Throughout its long and storied history, the ancient Chinese dynasties have been a major part of world history. The first of the dynasties, the Xia dynasty, was founded in 2070 BC and lasted until 1600 BC. Over time, this dynasty was replaced by the Shang dynasty, which lasted until 1046 BC. After this, the Zhou dynasty reigned until 256 BC, followed by the Qin dynasty from 221 to 206 BC. This was followed by a period known as the Han dynasty, which lasted until 220 AD.
