Dynasties of China

For most of its history until the 20th century, China consisted of one or several dynastic kingdoms or states under the rule of hereditary monarchs. Beginning with the establishment of a system of dynastic rule by Yu the Great c. 2070 BC, and ending with the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor, Puyi, in AD 1912^, China came to organize itself around the hereditary succession of predominantly male emperors, and more broadly their family dynasties. While most dynasties were established by members of the dominant Han ethnic group (and its predecessor the Huaxia), dynasties throughout Chinese history were also founded by non-Han regional leaders—often after periods of violence or intense political competition, hence these are sometimes known as conquest dynasties.

Dividing Chinese history into dynastic epochs is a convenient and conventional method of periodization. Accordingly, a dynasty may be used to delimit the era during which members of a family reigned, as well as to describe events, trends, personalities, artistic compositions, and artifacts of that period. For example, porcelain made during the Ming dynasty may be referred to as "Ming porcelain".

The longest-reigning dynasty of China was the Zhou dynasty, ruling for a total length of about 790 years, albeit that this period is now divided into the Western Zhou and the Eastern Zhou in Chinese historiography. The largest Chinese dynasty in terms of territorial size was either the Yuan dynasty or the Qing dynasty, depending on the historical source.

The term Tiāncháo (天朝; "Celestial Dynasty" or "Heavenly Dynasty") was frequently employed as a self-reference by Chinese dynasties. As a form of respect and subordination, Chinese tributary states referred to these dynasties as "Tiāncháo Shàngguó" (天朝上國; "Celestial Dynasty of the Exalted State") or "Tiāncháo Dàguó" (天朝大國; "Celestial Dynasty of the Great State").