Eastern Asia
Modern-day Countries in this region
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age in Eastern Asia was dominated by the rise of the early Chinese states, particularly the Xia Dynasty and later the Shang Dynasty. The Shang excelled in bronze metallurgy, crafting sophisticated weapons, tools, and ritual vessels. Early forms of Chinese writing also appeared during this period.
Mongolia was inhabited by nomadic tribes developing early forms of horseback culture. In Korea, bronze artifacts appeared around 1500 BC, with societies forming small tribal states.
Japan's Jōmon culture continued to flourish, characterized by pottery and hunter-gatherer lifestyles.
Coastline Changes
Important changes to the coastlines throughout History.
Bronze Age
Iron Age
The Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC) replaced the Shang in China, introducing the concept of the "Mandate of Heaven" and transitioning toward a feudal political structure. The later Zhou period (Eastern Zhou) saw the rise of city-states and iron tools, enhancing agricultural productivity.
In Korea, the Gojoseon kingdom emerged as the earliest recorded state, adopting iron technology and expanding trade with neighboring regions.
Japan transitioned to the Yayoi culture (c. 1000 BC-300 AD), marked by rice cultivation and metallurgy.
Mongolia saw the emergence of early nomadic confederations.
Nepal Petty Kingdoms
Small polities in Nepal that were later unified into the Kingdom of Nepal by the Gorkhas.
Iron Age
Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods
Polities that existed in China during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BCE) and the Warring States Period (453-221 BCE).
Tarim Basin
Polities that existed in the Tarim Basin before the 2nd century BCE.
Antiquity
China's Warring States period (475-221 BC) ended with the unification of China under the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), followed by the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), one of China's greatest imperial eras. The Han expanded Chinese influence through the Silk Road and established Confucianism as the state ideology.
In Korea, the Three Kingdoms period began (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), marked by regional conflicts and increasing Chinese influence. Buddhism was introduced, transforming cultural and religious life.
Japan's Yayoi period transitioned to the Kofun era (c. 250-538 AD), characterized by large burial mounds and the formation of early state structures under the Yamato polity. The Kingdom of Japan is tradiionally thought to have been founded in 660 BC.
Mongolia's nomadic tribes, like the Xiongnu, posed challenges to Chinese borders.
Ancient history
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Ancient Period of China
Achaemenid Period
Rise of Macedon
Wars of the Diadochi
Were a series of conflicts that were fought between the generals of Alexander the Great, known as the Diadochi, over who would rule his empire following his death.
Greco-Bactrian Polities
Greek polities founded in Bactria and Northern India during the Hellenistic Period (323-31 BC).
Hellenistic Period
Eighteen Kingdoms
The eighteen fengjian states created in China by military leader Xiang Yu in 206 BCE. They would last until the Han unification in 202 BCE.
Northern and Southern dynasties (Chinese History)
Polities tha existed in China between 420 and 589 AD.
Early Empire of China
Three Kingdoms (Chinese History)
Tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu from 220 to 280 AD.
Conquest of the Japanese Island
Was the slow colonization of Japanese archipelago by the ethnically Yamato Japanese state.
Three Kingdoms Period
Jin Period
Chaos of the Eight Princes
Was a series of civil wars among kings/princes (Chinese: wáng 王) of the Chinese Jin dynasty from 291 to 306 AD.
Four Great Native Chiefdoms in Guizhou
Native polities of the Guizhou region, in China, that existed from the 12th to the 19th century AD.
Conquest of northern China by Former Qin
Were a series of military campaigns by Former Qin, a Chinese polity during the Sixteen Kingdoms Era, that led to the conquest of northern China.
Conquest of northern China by Northern Wei
Were a series of military campaigns by Northern Wei, a Chinese polity during the Northern and Southern dynasties Era, that led to the conquest of northern China.
Early Middle Ages
China saw the rise of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a golden age of culture, trade, and diplomacy. The Silk Road flourished, and Buddhism reached its peak influence. After the Tang's decline, the Song Dynasty began consolidating power by the end of this period.
In Korea, Silla unified the peninsula in 668 AD, ushering in a period of cultural and artistic flourishing. Buddhism became the dominant religion, influencing architecture and literature.
Japan's Asuka and Nara periods (538-794 AD) were marked by significant cultural borrowing from China, including Buddhism, Confucianism, and administrative systems. The Heian period (794-1185) began toward the end of this era, emphasizing courtly culture and literature.
Mongolia remained a land of nomadic tribes, occasionally forming confederations that interacted with or threatened Chinese dynasties.
Early Middle Ages
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Military campaigns of Yashodharman
Were a series of military campaigns by Yashodharman, ruler of the Second Aulikara dynasty, that resulted in the conquest (albeit short-lived) of most of the Indian Subcontinent.
Goguryeo-Sui Wars
Were a series of invasions launched by the Sui dynasty of China against Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
Sui Era
Conquests of Songtsen Gampo
Were the conquests by Tibetan emperor Songtsen Gampo that resulted in Tibet reaching approximately its largest extent.
Early Muslim conquests
Were the military campaigns by the first three Islamic Caliphates (the Caliphate of Muhammad, the Rashidun Caliphate and the Umayyad Caliphate) that led to the Islamic conquest of most of the Middle East as well as the Iberian Peninsula.
China-Tibet Wars
Were the many wars fought by the Chinese Tang Empire and the Tibetan Empire.
arab caliphate
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Classical Japan
Wars of conquest of Muktapida
In the VIII century Muktapida, an Indian king of the Karkota dynasty of Kashmir, created a short-lived empire covering most of India.
Abbasid Revolution
Was the overthrow of the Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE), the second of the four major Caliphates in Islamic history, by the third, the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1517 CE).
China-Nanzhao Wars
Were a series of wars between Tang China and Nanzhao, a Kingdom centred in present-day Yunnan.
Tang Era
Early Middle Ages
Tibetan Era of Fragmentation
Polities that emerged from the collapse of the Tibetan Empire (618-842/848 AD).
Tibet - Era of Fragmentation
Was an era of disunity in Tibetan history lasting from the death of the Tibetan Empire's last emperor, Langdarma, in 842 until Drogön Chögyal Phagpa became the Imperial Preceptor of the three provinces of Tibet in 1253, under the Yuan dynasty.
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms - Other Countries (Chinese History)
Polities founded in China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907-979 AD).
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms - Ten Kingdoms (Chinese History)
Polities founded in China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907-979 AD).
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms - Five Dynasties (Chinese History)
Polities founded in China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period (907-979 AD).
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Song-Xia wars
Were a series of military conflicts fought by the Northern Song dynasty, Western Xia dynasty, and Liao dynasty from the late 10th century to early 12th century.
Goryeo-Khitan Wars
Was a series of 10th- and 11th-century conflicts between the Goryeo dynasty of Korea and the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China near the present-day border between China and North Korea.
Conquests of Mahmud
Expansion during the rule of Mahmud of the Ghaznavids.
High Middle Ages
The Song Dynasty (960-1279) in China advanced technological innovations such as gunpowder, the compass, and printing. Trade thrived, and the Grand Canal facilitated domestic commerce. However, the Song faced military challenges from the rising Mongol Empire.
Mongolia saw the unification of tribes under Genghis Khan in 1206, initiating the Mongol Empire's rapid expansion. By 1271, Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty in China, integrating Mongol rule with Chinese traditions.
Korea, under the Goryeo Dynasty, developed its distinct culture, producing early forms of movable type printing. Buddhism remained a central influence, and Korea faced Mongol invasions by the late 13th century.
Japan entered the Kamakura period (1185-1333), with the samurai class rising to prominence under the shogunate. Mongol invasions in 1274 and 1281 were repelled, partly due to typhoons.
High Middle Ages
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Mongol invasions and conquests
Were a series of military campaigny by the Mongols that created the largest contiguous Empire in history, the Mongol Empire, which controlled most of Eurasia.
Successors of the Mongol Empire
Polities emerged after the fall of the Mongol Empire (1206-1368).
Mongol Civil Wars
Were a series of wars between the successor states of the Mongol Empire.
Late Middle Ages
China saw the fall of the Yuan Dynasty and the rise of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a period of cultural restoration and maritime exploration under Zheng He. The Ming also fortified the Great Wall to defend against northern threats.
Mongolia (reduced to the so-called Northern Yuan) returned to a tribal confederation after the Yuan collapse, though it retained influence in Central Asia.
Korea's Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) replaced Goryeo, ushering in a Confucian state and innovations like the Korean alphabet (Hangul).
Japan's Ashikaga shogunate (1336-1573) presided over the Muromachi period, marked by cultural developments such as Zen Buddhism and the flourishing of Noh theater. However, the shogunate's weakening led to the Sengoku (Warring States) period.
Ryuku Polities
Polities that existed on the Ryuku Islands before the japanese conquest.
Feudal Japan
Late Middle Ages
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Yuan Era
Ming Era
Lam Sơn uprising
Uprising led by Lê Lợi in Vietnam of 1418-1427 against Ming rule.
Ōnin War
A civil war that lasted from 1467 to 1477, during the Muromachi period in Japan. A dispute between Hosokawa Katsumoto and Yamana Sōzen escalated into a nationwide civil war involving the Ashikaga shogunate and a number of daimyō in many regions of Japan.
Late Middle Ages
Early modern period
China's Ming Dynasty continued to prosper until internal corruption and external pressures led to its fall. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) replaced it, becoming a dominant regional power and expanding into Mongolia, Tibet, and Taiwan.
Mongolia was absorbed into the Qing Empire, becoming a buffer zone between China and Russia.
Korea under the Joseon Dynasty faced invasions from Japan (1592-1598) and later Qing China, maintaining its independence but becoming increasingly isolated.
Japan transitioned from the Sengoku period to the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868), establishing a centralized feudal state and enforcing national seclusion (sakoku). Trade and cultural exchanges continued through limited channels like Nagasaki.
Early modern period
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Burmese-Siamese Wars
Were a series of wars fought between Burma and Siam from the 16th to 19th centuries.
Concessions in China
Concessions of China (and similar polities) by West European countries, the U.S., Japan and Russia.
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Ishiyama Hongan-ji War
Was a civil war between lord Oda Nobunaga and the Ikkō-ikki faction, in Japan.
Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598)
Were a series of military campaigns by Japan against the Joseon Dynasty of Korea.
Colonization of the east
Were a series of military and exploration campaigns where Russia gradually extended into the territories of northeastern Asia.
Dutch-Portuguese War
Was a global conflict between the Portuguese Empire and the Dutch Empire. The conflict primarily saw the Dutch companies invading Portuguese colonies in the Americas, Africa, and the East Indies.
Early modern Japan
Qing conquest of the Ming
Was a a conflict that saw the transition from the Ming to the Qing Dinasty in China. The Qing created an indpendent domain in Manchuria, revolted against the Ming and systematically conquered all Ming territories in the following decades.
Trịnh-Nguyễn War
Was a 17th-century lengthy civil war waged between the two ruling families in Vietnam, the Trịnh lords of Đàng Ngoài and the Nguyễn lords of Đàng Trong.
Portuguese Restoration War
Was a revolution organized by the Portuguese nobility and bourgeoisie sixty years after the crowning of Philip I (Philip II of Spain), the first "dual monarch", that ended the Iberian Union.
Sino-Russian border conflicts
Were a series of intermittent skirmishes between the Qing dynasty of China and the Tsardom of Russia in which the latter tried and failed to gain the land north of the Amur River.
Qing Era
Conquests of Aurangzeb
Expansion during the rule of Aurangzeb in the Mughal Empire.
Anglo-Indian Wars
Were a series of wars fought by the British East India Company in the Indian Subcontinent that resulted in the British conquest and colonial rule of the region.
Ten Great Campaigns
Were a series of military campaigns launched by the Qing dynasty of China in the mid-late 18th century during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.
Conquests of Shahu I
Expansion during the rule of Shahu I in the Maratha Empire.
Mon Kingdoms
Polities established by the Mon-speaking people in parts of present-day Myanmar and Thailand, that lasted until c. 1000 CE.
Conquests of Prithvi Narayan Shah
Expansion during the rule of Prithvi Narayan Shah in the Gorkha Kingdom.
Conquests of Ahmad Shah Durrani
Expansion during the rule of Ahmad Shah Durrani in the Durrani Empire.
Early modern period
Conquests of Rana Bahadur Shah
Expansion during the rule of Rana Bahadur Shah in the Kingdom of Nepal.
Conquests of Ranjit Singh
Expansion during the rule of Ranjit Singh in the Sikh Empire.
Conquests of Bodawpaya
Expansion during the rule of Bodawpaya of the Konbaung Dynasty.
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Period (1789-1815)
The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic period had limited direct impact on Eastern Asia, though Western influence began to grow. European explorers, missionaries, and traders sought access to Chinese and Japanese markets. The Qing resisted European demands, maintaining a closed trade system at Canton.
In Japan, the Tokugawa shogunate maintained sakoku, limiting foreign contact. Korea also adhered to its "hermit kingdom" policy, remaining isolated from Western influences.
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
Were a series of conflicts between France and several European monarchies between 1792 and 1815. They encompass first the French Revolutionary Wars against the newly declared French Republic and from 1803 onwards the Napoleonic Wars against First Consul and later Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. They include the Coalition Wars as a subset: seven wars waged by various military alliances of great European powers, known as Coalitions, against Revolutionary France - later the First French Empire - and its allies.
French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
19th Century
The 19th century saw increased Western intervention in Eastern Asia. The Opium Wars (1839-42, 1856-60) weakened the Qing Dynasty, leading to the loss of Hong Kong and opening of treaty ports to Western powers. Internal strife, such as the Taiping Rebellion, further destabilized China.
Japan, under pressure from the U.S., ended its isolation and entered the Meiji Restoration (1868), rapidly modernizing and becoming an industrial and military power.
Mongolia remained under Qing control but faced growing Russian influence.
Indian Princely States
Were states part of the British Raj that were governed by an Indian ruler rather than directly by the British.
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XIX Century
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Century of humiliation
A period (1839-1949) of foregin interventions in China resulting in the occupation, conquest or lease of large territories by foregin countries.
Taiping Rebellion
Was a civil war that waged in China between the Manchu-led Qing dynasty and the Hakka-led Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. .
Meiji period
XIX Century
From 1900 to the End of World War II
China struggled with internal fragmentation and external aggression, culminating in the Republic of China's establishment in 1912. The Chinese Civil War began in 1927. The Civil War overlapped with the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45), which is considered part of World War II. During the War, Japan occupied much of eastern China. After the defeat of Japan at the end of World War II, the Civil War resumed.
Japan's imperial ambitions led to the occupation of Korea and aggression throughout Asia. Korea endured harsh colonial rule, while Mongolia declared independence from China in 1921, aligning with the Soviet Union.
Taiwan was annexed by Japan in 1895 and became a key part of its empire. Hong Kong and Macao remained under British and Portuguese control, respectively.
At the end of World War II Japan, one of the Axis powers, was defeated and its forces evacuated all territories outside the Japanese peninsula. The US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki saw the first and currently unique use of nuclear weapons in war.
World War I
Was a global conflict between two coalitions, the Allies (primarily France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States) and the Central Powers (led by Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire). It was mainly caused by the competition of the western countries over domain in Europe and in the rest of the world with their colonial empires. The war ended with the defeat of the Central Powers. The war also caused the Russian Revolution and the ensuing Russian Civil War.
Russo-Japanese War
Was a war between the Japanese Empire and the Russian Empire over the control of Manchuria and Korea.
1900-1945
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1900-1945
World War I
Taishō period
Chinese Warlord Era
Was a period in the history of the Republic of China when control of the country was divided among former military cliques of the Beiyang Army and other regional factions.
Bolsheviks (Russian Civil War)
Bolshevik territories during the Russian Civil War (1917-1923).
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Separatists (Russian Civil War)
Local secessionist polities during the Russian Civil War (1917-1923) that were neither communists nor whites.
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Whites (Russian Civil War)
Conservative countries - in many cases created with the support of western europeans, japanese and U.S. - during the Russian Civil War (1917-1923).
Russian Civil War
Was a Civil War in Russia that involved varios factions but mainly the Bolsheviks and the conservative White Army in the core Russian territories, as well as a multitude of local secessionist states. At the end of war the Bolsheviks were victorious and established the Soviet Union.
Chinese Civil War
Was a civil war fought in China between the Kuomintang and the Chinese Communist Party. The war continued intermittently for more than twenty years, and overlappes with the Second Sino-Japanese War that started in 1937 with the Japanese occupation of Manchuria. The Communists gained control of mainland China and established the People's Republic of China in 1949, forcing the leadership of the Kuomintang-led Republic of China to retreat to the island of Taiwan.
Shōwa period
World War II
Was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945 (it started sooner in certain regions) between the Axis Powers (mainly Germany, Japan and Italy) and the Allies (mainly the Soviet Union, the U.S.A., the U.K., China and France). It was the war with more fatalities in history. The war in Asia began when Japan invaded China on July 7, 1937. The war in Europe began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The war ended with the complete defeat of the Axis powers, which were occupied by the Allies.
World War II
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Cold War Period
The end of the Chinese Civil War by 1949 resulted in China becoming a communist state under Mao Zedong, while Taiwan remained under the Republic of China government.
Korea was divided into (communist) North and (capitalist) South, with the Korean War (1950-53) solidifying this split.
Japan, under U.S. occupation until 1952, emerged as an economic powerhouse.
Mongolia remained a loyal Soviet satellite state.
Hong Kong and Macao grew as trading hubs under colonial rule.
Allied withdrawals after World War II
Was a series of withdrawals from territories occupied by the Allies during World War II in the aftermath of the war.
Indochina Wars
Were a series of wars which were waged in Southeast Asia from 1946 to 1991, by communist Indochinese forces (mainly the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) against anti-communist forces (mainly French, the State of Vietnam, American, Cambodian, Laotian Royal, and Chinese forces). The term "Indochina" originally referred to French Indochina.
Cold War
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Partition of India
Was the partition of British India in two independent entities: India (with a Hindu majority) and Pakistan (with a Muslim majority). This included the several princely states that were dependent on the British Colony.
Indo-Pakistani conflicts
Is an ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan, two countries that emerged fromt he partition of British India in 1947.
Korean War
Was a war between North Korea (supported by the USSR and China) and South Korea (supported by the United States) that begun when North Korea invaded South Korea with the goal of reuniting the countries. The war was caused by the partition of Korea by the USSR and USA after taking the territory from Japan during World War II. Japan had annexed Korea, previously an independent country, in 1910.
Cold War
Afghan Civil War
Was a civil war in Afghanistan between the end of the 1970's and 2022 that included a series of related conflicts. The first phase of the civil war were two coups d'état that resulted in the establishment of the Socialist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. In order to support the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, the USSR invaded the country. Two years after the Soviet withdrawal, in 1992, the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan was ended by the Mujahideen, an Islamic rebel group. This was followed by a conflict mainly between the Mujahideen and the Taliban forces (another Islamic militia). Until 1996 Taliban took control of Kabul and most of Afghanistan, and established of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The civil war continued between the Islamic State of Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, two governments recognized by different international actors. This phase was ended by the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. The invasion's goals were to capture or kill Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda militants, as well as replace the Taliban with a U.S.-friendly government. With support of the US the Talibans were initially defeated and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was established. However, the Talibans started a counteroffensive and in 2021 recaptured whole Afghanistan and established again the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Post-Cold War Period (1990-2010)
China emerged as a global economic power after market reforms. Japan faced economic stagnation after the 1990s bubble collapse but remained technologically advanced.
South Korea grew into a democratic, industrialized nation, while North Korea remained isolated under authoritarian rule.
Taiwan thrived as a democracy with a robust economy.
Hong Kong returned to Chinese control in 1997 and Maco in 1999, both retaining semi-autonomy under "one country, two systems."
End of the Cold War
Post-Soviet Conflicts
Are a series of conflicts that are considered to be a consequence of the Dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Post–Cold War era
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Post–Cold War era
2010s and 2020s
Eastern Asia experienced dynamic changes in the 21st century. China's assertive foreign policy, Hong Kong's protests, Taiwan's growing independence movement, and North Korea's nuclear ambitions shaped regional politics.
