The Chinese Dynasty Song

a history of the Middle Kingdom in rhyme

source

by Joe Váradi

The Chinese Dynasty Song

Chinese history
is shrouded in mystery,
more myth than fact
if you go further back
than two millennia, BC …

Shang (~1600 to 1046 BC)

The first “real” dynasty of Bronze Age clang,
Inscribed on Oracle bones, they called it Shang

Zhou (1046 to 256 BC)

Zhou lasted longest, some eight hundred years,
Central power’s decline into Warring States and tears

Qin (221 to 206 BC)

Unified empire, script and currency,
Brief, but long-lasting imperial legacy

Han (206 BC to 220 AD)

Prosperity, Golden Age
Confucianism — all the rage

Three Kingdoms (220 to 280 AD)

Wei, Shu, Wu — a divided nation
Bloodshed, technologic innovation

Jin (266 to 420 AD)