Divisions of The Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty got its name from the Han river valley, where Gao Zu was in charge. Gao Zu, unlike the earlier Qin rulers, supported Confucianism. He set up the government based on its ideas. In the Han Empire, different regions were ruled by officials chosen mostly for their abilities. To understand it in a better way, the dynasty can be divided into two periods as mentioned below.
Western Han (also Former Han) – 202 BCE – 9 CE
Liu Bang, later known as Gaozu, began the Han Dynasty after defeating Xiang Yu. Initially rewarded generals like Han Xin and Peng Yue, but later became suspicious and executed them. Set up the capital first at Luoyang, then moved it to Chang’an for defense. Modeled the government on both Zhou decentralization and Qin Legalism. Here are some details.
Gaozu’s Policies and Successors |
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Centralization under Emperor Jing |
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Wu’s Reforms and Expansion |
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Cult of the Queen Mother of the West |
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Xin Dynasty & Eastern Han (also Later Han) – 25-220 CE
Wang Mang took control and created the Xin (“new”) Dynasty. He tried to follow Confucian ideas but did not trust others and did not have much experience. He did not pay government workers, which caused corruption and bribery.
Downfall of Wang Mang |
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Subsequent Rulers |
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Decline of Eastern Han |
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Yellow Turban Rebellion and Division |
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Read More: Why Was The Great Wall Of China Built?
Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE)
The Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE) was a major period in ancient China. It was the second dynasty that governed China around 100 years. Before the Han, there was the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE). After the Han Dynasty, there was a period ruled over China that was called the Three Kingdoms (220-280 CE).
In this article, we are going to discuss the Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE) in detail.
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