The I Ching was first used by the sages and shamans of ancient China, as a means of providing consultation for the emperors and nobility. The very beginnings of its existence remains a mystery and precedes any historical memory in its antiquity, but it is generally believed that its first author was the legendary sage Fu Hsi or Fu Xi, Chinafirst emperor, dating around 2700 BC. Although many scholars assume that the text of the I Ching preceded the hexagrams, legend states that Fu Hsi found the eight trigrams on the shell of a tortoise (a common means of divination at this time), and from this, three stacked lines, from which he derived the 64 hexagrams or kua.

The I Ching was further developed by King Wen and his son, the Duke of Chou or Zhou, around 1100BC. This form was known as the Changes of Chou (Chou I), widely used as an oracle by the people of this period. It was said that because of the profound influence of the I Ching on the Chou rulers, it produced the longest dynasty in Chinese history, as the Zhou dynasty lasted for 800 years. It was also about this time that the yarrow stalk method of casting was introduced, allowing the I Ching to become more accessible to the common people, and not merely confined to the Imperial courts. As the I Ching grew in use, more commentaries were added, including contributions by Confucius and his followers, around 500 BC.

Because of its practical value, the I Ching survived the book burning period of the Warring States (475-221 BC), and when the peaceful reign of the Han Dynasty (206 BC- 220 AD) emerged, the I Ching was proclaimed as a great classic of Chinese literature. With the turn of the new millennium, the I Ching grew into a book of wisdom and a state-endorsed philosophy on life, as each following dynasty contributed to its work, expanding its interpretations. The I Ching remained relatively unknown to the west until the 20th Century, when the German scholar and linguist Richard Wilhelm introduced Chinese philosophy to the west, translating, among many great philosophical works, the I Ching, from Chinese to German in 1923. This edition was arranged in the Kang Hsi (1662-1722) Manchu period, under the title Chou I Cha Chung, and was believed by Wilhelm, as well as many scholars today, to possess the best form and commentaries of all time.

The history of the I Ching however, does not seem to have an end. Many view it as a living work and testament of Chinese culture, a dialog passed from generation to generation that begun a millennia ago and still goes on today.