Spanning four centuries, from 221 B.C. to A.D. 220, the Qin and Han dynasties were pivotal to Chinese history, establishing the social and cultural underpinnings of China as we know it today. Age of Empires: Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties is a revelatory study of the dawn of China’s imperial age, delving into more than 160 objects that attest to the artistic and cultural flowering that occurred under Qin and Han rule. Before this time, China consisted of seven independent states. They were brought together by Qin Shihuangdi, the self-proclaimed First Emperor of the newly unified realm. Under him, the earliest foundations of the Great Wall were laid, and the Qin army made spectacular advances in the arts of war—an achievement best expressed in the magnificent army of lifesize terracotta warriors and horses that stood before his tomb, seven of which are reproduced here. The Han built on the successes of the Qin, the increasing wealth and refinement of the empire reflected in dazzling bronze and lacquer vessels, ingeniously engineered lamps, and sparkling ornaments of jade and gold from elite Han tombs. But of all the achievements of the Qin-Han era, the most significant is, no doubt, the emergence of a national identity, for it was during this time of unprecedented change that people across the empire began to see themselves as one, with China as their common homeland. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Verdana} With its engaging, authoritative essays and evocative illustrations, Age of Empires provides an invaluable record of a unique epoch in Chinese history, one whose historic and artistic impact continues to resonate into the modern age.

The book is the volume of “The History of Art in Qin and Han Dynasty” among a series of books of “Deep into China Histories”. The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC) and the Bamboo Annals (296 BC) describe a Xia dynasty (c. 2070–1600 BC) before the Shang, but no writing is known from the period The Shang ruled in the Yellow River valley, which is commonly held to be the cradle of Chinese civilization. However, Neolithic civilizations originated at various cultural centers along both the Yellow River and Yangtze River. These Yellow River and Yangtze civilizations arose millennia before the Shang. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest civilizations, and is regarded as one of the cradles of civilization.The Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC) supplanted the Shang and introduced the concept of the Mandate of Heaven to justify their rule. The central Zhou government began to weaken due to external and internal pressures in the 8th century BC, and the country eventually splintered into smaller states during the Spring and Autumn period. These states became independent and warred with one another in the following Warring States period. Much of traditional Chinese culture, literature and philosophy first developed during those troubled times.In 221 BC Qin Shi Huang conquered the various warring states and created for himself the title of Huangdi or "emperor" of the Qin, marking the beginning of imperial China. However, the oppressive government fell soon after his death, and was supplanted by the longer-lived Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). Successive dynasties developed bureaucratic systems that enabled the emperor to control vast territories directly. In the 21 centuries from 206 BC until AD 1912, routine administrative tasks were handled by a special elite of scholar-officials. Young men, well-versed in calligraphy, history, literature, and philosophy, were carefully selected through difficult government examinations. China's last dynasty was the Qing (1644–1912), which was replaced by the Republic of China in 1912, and in the mainland by the People's Republic of China in 1949.Chinese history has alternated between periods of political unity and peace, and periods of war and failed statehood – the most recent being the Chinese Civil War (1927–1949). China was occasionally dominated by steppe peoples, most of whom were eventually assimilated into the Han Chinese culture and population. Between eras of multiple kingdoms and warlordism, Chinese dynasties have ruled parts or all of China; in some eras control stretched as far as Xinjiang and Tibet, as at present. Traditional culture, and influences from other parts of Asia and the Western world (carried by waves of immigration, cultural assimilation, expansion, and foreign contact), form the basis of the modern culture of China.

The dynasties of ancient China ruled the country for centuries. The contributions of the leaders and people of this time have a legacy that can still be seen in Chinese culture today. This title begins with background information on China before the Qin conquest and ends with the end of the Han Dynasty in AD 220. Readers learn about life in Chinese cities and the countryside, as well as important social studies topics such as religion, class structure, education, family life, food, and clothing. By the end of this title, readers will understand how cultural life in Han China set a pattern that is still seen today.

In 221 bc the First Emperor of Qin unified the lands that would become the heart of a Chinese empire. Though forged by conquest, this vast domain depended for its political survival on a fundamental reshaping of Chinese culture. With this informative book, we are present at the creation of an ancient imperial order whose major features would endure for two millennia. The Qin and Han constitute the "classical period" of Chinese history--a role played by the Greeks and Romans in the West. Mark Edward Lewis highlights the key challenges faced by the court officials and scholars who set about governing an empire of such scale and diversity of peoples. He traces the drastic measures taken to transcend, without eliminating, these regional differences: the invention of the emperor as the divine embodiment of the state; the establishment of a common script for communication and a state-sponsored canon for the propagation of Confucian ideals; the flourishing of the great families, whose domination of local society rested on wealth, landholding, and elaborate kinship structures; the demilitarization of the interior; and the impact of non-Chinese warrior-nomads in setting the boundaries of an emerging Chinese identity. The first of a six-volume series on the history of imperial China, The Early Chinese Empires illuminates many formative events in China's long history of imperialism--events whose residual influence can still be discerned today.

Describes the Chinese Bronze Age, including the development of the Chinese state, writing, religion and architecture.

Sullivan has thoroughly revised this classic history of Chinese art which covers the period from Neolithic times to the 1990s. 224 photos. 164 color illustrations. 14 maps.