Qin dynasty
Note: King Zhaoxiang of Qin (秦昭襄王) had already been ruling Qin for 51 years when Qin annihilated the Zhou dynasty; however the other six warring states were still independent regimes. Some Chinese historiographers thus used the next year (the 52nd year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin) as the official succession from the Zhou dynasty.
Names of the Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty () was founded by the Jurchen Aisin Gioro clan in Manchuria (modern Northeast China) in the 17th century and became known by various names. Although it was established by the Manchu people, a Tungusic people ethnically unrelated to the native Chinese (Han Chinese), it was widely known in English as China or the Chinese Empire both during its existence, especially internationally, and after the fall of the dynasty.
In 1616 Nurhaci declared himself the "Bright Khan" of the "Later Jin" state (; Jurchen/Manchu: "Amaga Aisin gurun") in honor both of the 12–13th century Jurchen Jin dynasty and of his Aisin Gioro clan ("Aisin" being Manchu for the Chinese ("jīn", "gold")). The dynasty became known as the "Later Jin dynasty" by historians. His son Hong Taiji renamed the dynasty "Great Qing" in 1636, which entered China proper in 1644.