Capitals: When, Where and Why they were moved

Throughout the history of China, there have been many capitals. Why did the people of China find it necessary to change the location of their capital so often? When did they move it? Where was it moved to?

Notes for presentation- Capitals and various names

Anyang

called,Yin 殷 Capital during the Yin period of the Shang Dynasty(estimated between 1600 BC and 1046 BC): pinyin: Yīn)

Beijing

State of Yan (Yen in WG) in Spring and Autumn Period (722-481 BC): called Ji 薊,. Liao Dynasty (907-1125), as a secondary capital: called Yanjing (燕京, pinyin: Yānjīng, "capital of Yan"). Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) from Emperor Shizong until 1215: called Zhongdu (中都, pinyin: Zhōngdū, "central capital"). Yuan Dynasty (1271 to 1368): called Dadu (大都, pinyin: Dàdū, "great capital") in Chinese, Daidu (a direct transliteration from Chinese[1]) in Mongolian and Khanbaliq ("city of the Khan") in the Turkic languages. This was reported as "Cambuluc" by Marco Polo. Ming Dynasty from the time of the Ming Yongle Emperor (r. 1402/1424) until 1644 called Jīngshī (京師,"capital"). Qing Dynasty from the fall of the Ming in 1644 to the end of the dynasty in 1912

Chang’an

Also known as Xian 西安 (Western Peace)

During the Zhou Dynasty, the area was called Fenghao, with the portion of the city on the west bank of the Feng River called Feng and the portion on the east called Hao 鎬. It was renamed Chang'an, meaning "Perpetual Peace", during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). It changed in 581 CE to Daxing (大興) during the Sui Dynasty then again became Chang'an from 618 CE during the Tang Dynasty. During the Yuan Dynasty (1270-1368 CE), the city was first given the name Fengyuan (奉元), followed by Anxi (安西) then Jingzhao (京兆). It finally became Xi'an in the year 1369 CE at the time of the Ming Dynasty. This name remained until 1928, then in 1930 it was renamed Xijing (西京), or "Western Capital". The city's name once again reverted to its Ming-era designation of Xi'an in the year 1943. Xi'an is sometimes abbreviated in Chinese to either Hao or Tang (唐). The former abbreviation is derived from the Zhou Dynasty name Haojing, whilst the latter comes from the name of the Tang Dynasty.

Kaifeng

Also known as: Dàliáng 大梁; Biànzhōu 汴州; Dōngjīng 東京; Biànjīng 汴京

The name "Kaifeng" first appeared as the area's name after the Qin Dynasty's conquering of China in the 2nd century BC, and literally means "expand the borders". In 781 during the Tang Dynasty, a new city was reconstructed and named Bian (汴). Bian was the capital of the Later Jin (936–946), Later Han (947–950), and Later Zhou (951–960) of the Five Dynasties Period. The Song Dynasty made Bian its capital when it overthrew the Later Zhou in 960. Shortly afterwards the city underwent further expansion. During the Song Dynasty when it was known as Dongjing or Bianjing, Kaifeng was the Chinese capital with a population of over 400,000, living both inside and outside the city wall

Luoyang, 洛陽

The origin of the name "Luoyang" is the city's location to the north side ("yang") of the Luo River. The river flows from west to east and the sun is on south of the river, so that the sun shine is always on north side of the river. Luoyang has had several names over the centuries, including "Luoyi" (洛邑) and "Luozhou (洛州)", though Luoyang has been its primary name. It has been called, during various periods, "Dongdu" (东都, meaning the Eastern Capital, during the Tang Dynasty), "Xijing" (西京, meaning the West Capital, during the Song Dynasty), or "Jingluo" (京洛, meaning the general capital for China).

This area at the intersection of the Luo and Yi rivers was considered to be the geographical center of China. Because of this sacred aspect several cities, all of which are generally referred to as "Luoyang", have been built there. In 2070 BCE, the Xia Dynasty king Tai Kang moved the Xia capital to the intersection of Luo river and Yi River and named the city Zhenxun (Chinese: 斟鄩; pinyin: Zhēnxún). In c 1600 BCE, King Tang of Shang defeated Jie, the final Xia Dynasty king, and built Western Bo (Chinese: 西亳; pinyin: Xībó), a new capital on the Luo River. The ruins of Western Bo are located in Luoyang Prefecture. In the 1136 BCE a settlement named Chéngzhōu (Chinese: 成周) was constructed by the Duke of Zhou for the remnants of the captured Shang nobility. The Duke also moved the Nine Tripod Cauldrons to Chengzhou from the Zhou Dynasty capital at Haojing. A second Western Zhou capital, Wangcheng (also: Luoyi) was built 15 km west of Chengzhou. It became the capital of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty in 771 BCE. The Eastern Zhou Dynasty capital was moved to Chengzhou in 510 BCE. Later, the Eastern Han Dynasty capital of Luoyang would be built over Chengzhou. The ruins of Chengzhou are still visible today 2 km east of the White Horse Temple area. Modern Luoyang is built over the ruins of Wangcheng, which are still visible today at Wangcheng Park.

Nanjing

Nanjing was one of the earliest established cities in what is now China. According to legend, Fu Chai, Lord of the State of Wu, founded a fort named Yecheng (冶城) in today's Nanjing area in 495 BCE. Later in 473 BCE, the State of Yue conquered Wu and constructed the fort of Yuecheng (越城) on the outskirts of the present-day Zhonghua Gate. In 333 BCE, after eliminating the State of Yue, the State of Chu built Jinling Yi (金陵邑) in the western part of present-day Nanjing. Under the Qin and Han dynasties, it was called Moling (秣陵). Nanjing first became a capital in 229 CE, where Sun Quan of the Wu Kingdom, during the Three Kingdoms Period, relocated its capital to Jianye (建業), a city he extended on the basis of Jinling Yi in 211 CE. Although conquered by the West Jin Dynasty in 280, Nanjing and its neighboring areas had been well cultivated and developed into one of the commercial, cultural, and political centers of China during the rule of East Wu. This city would soon play a vital role in the following centuries. Shortly after the unification of the region, the West Jin state collapsed in wars. It was at first rebels of eight Jin princes for the throne and later rebels and invasion from Xiongnu and other nomadic peoples that destroyed the rule of Jin in the north. In 317, remnants of the Jin court, as well as nobles and wealthy families, fled from the north to the south and reestablished the Jin court in Nanjing, which was then called Jiankang (建康). It was again chosen as the capital as Jinling (金陵) during the short-lived Southern Tang (937–975) Under the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), the Nanjing area was known as Jiangning (江寧) As the capital of the brief-lived Taiping Kingdom in the mid-19th century, Nanjing was known as Tianjing (天京, "Heavenly Capital" or "Capital of Heaven")

List of dynasties & capitals

Xia (21st-16th century B.C.) - Yuncheng 运城, in Shanxi Province - Erlitou 二里头, in Henan Province

Shang (16th century-1066 B.C.) - Aodu 奥都, at modern Zhengzhou in Henan Province - Yin 殷, near modern Anyang

Western Zhou (1066-771 B.C.) - Zongzhou 宗周 (Hao), near Xi'an in Shaanxi Province

Eastern Zhou (770-256 B.C.) - Chengzhou 成周, at modern Luoyang

Warring States (475-221 B.C.) - Various

Qin (221-206 B.C.) - Xianyang 咸阳, in Shaanxi Province

Western Han (206 B.C.-A.D.220) - Chang'an 长安, at modern Xi'an in Shaanxi Province

Eastern Han (A.D. 25-220) - Luoyang 洛阳, in Henan Province

Three Kingdoms:

Wei (A.D. 220-265) - Luoyang 洛阳, in Henan Province

Shu (A.D. 221-263) - Chengdu 成都, in Sichuan Province

Wu (A.D. 222-280) - Jianye 建业, at modern Nanjing in Jiangsu Province

Western Jin (A.D. 265-316) - Luoyang 洛阳, in Henan Province - Chang'an 长安, at modern Xi'an in Shaanxi Province

Eastern Jin (A.D. 317-420) - Jiankang 建康, at modern Nanjing in Jiangsu Province

Sixteen States (A.D. 304-439) - Various

Southern Dynasties (A.D. 420-589)

- Jiankang 建康, at modern Nanjing in Jiangsu Province Northern Dynasties (A.D. 386-581)

- Datong 大同, in Shanxi Province

- Luoyang 洛阳, in Henan Province

- Chang'an 长安, at modern Xi'an in Shaanxi Province

- Linzhang 临漳, in Hebei Province

Sui (A.D. 581-618) - Chang'an 长安, at modern Xi'an in Shaanxi Province Tang (A.D. 618-960)

- Kaifeng 开封, in Henan Province

Northern Song (A.D. 960-1279) - Kaifeng 开封, in Henan Province

Southern Song (A.D. 1127-1279) - Lin'an 临安, at modern Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province

Liao (Khitan) (A.D. 916-1125) - Linhuang 临潢, in Inner Mongolia

Western Xia (A.D. 1038-1227) - Xingqing 兴庆, at modern Yinchuan in Ningxia Province

Jin (Jurchen) (A.D. 1115-1234) - Daxing 大兴, at modern Beijing

Yuan (Mongol) (A.D. 1271-1368) - Dadu 大都, at modern Beijing

Ming (A.D. 1368-1644) - Nanjing 南京, in Jiangsu Province - Beijing 北京, at modern Beijing

Qing (Jurchen/Manchu) (A.D. 1644-1911) - Shenyang 沈阳 (Mukden), in Liaoning Province - Beiping 北平, at modern Beijing