Ancient China timeline

China has not always been one, united country. For thousands of years early Chinese settlers were scattered around in small villages on the banks of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. Even during the Zhou Dynasty, which lasted nearly 800 years, ‘China’ was a collection of seven competing states (choose the Warring States map from the drop down menu).

The Warring States period lasted from 475 BCE to 221 BCE. It consisted of regular conflicts between the seven states of China although it was not a time of endless war.

In the latter years of this period, a thirteen-year-old emperor ascended the throne of the western state of Qin.

The Qin Dynasty

After more than 250 years of on again, off again conflict the Qin state emerged victorious. One by one they defeated their rivals. In doing so, they unified China. The name ‘China’ in fact derives from ‘Qin’. They were an aggressive warrior people but there were many reasons for their win.