Chinese Empire

This article is about the general term. For Yuan Shikai's imperial attempt, see Empire of China (1915–1916). For the timeline of Chinese dynasties, see History of China § Imperial China.
Not to be confused with Chinese imperialism.

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Names of China
  • 神州
    • Divine land

Chinese Empire (or Empire of China) is a term referring to the realm ruled by the Emperor of China during the era known as Imperial China. It was coined by western scholars and used to describe the Ming and Qing dynasties (or imperial Chinese dynasties in general). Another term was "Celestial Empire", in reference to the status of the emperor as the Son of Heaven. In 221 BC, China was unified under an emperor for the first time, and various dynasties or empires founded by hereditary monarchs ruled China for a total of two millennia since then, including the Qin, Han, Jin, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing.