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{{History of China}}  

{{History of China}}  

===Dynastic period===

==Mythological period==

The legendary [[Xia dynasty]] was founded about 2000 BC. The Shang dynasty, founded about 1500 BC, had a [[Bronze Age]] culture. Successive dynasties developed a system of bureaucratic control that gave the agrarian-based Chinese an advantage over neighboring nomadic and hill cultures. Chinese civilization was further strengthened by the development of a Confucian state ideology and a common written language that bridged the gaps among the country's many local languages and dialects. Whenever China was conquered by nomadic tribes, as it was by the Mongols in the 13th century, the conquerors sooner or later adopted the ways of the "higher" Chinese civilization and staffed the bureaucracy with Chinese.  

Traditional history begins with Pangu, the first living being. When he died, his left eye became the Sun. Various parts of his body became different parts of the Earth. There follow a succession of Three Sovereigns, or demigod rulers. The first and best known of these is Fu Xi. After the Three Sovereigns, there were the Five Emperors. Yu the Great (c. 2200 - 2100 BC) was the last of these emperors. He rescued China from the flood by building dikes. His son succeeded him, making Yu the founder of the legendary [[Xia dynasty]].  

 

China's first historic dynasty is the Shang. It was founded about 1500 BC and had a [[Bronze Age]] culture. Successive dynasties developed a system of bureaucratic control that gave the agrarian-based Chinese an advantage over neighboring nomadic and hill cultures. Chinese civilization was further strengthened by the development of a Confucian state ideology and a common written language that bridged the gaps among the country's many local languages and dialects. Whenever China was conquered by nomadic tribes, as it was by the Mongols in the 13th century, the conquerors sooner or later adopted the ways of the "higher" Chinese civilization and staffed the bureaucracy with Chinese.  

The discovery of silk from the silkworm occurred around 2700 BC. Sericulture, the cultivation of the silkworm to produce silk, spread through China, making silk a highly valued commodity. It was considered to be the domain of women; while men worked in the fields, women reared silkworms and tended mulberry plantations.  This is reflected in the modern Chinese character for the English meaning "tired", "累"，lei, which is a picture of a field - the work of men - above a picture of a coil of silk - the work of women.  

The discovery of silk from the silkworm occurred around 2700 BC. Sericulture, the cultivation of the silkworm to produce silk, spread through China, making silk a highly valued commodity. It was considered to be the domain of women; while men worked in the fields, women reared silkworms and tended mulberry plantations.  This is reflected in the modern Chinese character for the English meaning "tired", "累"，lei, which is a picture of a field - the work of men - above a picture of a coil of silk - the work of women.