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Han Dynasty (206 B.C - 220 A.D)

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  • Han Dynasty (206 B.C - 220 A.D)

    With the murder of the First Emperors heir and son by his brother, chaos quickly ensued the Qin rule.

    Uprisings soon followed with commoners taking up arms rather than be overworked labour and military slaves. Over the next few years there were many assinations of emperors and ministers in the Qin palace with people fighting for the throne, generals defected and Zhou royals raised armies against the Qin.

    In the end Liu Bang a fomer peasent from the state of Han, lead his army to victory over the Qin in 206 B.C and became King Han. For four years after that he was at war with his rival Xiang Yu for the throne and finally defeated him in 202 B.C and became Emperor of China, starting the Han Dynasty.

    The Han dynasty is broken into three parts: The Western Han (206 B.C - 9 A.D) The Xin ( 9 A.D - 23 A.D) and The Eastern Han ( 25 A.D - 220 A.D)

    The Han Capital is in Chang-an in todays Xian, Shannxi province.

    There were 24 Emperors on the throne in total, spanning 426 years.

    The main goal of the Han was again unification although Liu Bang at the begginning gave vassal states to his friends with titles, but soon changed his mind, going back to total rule and the legalist system (reward and punishment), but intertwined this time with strong morals of Confucianisim.

    Art, literature, philosophy, music and statecraft flourished in this golden age.

    Confucius' teachings were made the dominant creed and cornerstone of Chinese thought.

    Sima Qian (145 B.C - 87 B.C) wrote his famous book The Grand Historian (Shiji).

    Agriculture grew with better iron tools and use of ox drawn ploughs.

    Irrigation systems were increased to help develop the north of China, and crop rotation was introduced.

    Paper was invented so a way of recording was now far more readily available, and knowledge and ideas could be spread further and faster, porcelain was also invented.

    Acupuncture began to be practised.

    Trade with the outside world began with the opening of the Silk Route, as the Chinese under the rule of the noted Emperor WuTi (141 - 87 B.C) spread north pushing back the Huns further into the Gobi. Expansion went as far as Vietnam and Korea.

    Buddhism was introduced in the Western Han period, transforming Religious ideas and minds of the Chinese civilisation and culture.

    The Han dyansty came to an end with Emperor Xian, as the warlord Dong Zhuo destroyed the empire and fractured it into different regimes with different ruling warlords. Eventually one of those warlords Cao Cao began to reunite the regimes still under Emperor Xians "rule".


    But Cao Cao's efforts to completely reunify the empire were stopped at the Battle of Red Cliffs, where his naval army was defeated. Cao Cao died in march 220 A.D and by December of that year his son Cao Pi had Emperor Xian relinquish the throne truly ending the Han Dynasty.

    This left China divided into three spheres :Cao Wei, Eastern Wu, and Shu Han, and started the next period of Chinese history, The Three Kingdoms.

  • #2
    Thanks for the clear way to tell the Chinese history.

    Paulo Gouveia

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    • #3
      You are most welcome Paulo and thanks for the kind comment

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      • #4
        Han Dynasty Map



        Han map showing current boundaries and the Great Wall boundary.

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        • #5
          Liu Bang

          Here is a nice story I came across about the first Han Emperor, taken from site below:


          Liu Bang was born in a peasant family in present-day Feng County, Jiangsu province. Before Liu Bang's birth, his mother was taking a nap one day when she dreamt of a divine being. Just then, there was lightning and thunder and the sky darkened. Liu's father went to see his wife and saw a dragon beside her. Shortly after that, Liu's mother became pregnant and gave birth to Liu Bang. Liu had a high nose, nice whiskers and a beard, bearing some resemblance to a dragon in appearance. He had 72 dark spots on his left leg as well. The young Liu Bang was outspoken, charismatic and of great forbearance and tolerance.

          However, Liu enjoyed loafing, disliked reading and showed no interest in farming, hence his father often chided him as a "little rascal". Liu persisted in his idling ways and depended on his brother's family for food and lodging. When he grew older, he was appointed as a patrol officer and forged close relationships with the officials in the county office, earning himself a little reputation in his hometown. While having drinks with his friends in the local taverns, they would notice a silhouette of a dragon on him whenever he was drunk. The tavern owners felt that Liu Bang was an extraordinary person and provided him with drinks each time free of charge. One day back in his hometown, a respectable man known as Lord Lü, who had recently moved to Pei County, was visited by the most famous men in town.

          Xiao He, who was in charge of helping Lord Lü collect the gifts from the visitors, announced, "Those who do not offer more than 1,000 coins in gifts shall be seated outside the hall." Liu Bang went there without bringing a single cent and said, "I offer 10,000 coins." Lord Lü saw Liu Bang and was impressed with Liu on first sight, that he immediately stood up and welcomed Liu into the hall to sit beside him. Xiao He told Lord Lü that Liu was not serious, but Liu ignored him and chatted with Lü. Lü said, "I used to predict fortunes for many people but I've never seen someone so exceptional like you before." Lord Lü then offered his daughter Lü Zhi's hand-in-marriage to Liu Bang and they were wed. Lü Zhi bore Liu Bang a son (future Emperor Hui of Han) and a daughter (future Princess Luyuan).


          Source; http://www.history-of-china.com/han-...y/liu-bang.htm

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          • #6
            Thank you for continuing the time line and account .
            Work has kept me from posting, but I enjoy reading the threads very much.

            Andrea
            Enjoy some Wahnam Tai Chi Chuan & Qi Gong!

            Evening Classes in Zürich
            Weekend Classes in other Swiss locations


            Website: www.taichichuan-wahnam.ch
            Facebook: www.facebook.com/Taichichuan.Wahnam.ch

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            • #7
              Hi Andrea,

              thanks for getting in touch, looking forward to your next post when you have some free time

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              • #8
                Sima Qian (145 - 85 BC)

                Sima Qian was the Grand Historical Scribe at the time of the Western Han dynasty.

                He took over his fathers (Sima Tan) position, who was the previous Prefect of the Grand Scribes for the Han Goverment and laid the foundation for his sons work.

                His famous book the Shiji or Historical Records comprised the monumental achievment of 130 chapters spanning from the time of the Yellow Emperor through the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties up to his own time of Emperor Wudi.

                This broad ranging work is not in historical sequence but divided into particular subjects, such as annals, chronicles, or treatises on matters of interest to the goverment, such as state ritual, the calendar, construction of waterworks and goverment finance.

                Thirty chapters of the Shiji are devoted to ruling houses of the states of the Zhou period, recounting the reigns of successive rulers. These are supplemented by seventy chapters on other important individuals, including not only great officials and generals, but also personalities not in goverment or high position such as philosophers, poets, magicians, rebels and assassins.


                One piece taken from his records is a conversation between the first Emperor of the Han Liu Bang and his chief minister Xiao He, in the eight year of his reign:

                Chief Minister Xiao was in charge of the construction of the Eternal Palace and was working on the eastern and western gate towers, the front hall, the arsenal, and the storehouse. When Liu Bang arrived and saw the magnificence of the buildings, he was outraged. 'Warfare has kept the empire in turmoil for years, and victory is not yet assured. What is the idea of building palaces on such an excessive scale?'
                ' It is precisely because the fate of the empire is not yet settled' Xiao He responded, 'that we need to build palaces and halls like these. The true Son of Heaven treats the four quarters as his family estate. If he does not dwell in magnificent quarters, he will have no way to display his authority, nor will he establish the foundation for his heirs to build on.'
                On hearing this the Emperors anger turned to delight.



                Before Sima Qian was able to finish his history, he made the political mistake of defending a general (Li Ling) who had surrendered to the Xiongu (northern nomadic tribes).
                Given the choice of death or become a palace eunuch, he chose the humiliation of castaration and servitude and live, so as to complete his histories, rather than commit suicide as was expected of a gentleman-scholar. As Sima Qian's words explained:

                “ The losses he [Li Ling] had formerly inflicted on the enemy were such that his renown filled the Empire! After his disgrace, I was ordered to give my opinion. I extolled his merits, hoping the Emperor would take a wider view, but ...in the end it was decided I was guilty of trying to mislead the Emperor...
                I had not the funds to pay a fine in lieu of my punishment, and my colleagues and associates spoke not a word in my behalf. Had I chosen suicide, no one would have credited me with dying for a principle. Rather, they would have thought the severity of my offense allowed no other way out. It was my obligation to my father to finish his historical work that made me submit to the knife...If I had done otherwise , how could I have ever had the face to visit the graves of my parents?

                ...There is no defilement so great as castration. One who has undergone this punishment is nowhere counted as a man. This is not just a modern attitude; it has always been so. Even an ordinary fellow is offended when he has to do business with a eunuch -- how much more so, then, a gentleman! Would it not be an insult to the court and my former colleagues if now I, a menial who sweeps floors, a mutilated wretch, should raise my head and stretch my eyebrows to argue right and wrong?

                I am fit now for only guarding the palace women's apartments. I can hope for justification only after my death, when my histories become known to the world."[1]


                The Historical Records were of such an achievement that it set the standard and the way for future goverment-sponsored histories to be compiled.

                His lively, unbiased and intelligent Historical Records are referenced with high respect even by todays scholars.


                Sources: Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Patricia Buckley Ebrey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Qian

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                • #9
                  Emperor Wu Di (141 BC - 86 BC)

                  Emperor Wu Di ascended the throne at aged 15 to become the fifth emperor of the Western Han.

                  He was known as the Martial Emperor for his military strategy and his 54 year rule was a celebrated time in Chinese history.

                  One of his accomplishments was the defeat of the long time enemy of the Chinese, the northern nomadic tribe of the Huns. Three improtant battles were waged against them, finally defeating and driving them far north into the Gobi.

                  The Emperor needed allies against the Huns and keep control, so he sent his amassador Zhang Qian to travel West on a diplomatic mission. Zhang failed in his mission, but he made the Emperor aware of other cultures and civilisations, which lead to the opening of the Silk Route and trade of goods between China and the outside world.

                  He made Confusianism the orthodox idealology which ended the period of "contention among one hundred schools of thought". If we think in terms of The First Emperor Huang Di as the first to unify China as an empire, Wu Di was the first to unify China's thoughts and ideals.

                  Wu Di joined the Yellow River to Chang'an, connecting two main centers of trade in China. He also created a network of granaries, which were designed to store excess grain in order to prevent starvation in times of flood or drought. Projects and innovations such as these that were completed during Wu Di's reign really helped to strengthen China's economy.


                  He also Changed the currency to one only type, the WuZhu coin which became the national currency.

                  The selling of salt and iron became monopolized and private businesses were heavily taxed by the goverenment to raise funds for the upkeeping of his long reaching empire.The Western Han Dynasty became unprecedented rich and powerful, and its feudal economy flourished.

                  The Western Han began to decline after his death. Wudi is buried in Xian Yang of today's Shaanxi Province. The tomb covers 54,054 square meters, and is the largest among the tombs of the Western Han Dynasty, with the richest funeral objects, the tomb is named the Pyramid in China.

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                  • #10
                    Wu Zhu Coin

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                    • #11
                      Bronze Western Han oil lamp



                      Gilt bronze figure of a maid-servant holding an oil-lamp,almost 19 inches tall, excavated from the tomb of Dou Wan, wife of one of Emperors Wu Di's brothers, at Mancheng in Heibei province. This elegant gilded bronze lamp was cleverly designed to allow adjustments in the directness and brightness of the light and to trap smoke in the body. It was one of the nearly 3,000 objects of bronze, iron, gold, silver, jade, pottery, lacquer and silk from this huge tomb that testify to the luxury and refinement of palace life.

                      Source: Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Patricia Buckley Ebrey.

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                      • #12
                        Xin (new) Dynasty

                        Although the Han dynasty is considered to be one dynasty, there was a slight interruption with the Xin (new) dynasty.

                        After the passing of Emperor WuDi the Western Han began to decline with wealthy families gaining more power than the emperor. These families grew larger and more powerful through marriage and were responsible for official goverment selection.

                        The widow of Emperor Yuan Ti succeeded in placing all of her relatives in goverment positions and ruled in place of her son.

                        Eventually her nephew Wang Mang declared himself emperor with much support on his rise to power but was never accepted by the Confucious scholars of the palace who declared him to be a usurper.

                        His rule was unusual as he started a cermony of passing a seal of precious stone. From then on whoever held this precious stone was emperor of China.

                        He was eventually overthrown and murdered 22 AD by the secret society known as the Red Eyebrows, which were joined by the descendants of the Han. The fighting continued and ended in 25 AD when Liu Hsiu became emperor of the Eastern Han taking his ruling title Kuang-wu TI. Millions of people died in the fighting leaving land and often cleared debt for the peasents left behind.

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                        • #13
                          Eastern Han

                          The Western Han and Eastern Han get there names from the capitals moving from Chang'an in the west to LouYang in the east.


                          The Eastern Han Dynasty had much success with their foreign trade and policies. Much of this success was due to the defeat of the Huns by other tribes of the northern step, the Hsien Pi and Wu-Huan, which kept open there trade routes and contact with the outside world. Half of the Huns moved south, and became part of the Chinese empire. Later the Huns appeared to be trying to reunite and form a large empire comprising all of Turkestan. Ming Ti was emperor at this time and in 73 AD he sent an army led by Ban Chao who quickly conquered all of Turkestan and quenched the Huns uprising. Emperor Ming Ti soon after died and Chang Ti became emperor.

                          Emperor Chang Ti favored an isolationist policy so that much of what was gained in Turkestan was now lost. Ban chao, the deputy commander who had led the invasion, stayed in Turkestan to try and hold onto what had been won, and eventually in 89 A.D. a new emperor came to power with a renewed interest in holding Turkestan.

                          Despite this military success, economic and political struggles arose within China. Internal struggles for power taxed the peasants, until in 184 A.D. when another peasant uprising occurred. This movement was begun by the Yellow Turbans. This uprising served to unite the factions who had previously been fighting one another because they needed to unite to defeat the Yellow Turbans.

                          Despite conquering them, China did not return to a united state. Rather, three kingdoms emerged and the Han dynasty came to an end.


                          Source:https://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehist...china/han.html

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                          • #14
                            Some of the Eastern Hans noted discoveries.

                            Astrononer Zhang Heng (78 AD - 139 AD) invented a rotating celestial globe and Seismograph the first ever apparatus for the detection of earthquakes.
                            There is evidence that he was also the first to use scales and grids for maps.

                            In 105 AD a palace Eunoch named Cai Lun invented paper making one of the great inventions of China.

                            In the late Eastern Han doctor Hua Tuo (145 AD - 208 AD) was the first surgeon to carry out an operation with an anesthetic, also he created the famous Chi kung excersises for health and vitality, The Five Animal Play.


                            The junk design was developed and realized during Han. Junks featured a square-ended bow and stern, a flat-bottomed hull or carvel-shaped hull with no keel or sternpost, and solid transverse bulkheads in the place of structural ribs found in Western vessels. Han ships were the first in the world to be steered using a rudder at the stern, in contrast to the simpler steering oar used for riverine transport, allowing them to sail on the high seas.

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                            • #15
                              Dear Padraig,

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                              It is a wonderful idea!

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