Qin Dynasty

Qin was an extremely important dynasty in Chinese history, which became the first unified centralized state in Chinese history. Qin's northern expedition against the Xiongnu clearly demarcated the territory of China for the first time. In the north were the recently established Xiongnu, the Eastern Hu and the Yuezhi, while the western states had not yet come into contact with Qin.

Western Han Dynasty

The Western Han Dynasty was an enterprising dynasty that expanded its territory. In particular, the establishment of the Western Regions Guardian, which incorporated the Western Regions into China, was of great significance! At the same time, the Western Han power entered the Korean Peninsula and transferred half of its territory to China. In the north, the mighty Xiongnu Khanate fought with the Western Han Dynasty and was eventually defeated by the Western Han Dynasty.

The Three Kingdoms Period

The combined area of the Three Kingdoms was basically the area of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Cao Cao inherited the rule of the Eastern Han in the Western Regions and set up the Western Regions Governor's Office. Half of the Korean Peninsula came under Cao Wei, most of Vietnam came under the Eastern Wu and other states, and part of it came under Shu Han. The rise of the Xianbei in the north had a significant impact on the later China.

Western Jin Dynasty

The Western Jin Dynasty reunited China with the Three Kingdoms, but the period of reunification lasted only 51 years. The area of Western Jin was actually the area of the three kingdoms combined, and there was no expansion or contraction of territory. However, the corrupt system of Western Jin led to the Eight Kings' Rebellion, and the failure to prevent the Xianbei and other nomadic peoples from penetrating into its territory accelerated the demise of Western Jin.

Eastern Jin Dynasty

During this period, the Han Chinese regime of Eastern Jin Dynasty moved to the south, while the various minority regimes in the Yellow River Valley were fighting with each other, causing the north to fall into a state of division for a long time. The former Qin once unified the north and formed a confrontation between the north and south with the Eastern Jin, but later, due to the defeat of the Eastern Jin in the Battle of the Interstate War, the rule collapsed, causing the north to be divided again. There were no powerful regimes in the western region and the Tibetan plateau and the Xiongnu's homeland at this time.

Northern and Southern Dynasties

This is a map of the second period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the period of confrontation between Northern Wei and Southern Qi. The Northern and Southern Dynasties were another period of division after the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. During this period, the Cile subjugated the Northern Wei, and then the Ruoran gradually took over the northern part of the desert and established a powerful nomadic state, while the Tukhun tribe on the Tibetan plateau became increasingly powerful.

Sui Dynasty

The Sui Dynasty ended the division between the Northern and Southern Dynasties and reorganized China. However, it did not reunite the western regions with the dynasty. In the north, the powerful Turkic Turks split into East and West. The Eastern Turks had wars with Sui and were eventually defeated by Sui. In the northeast and southwest there were some loose nomadic tribes such as the Khitans, but they posed no threat to China.

Tang Dynasty

There were three significant changes in the territory of the Tang Dynasty, and this map shows the situation in the early Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty became more powerful, especially in the west and north, than any other dynasty. The Tuban dynasty rose on the Tibetan Plateau, and soon after there was no powerful regime in the northeast, Tuban was incorporated into the Tang Dynasty.

Northern Song Dynasty

The Northern Song Dynasty ended the division of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, but failed to recover the Sixteen Kingdoms of Youyun, which were in a north-south confrontation with Liao. In addition, the Western Xia and Dali regimes coexisted. The Song was the smallest of China's major dynasties, not only smaller than the Tang but also smaller than the Liao, and did nothing to open up its territory.

Song and Jin dynasties

This map shows the situation of the late confrontation between the Southern Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty, during which the Han Chinese regime of the Southern Song Dynasty retreated to the south of the Yangtze River to run half of the country, while the Jin regime was unable to advance southward. And the Khitan after the establishment of Western Liao and Danghou Western Xia regime and the Turpan tribes relatively peaceful, but at this time the rise of Mongolia has not long, and will be swept away later, the establishment of an unprecedented scale of the Mongolian Empire!

Yuan Dynasty

The Yuan Dynasty was the most extensive period in Chinese history, and this is a map of the former Yuan Dynasty. In addition to the Yuan Dynasty itself, there were four major khanates, namely the Khanate of Chincha, the Khanate of Wushuotai, the Khanate of Chaghatai, and the Khanate of Illyri. The four khanates were nominally under the command of the Yuan Emperor, but in practice, they ruled separately.

Ming Dynasty

This is a map of the early Ming Dynasty. Compared with the Yuan Dynasty, Ming's territory contracted considerably, although Ming inherited the Yuan's territory in the northeast and on the Tibetan plateau. The remnants of the Yuan Dynasty retreated to the Mongolian steppe and split into the Washu and Tartar tribes, which posed a great threat to the Ming.

Insumary

Understanding the territorial changes of each dynasty is not only an essential part of exploring Chinese history but also a key perspective for studying the evolution of culture, economy, and politics. By examining the expansion and contraction of historical boundaries, we can gain valuable insights into ancient governance and lessons that resonate even today.