There were human activities around 150 thousand to 200 thousand years ago,
and through the development of 150 thousand to 200 thousand years,
Changsha entered a Neolithic Period. Around 5000 B.C.,
the ancestors of Changsha began the settled life, formed villages,
and entered matriarchal society; around 3000 B.C.,
the Neolithic Period of Changsha entered the level of Qujialing Culture;
around 2500 B.C., the Neolithic Period of Changsha entered the level of Longshan Culture,
the primitive farming appeared during this time,
however, fishing and hunting still were the important way for making a living,
the primitive pottery and the stone processing methods were developed further more.
And the processing methods of primitive textile and jade articles were produced.

According to legend, the founder, Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang had ever been in Changsha. Sima Qian said in Shiji ·A Biography of Five Emperors that “Emperor Huang had ever split mountains and dredging roads at Yujiang River in the south, Xiong Mountain and Xiang Mountain, therefore Changsha was granted to his son Shaohao. (Recorded in Luo Mi’s Lushi that Shaohao was originated from Yunyang and awarded with Changsha”, here award means granting a reward). Hereby, Shaohao is a clan leader of ancient Changsha and also the first exploiter of Changsha.

They are descendants of Central Chinese culture in Shang and Zhou Dynasty. Changsha entered Bronze Age. Ancient Yue people of Changsha led a clan life and still lived in half-crypt houses covering by couch grasses. Their main tools were stone, and they were still in slash-and-burn agriculture. In middle Shang Dynasty, bronze casting technology of Central Chinese emerged here. Then they began to use and produce bronze tools and bronze axes. In later Western Zhou Dynasty, bronze hoes (an important tool to loosen earth) and bronze harrows (a tool for loosening and digging earth) appeared here. They also manufactured bronze vessels and musical instruments with sophisticated shapes and exquisite designs. Plenty of Shang and Zhou Dynasty bronzes unearthing in Changsha were endowed with vivid Yue clan style. Famous “Si Yang Fang Zun” unearthed in Ningxiang in 1938. Those are all bronze treasures of Shang and Zhou Dynasty. Since 1959, more than ten pieces of bronze mirrors had been unearthed in Ningxiang and Changsha. The common weigh is 70-80 kilogram, and the biggest one is 221.5kg, which is the biggest unearthed bronze mirror of Shang dynasty till now.

Jing Chu Culture and the Central Chinese Culture

After Eastern Zhou Dynasty, it entered Spring and Autumn period, which was turbulent years in history. At the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, power of the state of Chu (Jing Chu) developed to Changsha. At the beginning of the Warring States Period, the state of Yue extinguished the state of Wu; the state of Chu and Yue began to confront each other; and Changsha became an important fort of the southeastern border of the state of Chu. In the middle period of the Warring States, the state of Chu carried out political reform to enhance power. It implemented large scale military operation toward south. Then the whole Hunan became territory of the state of Chu, and Changsha became an important military place in south of the state of Chu, including political and military center of north, middle and south Hunan. The state of Chu constructed towns in Changsha. Because of invading of Chu people and thousands years’ wars, ancient Yue people disappeared, and Chu culture replaced ancient Yue culture.
Chu people brought production tools and experiences of Central Chinese and Jiang Han district in their aggression toward south, which enabled Changsha to enter Iron Age. Then 1000 years’ primitive society since Shang and Zhou Dynasty in Changsha ended, and Changsha entered feudal society directly.

Qin and Han Dynasties

Changsha County during Qin Dynasty

After conquering the state of Chu, the state of Qin set up “Changsha County” at the previous Chu territory in southeast China. After founding of Qin Dynasty, Changsha became one of the 36 counties of Qin Dynasty. Since then, Changsha became political territory of unified China and gone down to history as an administrative area for the first time. In Qin Dynasty, Changsha County included most part of current Hunan province, the south of Hubei province, the northwestern of Jiangxi provinces, Lianxian of Guangdong and Quanzhou of Guangxi etc. Its area was almost equal to that of the whole Hunan province today. Linxiang County was its administrative center.

Changsha State and Changsha King in the Period of Western Han Dynasty

After Qin Dynasty, Han Dynasty was set up. After Liu Bang became emperor, he conferred a title upon Wu Rui, the hero during the construction of Western Han Dynasty to be the king of Changsha. Previous Changsha County in Qin Dynasty was set up as Changsha State, and Linxiang became its capital, which marked the first principality emerging in Hunan. Then Changsha became the capital of Changsha State. Changsha King was the highest ruler of Changsha State (the highest official), and its throne can be inherited. While after system reformation since Western Han Dynasty in 144 B.C., it became a nominal king. Changsha State was set up in 202 B.C.and abolished in 7 A.D.. It existed for over 200 years. Since then, Changsha State was divided into two periods of “Changsha State of Wu” and “Changsha State of Liu” successively.

Changsha State of Wu

Ancient Changsha city used to be capital of Emperor Han. Ancient Linxiang city was located in central Changsha State, and it was resident place of every King of Changsha as well as its political and military center. As Shui Jing Zhu shown, Linxiang city (ancient Changsha city, known as ancient Linxiang city) was constructed when Wu Rui was bestowed as the king of Changsha State. In 157 B.C., Changsha State of Wu was abandoned.
The Changsha State of Wu was splendid period in history of ancient Changsha. It consistently maintained and supported unity of the nation in political and was a loyal state of Western Han Dynasty. Even eight principalities with different surnames bestowed by Liu Bang, i.e. Zang Tu, Han Xin, Ying Bu and other four principalities were extinguished, only Wu Rui was loyalty to the royal court. When the king of Huaiyin-Yingbu (the son in law of Wu Rui) rebelled, the King of Changsha, Wu Chen (the son of Wu Rui) still killed him to put righteousness above family loyalty. Since the first king, Wu Rui, Changsha State of Wu had not been abolished until death of Wu Zhu in 156 B.C. for no son to inherit. It existed for totally five generations and 46 years. Official system of the State was the same as that of Western Han Dynasty. It appointed prime minister (called Zhuguo at the beginning of Emperor Liu Bang). The prime minister was appointed by the royal court and was also called assist principality. Actually it was appointed to control real power of the county so as to control regional areas.

Changsha State of Liu

In 158 B.C., emperor Jing, the son of emperor Wen, reconstructed Changsha State with name of “Changsha State of Liu”. In 155 B.C., Liu Fa, the son of emperor Jing, was conferred a title of the king of Changsha State. Then it was the time for Western Han Dynasty to weaken power of principalities. From 155 B.C. to 145 B.C., with changing of management system of the royal court, territory of Changsha was decreased. Guiyang County and Lingling County was lost, and only thirteen counties left including Linxiang, Luo, Xiajuan, Yiyang, Liandao, Xiangnan, Ancheng, Chengyang, Chaling, You and Shaoling etc. The king of Changsha State lost its real power since then, so it had to meddle in political affairs of states so as to be nominal king. Officials, from prime minister (the highest official managing political affairs, named “Chengxiang” before reform) to magistrate, were all appointed by the royal court. Changsha State of Liu, starting from Liu Fa and ending in Liu Shun, existed totally 7 generations and 164 years with 8 kings. It was abolished with extinguishing of Western Han Dynasty. In 8 B.C., Wang Mang usurped throne to become emperor and constructed the state “Xin Dynasty”. Changsha State was renamed as “Tianman County”, and the capital Linxiang was renamed as “Fumu Town”.

Changsha King, Changsha State and Linxiang Principality in Eastern Han Dynasty

Wang Man was overturned by peasant uprising in the end of Western Han Dynasty very soon. In 25 A.D., Liu Xiu (emperor Guangwu), clan of previous Western Han Royalty and a descendant of Liu Fa, the king of Changsha, declared him emperor with arms to set up another Han Dynasty with Luoyang as its capital, hence it was known as Eastern Han Dynasty. Different peasant uprisings and armed regimes emerged in national wide, so Liu Xiu started the war to uniform the nation. In 26 A.D. (the second year of emperor Jianwu), Liu Xiu bestowed Liuxing (the son of the king - Liushun at the end of Western Han Dynasty) as the king of Changsha to reconstruct Changsha State so as to control south part of Dongting. In 29 A.D., Hou Deng-the prefect of Jiang Xia, Wang Tang- the prefect of Wu Ling, Han Fu-the minister of Changsha, Zhang Long-the prefect of Guiyang, Tian Xi-the prefect of Lingling, Du Mu-the prefect of Cangwu and Xi Guang-the prefect of Jiaozhi etc came together as emissary to contribute to Eastern

During the period of Three Kingdoms and Western Jin, Changsha County was government of Changsha which belongs to Jinzhou. In later period of Western Jin and Southern & Northern Dynasties period, Changsha County was government of Changsha which belonged to Xiangzhou. The county was cancelled in the beginning of Sui Dynasty. Changsha was the administrative command of Tanzhou; at the later period of Sui Dynasty, Changsha County became government of Changsha again. In Tang Dynasty, Tanzhou was set up as administrative center and belonged to Jiangnandao (in the south of Yangtze River) and western Jiangnandao.

Song Dynasty till Now

In Song dynasty, Changsha was local government of Tanzhou. Yuelu College was set up in Northern Song Dynasty, which enabled Changsha to reach its heyday of culture and education.
In 1274 of Yuan Dynasty, Changsha was changed to be Tanzhou proto-province as administrative center of Huguang province. In 1281, Tanzhou proto-province was administrative area of Hunandao and belonged to Huguang provincial administrative. In the second year of the emperor Wenzong, it was renamed as Tianlin proto-province because of visit of the emperor. It was changed to be the administrative area of Tanzhou in the end of Yuan Dynasty.
In the beginning of Ming Dynasty, it was changed to be administrative area of Changsha and belonged to Huguang Provincial Treasurer.
In the third year of emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, “Hunan province” was set up. Changsha was governed by both Changshafu and Hunan province at the same time. In Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, Changsha was famous for its four rice cities and four tea cities, and it was one of the most important rice cities in China.
In the end period of Qing Dynasty, when Taiping Heavenly Kingdom attacked Changsha, Zeng Guofan became “the Most Famous Hunan People”. There are lots of important historical persons appeared in Changsha, such as Zeng Guoquan, Zuo Zongtang and Hu Linyi etc. They extinguished Taiping Heavenly Kingdom to launch Westernization Movement and recaptured Xinjiang, which made a profound influence to China in later period of Qing Dynasty.
From the end period of Qing Dynasty to the beginning of Republic of China, Changsha was an important political and revolution place. Chen Baozhen and Tan Sitong of Wu Hsu Reform set up Shiwu Academy. Since then, lots of influential activities appeared here such as independent army uprisings, Hua Xing Hui, public memorial ceremony of Chen Tianhua and Yao Hongye, Liu Pingli Uprisings and rice-plundering unrest etc. Huang Xing carried out a series of activities to rebel Qing Dynasty, which made a great contribution to the construction of the Republic of China.
The 22nd year of the Republic of China, Changsha county and Changsha city were governed separately. “Changsha city” was set up and became municipality of Hunan. Changsha became provincial capital of Hunan province till now.
Changsha was one of the revolution centers of China in the Republic of China. On Oct. 22, 1911, the army leaded by Jiao Dafeng and Chen Zuoxin recaptured Changsha. In 1915, Cai E, a former student of Shiwu Academy, launched Campaign to Defend the Republic. In 1919, Changsha sent plenty of youths to France for work-study programme. Changsha was one of the places to set up communist group. A group of leaders of communist party, such as Mao Zedong, He Shuheng, Ren Bishi, Cai Hesen and Xiang Jingyu etc., had ever studied or engaged in political activities in Changsha. In 1927, Mao Zedong launched the Autumn Harvest Uprising and tried to capture Changsha. He turned to policy of “encircling the cities from the rural areas” after the failure of Autumn Harvest Uprising.
In 1937, it was the greatest period of Changsha development. It flourished in economy and property, which enabled it to be strong support of the beginning of Anti-Japanese War. On Nov. 12, 1938, “Wenxi Fire” became the biggest disaster of Changsha. Most of historical and cultural relics were destroyed at that time. From 1939 to 1944, Changsha became the main battlefield of Anti-Japanese War. There were four large-scale wars with Changsha as its center between China and Japan. China won the first three wars.
On Aug. 5, 1949, Changsha set up communist regime formerly. It started reconstruction and development after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Changsha, as study place at early time and revolution place of Mao Zedong who is one of the founders of the People’s Republic of China, was praised as revolutionary site. In 1980s, at the early period of Reform and Opening, economy of Changsha fallen behind coastal cities. In the later period of 1990s, Changsha developed rapidly and became one of the most important cities in Middle West China.