If we look at Chinese history, we will find that it was mostly ruled by powerful families called dynasties.
The earliest one was Shang dynasty. They began to rule in around 1600 BC. The Shang dynasty ruled for more than 500 years, until they were conquered by the Zhou, in 11th century BC. The Zhou dynasty ruled for around 800 years. From 1027 to 256 BC, the kingdom was divided into many states and the local lords looked after their areas. However, the local lords began to fight each other. Thus, the Zhou dynasty ended, and the period called the Warring States period, began.
Shang dynasty led to numerous cultural advances, and was famous for silk weaving and agriculture. The basics of the Chinese Language were also developed during this period.
The Zhou dynasty was the longest ruling dynasty in Chinese history. This was a period of economic growth, with Chinese silk and porcelain being traded abroad.
