China: early imperial history 221 BC–AD 1279

The period 221 BC to AD 1279 saw the establishment of a unified China, initially under the harsh regime of the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC), and then under the Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220). Division of the empire occurred during the so-called Six Dynasties or Three Kingdoms period (220–581); the term Three Kingdoms is sometimes applied only to the period 220–280 when the Wei, Shu, and Wu struggled for supremacy. The disunity ended with the advent of the Sui dynasty (581–618). The mighty Tang dynasty (618–907) expanded the empire westwards to eastern Persia and the Caspian Sea and northwards to the Korean border. The Song dynasty (960–1279) was more noted for its cultural and technological achievements, and was pushed south by the Liao and Jin dynasties. However, from 1203 both the Jin and the Song were pushed aside by the onslaught of the Mongols.

Other landmarks of the period include the beginning of the Great Wall and China's canal system under the Qin, the establishment of the Confucian system of government under the Han, and the rise of Taoist and Buddhist philosophy and theories.