang, song, yuan, Ming and Qing China has become one of the strongest countries in the world, becoming a leader on the Asian continent.
The formation of China as a single integral country begins with the reign of Emperor Qin shihuang di (221 BC), who United the seven Chinese kingdoms and conquered many neighboring territories. However, the Emperor Qin shihuang di is famous not only for his political services to China, but also the famous terracotta army, which has been guarding the entrance to his tomb for 2 thousand years. The Tang dynasty (618-907 ad), whose rule is often called the "Golden age" of China, left an indelible mark in the history of China.
In the XIII century, China was attacked by Mongols led by Genghis Khan. This period of China's history is one of the most tragic, as the Mongols occupied almost the entire China, establishing their Mongolian yuan dynasty. The second time China was attacked was in 1644, when the Manchus destroyed the Ming dynasty, becoming the rulers of China. The Manchu Qing dynasty was the last Imperial dynasty of China.
In 1911, China began the Xinhai revolution, which led to the fall of the Empire and the formation of the people's Republic. In 1949, after the victory of the Communist party of China over the Kuomintang party, the people's Republic of China (PRC) was proclaimed, headed by Mao Zedong.