Table 1.
The different periods of Chinese history ordered chronologically and classified according to their territorial integrity (Meskill, 1965; Taagepera, 1979, Taagepera, 1997; Song, 1994; Gernet, 1996; Dardess, 2010; Von Glahn, 2016). The average duration of a historical period in the imperial era is approximately 350 ± 50 years.
| Period | Time range | Duration (years) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Zhou | 1045 BCE - 771 BCE | 274 | Unified |
| Spring and Autumn Period | 771 BCE - 476 CE | 295 | Intermediate |
| Warring States and the Qin Dynasty | 476 BCE - 206 CE | 270 | Divided |
| Han Dynasties | 202 BCE - 220 CE | 422 | Unified |
| Period of Disunion and Sui Dynasty | 220 CE - 618 CE | 398 | Divided |
| Tang Dynasty | 618 CE - 907 CE | 289 | Unified |
| Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Tripartition | 907 CE -1271 CE | 364 | Divided |
| Yuan Dynasty and Ming Dynasty | 1271 CE - 1636 CE | 365 | Unified |
| Qing Dynasty | 1636 CE – 1912 CE | 276 | Unified |