Page 39 - J. P Morgan Collection of Chinese Art and Porcelain

HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION

which is always known to the Chinese as that of San

MB.NAME OF DYNASTY
Tai (The Three Dynasties).

THE THREE EARLY DYNASTIES

NU.MBER OF RULERS DURATION OF DYNASTY

C.

Hsia Eighteen 2205-1767

^' Shang Twenty-eight 1766-1 122
j^ Chou Thirty-five 1122-255

The dates given in the above table are those of the

official chronology which, however, is not contemporary,
but has been calculated backwards by later historians
from the lengths of the reigns, the cyclical days of
eclipses of the sun and moon, and other data recorded
in the current annals. It has been shown that the cycle
of sixty was used only for days at this time, not for

years. The early dates must be consequently taken

as only approximative, since it is not till the accession

of Hsiian Wang (B. C. 822) that there is a general agree-

ment in the native sources. From this date down-

wards the official Chinese dates may be accepted with

every confidence.

The civilization of China throughout the three
ancient dynasties appears to have been, so far as we
know, mainly, if not entirely, an indigenous growth.
Towards the close of the period, in the course of the
fifth and fourth centuries before the Christian era, the

northwestern of the feudal realms, the Ch'in State,

which corresponded more or less to the modern province
of Shensi, came prominently to the front, and gradually
extended its boundaries to the south and west. Its

name became thus known outside, and from it, no

doubt, was derived that of China, by which the coun-
try generally became known to the Hindus, Persians,
Armenians, Arabs, and ancient Romans. About the

same time signs of an overland traffic with India, by

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