The Four Dynasties of China from 1650 B.C. to 220 A.D.
...d the favor of the Gods, and so, had the mandate of heaven to rule. The Zhou continued feudalism as well as many other Shang ideals including religion, yet they replaced the virtues of Yin and Yang with the philosophical concept of the Dynastic Cycle. During this time the Chinese people developed skill in astronomy, bronze making, and even made the first books and form of money. Yet, over time, the Zhou fell victim to their own principals, as the feudalistic lords became more separated, less unified, and began to rebel… and so the torch that is lit by the God’s favor was passed on. By 221 B.C. China was a mesh of confusion and mistrust; and so the new age was born with two powerful dynasties that had one predominant goal… to unify all of China. The Qin Dynasty was first to overthrow the Zhou rulers, and in doing so they rid Chinese civilization of feudalism and gave rise to a more centralized form of government in what is known as a bureaucracy. The Qin promoted a philosophy of legalism and enforced strict laws and high taxes to bind the Chinese way of life. At this time, China had three main religions in Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism, yet the Qin did not compel the people to any one particular set of beliefs or practices. Still, the Qin did much in the way of standardization to aid in the unity of China. They standardized weights, measurements, writing, money, and even began a form of transportation along with building the Great Wall. However, with the death of the Qin lord in 210 B.C. it was only a matter of time before the unrest over the high taxes and forced labor surfaced and dethroned the Qin from power after only 15 years. In their place the Han dynasty continued e...