Chinese History

Zhou (or Chou) dynasty, arising to power after defeating the Shang Dynasty in China in the mid-1000's BC, was the first dynasty to move the people groups which lived in the area currently known as modern china toward a common civilization.

Under the Shang, the Chinese people were no more than a collection of family tribes scattered throughout the region. At the beginning of the Chou dynastry, the region still felt little cohesive cultural unity. It wasn't until the 6th and 7th centuries BC that archeological designations begin to appear that signify the people were collecting under a common identity. The early forms of collectivism appeared in the form of tribal heads marrying daughters of neighboring tribes. At this time, the term Hsia appeared, and was used as a designation for the people of the region who had the common experiences of living under a number of dynasties....
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