China and the Orient

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The first known dynasty in China, the Shang, ruled between 1600 BC to 1030 BC. They were replaced by the Chou until 771 BC when the system disintegrated into a hundred separate and warring political units. Coinage was introduced by 600 BC, if not before. It consisted of Knife money, spade money and round coins with square holes - perhaps representing the top bit of knife money, which had a hole for suspension. In all cases the coinage was cast, unlike most of the rest of the world which had struck coinage. The round coins retained a similar design right down to the 19th century (AD). Confucius taught between 551 and 479 BC. Under the Ch'in dynasty (255 - 206 BC), a centralised state was achieved. The Great Wall of China was started in this period. It was intended to keep out Hun invaders. Invasion from the north was to be a theme throughout the history of China. After the Ch'in, China was mainly divided again, with many different dynasties in the ascendency at any given time. The Sui dynasty (581 - 617 AD) managed to reunify China. The T'ang dynasty (618 - 917 AD) continued their work reorganising the administration of the empire. This was the golden age of China. Barbarians to the north, in the form of Turks and Uighurs, continued to hammer on the gates and in 751 the Chinese were beaten by an Arab army. Following the T'ang, China once again split apart. The Sung dynasty (960 - 1279) managed to re-unite it again. Printing was invented in this period. In 1126, the Tatar Chin dynasty conquered northern China but between 1211 and 1234, they had been overrun by the Mongols. Under Kublai Khan, a grandson of Genghis Khan, the rest of China was swallowed up (Yuan dynasty 1271 - 1368). In 1368, the Mongols were ousted and the Ming dynasty began.

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Chou (Zhou) dynasty c. 400 BC Fish 'money'	Yen, Chou & Chi c. 400 BC to 255 BC Ming Knife	Chou (Zhou) dynasty c. 300 BC "one-knife" Cash
Western Han Dynasty c. 200 BC - 140 BC 1/2 Liang	Wang Mang 14 AD - 23 AD 1000 Spade	Wang Mang 14 AD - 23 AD Bronze 1 Cash
Eastern Han dynasty Ling Ti 168 AD - 188 AD Bronze 5 Shu	Northern Ch'i: Wen Hsuan Ti (Kao Yang) 550 AD - 559 AD Bronze constant equity 5-Shu	Western Wei 550 AD - 559 AD Bronze 5 Wu
Tang Dynasty: Kao Tsu (Li Yuan) 618 AD - 626 AD +300 years Bronze 1 Cash	Southern Tang: Yuan Tsung (Li Kuang) 954-961 AD Bronze 1 Cash	South Han Dynasty: Liu Yen died 942 AD Lead 1 Cash
Northern Sung Dynasty: Yuan feng 1078 - 1085 AD Bronze 1 Cash	Southern Sung Dynasty: Kao Tsung 1127 - 1162 AD Bronze 2 Cash	Western Hsia: Jen Tsung 1169-1193 AD Iron 1 Cash
Chin Dynasty: Wan-Yen Liang 1156-1151 AD Bronze 1 Cash	Yuan Mongols: Wu Tsung 1310 - 1333 AD Bronze 10 Cash	Ming Dynasty: T'ai Tsu 1368 - 1398 AD Bronze 1 Cash
Ming rebel: Wa San Kuel c. 1674 - 1678 AD Bronze 1 Cash	Ch'ing Dynasty: Kao Tsung 1736 - 1795 Bronze 1 Cash	Vietnam: Le Thanh Ton 1460 - 1497 Bronze 1 Cash

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