Pond's Asian Studies Blog: 2008

Map of Dynasty

Han Dynasty at its furthest extent

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/images/hanmap.gif

11 Jan 2008

Dates of Power

202 BC- The start of the Western Han Dynasty by Liu Bang at Chang An

9-24 AD- Rebellion by Wang Mang

24 AD - The start of the Eastern Han Dynasty at Luoyang

220 AD - The end of the Dynasty

“Han Dynasty”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Dynasty>

Talking about the golden age in the history of China, the Han Dynasty would be the among the first dynasties to be referred of... As the Chinese people today still refer to themselves as "Han" people and their language as "Han" language...

Reason for Take Over
The death of the tyrant Qin put the once most powerful empire into chaos as the people are already dissatisfied with the Qin rule. Power-thirst nobles and military leaders battled each other to occupy the mandate of heaven. Chaos lasted for four years when finally the divine light shined on the noble Prince Liu Bang of Han who defeated the Qin army in a major battle at the valley of Wei and reunified China. The prince made himself the emperor and established a new capital city of Chang An not far away from the Qin capital Xianyang in 202 BC. The Han Dynasty was separated into two periods, the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC – 9 AD) and the Eastern Han Dynasty (9 AD – 220 AD), which the capital is at Luoyang. The Han Emperors adopted the principles of Confucian as the basis to rule the empire.

Han Gaozu, the First Han Emperor

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/HanGaozu.jpg. 11 Jan 2008

Economy,Government, and

Religion Accomplishments

The use of the principles of Confucian in government established by the Han rulers was the basic guideline for all of the following emperors for over 2,000 years, and still running through the blood of Chinese people today. Confucianism is not a relegion, but a list of moral teachings. It indicates all the roles of everyone in the society, from beggar to emperor. Buddhism entered China in this period was still a minor religion. Daoism is likely similar to Confucianism but Daoism focuses on creating balance and harmony as the idea of Yin ang Yang cane from this belief.

In the beginning of the dynasty, the firt emperor Han Gaozu who was a peasant before realized that the imperial power is based on the sweat and muscles of the peasants so he decreased peasant taxes and gave peasants land for agriculture. Han Gaozu gained alot of popularity among the peasants, which was the majority of the empire.

The rest of the time in Han Dynasty era was a peaceful and prosperous time. Under the rule of the enlightened emperors, poetry, literature, and economy flourished. As the borders of the empire expanded during the reign of Emperor Han Wudi, it created the most well known trade route, the Silk Road. The reforms made by Qin greatly benefit the Han Empire, new roads and currency helped support trade. The Silk Road was the longest land trade routes up to these days. The Silk Road connected two greatest cities of the ancient world, Rome and Chang An. The city of Chang An was the biggest international trade hub in Asia. Merchants and scholars from everywhere in the continent poured into the city. Chang An was a multi-ethnical city. The foreigners brought the city wealth and exotic products from all over the world such as wine, spices, woolen fabrics, in return with Chinese silk and gold. The empire was also very successfull monopolizing steel and salt.

The map of Silk Road

http://www.orexca.com/img/silk_road.jpg. 11 Jan 2008

After a stumble which marked the end of the Western Han Dynasty, China prospered again in a newly built capital in the east at Luoyang which occupied more than four square miles. The Eastern Han Dynasty was even more successful than the previous one. The defeat of the Xiong Nu tribe in the north, which was China’s greatest enemy at that time, made trade safer. The wealth that Chinese people never experienced before, as it was recorded that in the city of Luoyang, there were two magnificent palace complexes, each occupied more than 100 acres.

Ceramic Watchtower, Han Dynasty

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1984.397.jpg. 11 Jan 2008

Technology and Education Accomplishments
The Han developed countless amount of technology. Paper, water clocks, sundials, seismometer were invented during this period. The improvement of steel smelting increased the empire’s military strength. The significance of education was highly elevated to the new level, as the Han emperor used the civil service exam to select the most clever person in the empire to be government officials with high status. The emperors also encouraged scholars to write encyclopedias. The most well known is the Book of Mountains and Seas, where all sorts of knowledge, for example, geography, culture, philosophy, myths, and biology up to that time are collected in hundreds of scrolls. Sima Qian, a Han Dynasty historian, wrote a history book called “Records of the Historian” which dates back to the beginning of the Shang dynasty. It was an important document.

Chinese Seismometer

http://digitalmedia.upd.edu.ph/digiteer/seismology/chinese_seis.jpg. 11 Jan 2008

There were a lot more minor developments, such as the new irrigation system, crop rotation and copper mining. The Han marked a new period in Chinese history. Chinese people nowadays are proud to refer to themselves and their languages as “Han” to respect this period of glory and intelligence.

1. “Han Dynasty”. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 11 Jan 2008
< http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hand/hd_hand.htm#>
2. “Han Dynasty”. Minnesota State University Mankato. 11 Jan 2008
< http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/early_imperial_china/han.html>
3. “Han Dynasty”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Dynasty>

Leaders of the Civilization
The Emperor Han Gaozu (r. 202-195 BC) The first emperor of he dynasty, borned as a peasant, he beated a very powerful military leader Xiang Yu who is far more superior than him in the Battle of Gaixia. He adopted Confucianism to the government and abolished Legalism which is far more cruel.

The Emperor Han Wudi (r. 141-87 BC) increased the empire’s military strength. He supported scholars and poets to write encyclopedias. He increased the empire's military strength and expanded the borders. He was recognized as the greatest emperor in the dynasty. His reign was the longest reign in Chinese history until the reign of the Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty 1800 years later.

1. “Emperor Han Wudi”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wudi>
2. “Emperor Han Gaozu”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Bang>

Emperor Han Wudi

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/HanWuDi.jpg. 11 Jan 2008

Notable Foreign Rulers
Julius Caesar (100 – 44 BC), the famous military and political of Rome lived in the time of the Han Dynasty. In his lifetime it was the period of changes in Rome as the Roman Republic is changing to the Roman Empire. He was later assassinated by his own adopted son Augustus. If we was not assassinated he would be the Emperor of Rome. He also had the notorious affair with Cleopatra VII.

1. “Julius Caesar”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar>

Julius Caesar

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Giulio-cesare-enhanced_1-800x1450.jpg. 11 Jan 2008

Fall
However, all things have to come to an end including this dynasty. As the imperial family received too much wealth and they were still greedy. Peasant taxes were greatly raised creating discontent among the people. The rise of the Yellow Turban rebellion put an end to the glorious Han Empire in 220 AD. The Three Kingdoms period succeeded. They were later reunified by the Sui in the 6th century.

1. “Han Dynasty”. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 11 Jan 2008
< http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hand/hd_hand.htm#>
2. “Han Dynasty”. Minnesota State University Mankato. 11 Jan 2008
< http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/early_imperial_china/han.html>

Bibliography

1. “Han Dynasty”. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 11 Jan 2008
< http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hand/hd_hand.htm#>
2. “Han Dynasty”. Minnesota State University Mankato. 11 Jan 2008
< http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/early_imperial_china/han.html>
3. “Han Dynasty”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Dynasty>
4. “Emperor Han Wudi”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wudi>
5. “Emperor Han Gaozu”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Bang>
6. “Julius Caesar”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar>

Image Bibliography

1. "Han Dynasty Map". Minnesota State University Mankato. 11 Jan 2008 http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/images/hanmap.gif
2. “Han Gaozu”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/HanGaozu.jpg.>
3. “The Silk Road”. Orexca. 11 Jan 2008 <http://www.orexca.com/img/silk_road.jpg>
4. “Ceramic Watchtower, Han Dynasty”. 11 Jan 2008<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1984.397.jpg>
5. “Julius Caesar. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Giulio-cesare-enhanced_1-800x1450.jpg>
6. “Han Wudi”. Wikipedia. 11 Jan 2008 <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/HanWuDi.jpg>
7. “Chinese Seismograph”. Digitalmedia. 11 Jan 2008 <http://digitalmedia.upd.edu.ph/digiteer/seismology/chinese_seis.jpg>

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