THE THREE SOVEREIGNS (San huang)

"Tomb" of Huangdi

• Fuxi  ("Subduer of Animals"):  29th c. BCE
  • hunting and fishing implements
  • animal sacrifice
  • hexagram divination
• Shennong  ("Divine Farmer"):  28th c. BCE
  • agriculture
• Huangdi  ("Yellow Emperor"):  27th c. BCE
  • writing, silk, boats, carts, bow/arrow
    invented under his rule
    

THE THREE SAGES (San sheng)

• Yao:    24th c. BCE
  • central government, calendar, rites and music
  • passed over his own son, selected Shun as successor based on merit
• Shun:  23rd c. BCE
  • filial son of cruel parents
  • selected Yu as successor on basis of merit
• Yu:   22nd c. BCE
  • controlled the flooding of the Yellow River
  • selected his son Qi as successor because people were attracted to him, thus founding the first dynasty (Xia)

THE THREE DYNASTIES (San dai)

• Hsia:   22nd - 18th c. BCE
  • virtuous founder: Yu
  • evil last king: Jie

• Shang (Yin) :   18th - 12th c. BCE (traditional)
        16th - 11th c. BCE (modern estimate)
  • last capital at Yin (Anyang), hence alternative name
  • oracle bones: 12th - 11th c.
  • virtuous founder: Tang
  • evil last king: Zhou (different from name of next dynasty)
    
    
• Zhou:  1122 (or 1050) - 221 BCE
  • Western Zhou:  capital at Chang'an (modern Xian)
    • King Wen:   imprisoned under King Zhou of Shang; 
      wrote hexagram texts of Yijing
    • King Wu:   son of King Wen; overthrew Shang
    • Duke of Zhou:   King Wu's brother; regent for King Wu's son, King Cheng
  • Eastern Chou:  capital at Luoyang
    • 722-481:  "Spring and Autumn" period (Confucius 551-479)
    • 481-222:  "Warring States" period (Mencius, Xunzi, Zhuangzi, etc.)