If I ask you, which dynasty is the longest in Chinese history? You may be able to tell that it is the Zhou Dynasty, so what if it is the ranking of the ten longest dynasties in Chinese history? You may have to rely on guesswork. Let’s take a look together below!
1. Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC-256 BC) — 790 years
The longest dynasty in Chinese history – the Zhou Dynasty. The Zhou Dynasty was established by Zhou Wu Wang Jifa. The Zhou Dynasty was divided into the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty. The Western Zhou Dynasty lasted for 275 years from 1046 BC to 771 BC. The founder was King Wu of Zhou, whose name was Ji Fa. He inherited the throne of his father, King Wen of Zhou. In 1046 BC, the Shang Dynasty was destroyed and the Zhou Dynasty was established. . The Zhou Dynasty was the third and last slave society dynasty in Chinese history. Later, because King You of Zhou was killed, Marquis Xishen and other princes respected Yijiu as King Zhou, that is, King Ping of Zhou. Because of avoiding the difficulties of dogs and soldiers, King Ping of Zhou moved the capital eastward to Luoyi, which was called the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in history (770 BC-256 BC, after 514 years). The Eastern Zhou Dynasty is what we often call the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The last ruler of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty was Zhou Nan (nǎn) Wang Ji Yan. Because he believed the words of King Xiaolie of Chu, he summoned the other six countries to send troops to attack Qin in the name of the son of heaven. The six countries failed because they did not cooperate. In 256 BC, Qin defeated Luoyi, killed King Nan of Zhou, and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty perished.
2. Shang Dynasty (about 1600 BC – about 1046 BC) – 554 years
The Shang Dynasty was established after Shang Tang (Zilu) destroyed Xia Jie. The Shang Dynasty was the second dynasty in Chinese history, and it was also the second dynasty in history. Around 1600 BC, the Shang Dynasty was established. It was destroyed by King Wu of Zhou in about 1046 BC. The Shang Dynasty experienced a total of 30 kings. The Shang Dynasty began with Shang Tang and ended with Shang Zhou. After being defeated by King Wu of Zhou in the Battle of Muye, Zhou set himself on fire and died.
3. Xia Dynasty (about 2070 BC-1600 BC) – 470 years
The Xia Dynasty was the country established by Yu the Great. The Xia Dynasty was the first hereditary dynasty in Chinese history, changing from a “common world” to a “family world”. The Xia Dynasty was also China’s first slave society country. The Xia Dynasty began with Dayu and died with Jie. The Xia Dynasty went through 14 generations with 17 rulers. The last king, Si Jie, was destroyed by Shang Tang.
4. Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) – 405 years
The Han Dynasty was established by Liu Bang, the great ancestor of the Han Dynasty. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, the world was in chaos, and heroes from all over the world rose up. Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu, and successfully ascended to the top, establishing the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty was divided into the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD) and the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD), beginning with Liu Bang and ending with Liu Xie, with a total of 29 emperors and 405 years. In 220 AD, Liu Xie, the last emperor of the Han Dynasty, abdicated to Cao Pi.
5. Song Dynasty (AD 960-AD 1279) – 319 years
In the Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin “added the body in a yellow robe” in the “Chenqiao Incident” and then seized the land of the Later Zhou Dynasty. The Song Dynasty ended the long and chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. The Song Dynasty was divided into the Northern Song Dynasty (AD 960-AD 1127) and the Southern Song Dynasty (AD 1127-AD 1279). It began with Song Gaozu Zhao Kuangyin and ended with Song Huaizong Zhao Bing. There were 18 emperors in total and lasted 319 years.
6. Tang Dynasty (618 AD – 907 AD) – 289 years
The Tang Dynasty was founded in 618 by Tang Gaozu Li Yuan. The last dynasty of the Tang Dynasty was the Sui Dynasty, and the next dynasty was the Song Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty began with Li Yuan, Emperor Gaozu of Tang Dynasty, and ended with Emperor Jingzong Li Wei of Tang Dynasty. There were 21 emperors in total, and it lasted 289 years.
7. Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-AD 1644) – 276 years
The Ming Dynasty was founded by Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang in 1368. It is the penultimate feudal dynasty in my country and also the last political dynasty ruled by the Han nationality. The Ming Dynasty began with Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang and ended with Chongzhen Emperor Zhu Youjian. There were 16 emperors in total, which lasted 276 years. replaced by the Qing Dynasty.
8. Qing Dynasty (AD 1644-AD 1912) – 267 years
The predecessor of the Qing Dynasty was Houjin, founded by Nurhachi. His son Huang Taiji changed the name of the country to “Qing” in 1636 AD. It officially entered the customs in 1644 and moved its capital to Beijing. The Qing Dynasty was the last feudal dynasty in Chinese history. The Qing Dynasty began with Qing Taizu Nurhachi and ended with Xuantong Emperor Puyi. There were 12 emperors in the history of the Qing Dynasty, which lasted 268 years and were replaced by the Republic of China.
9. Liao Dynasty (AD 916-1125) – 209 years
In 916 AD, Yelu Abaoji, Taizu of the Liao Dynasty, established the Liao Dynasty. The Liao Dynasty was a regime established by the Khitan ethnic minority in my country. The name of the country is “Khitan”. Later, Yelu Deguang, Emperor Taizong of the Liao Dynasty, changed the name of the country to “Liao”. The Kingdom of Liao started from Yelu Abaoji, Taizu of the Liao Dynasty, and ended with Yelu Yanxi, Emperor Gongzong of the Liao Dynasty. It experienced a total of 9 emperors, and after 209 years, it was destroyed by the Kingdom of Jin.
10. Western Xia (AD 1038-AD 1227) – 189 years
Xixia was founded by Xia Jingzong Li Yuanhao in 1038 A.D. It is a regime established by “Dangxiang people” of ethnic minorities in our country. Xixia started from Emperor Jingzong Li Yuanhao and ended with Emperor Li Sui at the end of Xia Dynasty. There were 10 emperors in total, and it lasted 189 years. It was finally destroyed by Genghis Khan of Mongolia.