Han Dynasty 206 BCE - 220 BCE
- Historians
- Oct 5, 2018
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 17, 2018
The Rise of Han Dynasty
Han dynasty progressed significantly after preceding Qin dynasty. The success of Han was largely brought about by the Emperor, Liu Bang also called Emperor Gaozu. His ruthlessness and determination to overthrow Chu state won the hearts of his own people. Han dynasty also gained success from their advancements in science and improvement of education.
Salt and iron industries
Han dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty. The emperor, Liu Bang, also known as Emperor Gaozu, worked with other nobility and appointed ministers with prestigious status. The Han Dynasty prospered economically, the coinage issued by the central government in 119 BCE remained the standard coinage of China (“Han dynasty”, n.d.). The Han government nationalised private salt and iron industries in 117 BCE to finance military campaigns and settlement of newly conquered frontier territories.
Education reforms
He made education reforms such as lifting restrictions that only limit education to those who entered government service and “increased the men allowed to take state civil-service examinations” (“The Han Dynasty is Established”, 2014). Confucian ideology was popular in that era. People started to practice different virtues, Han showed massive improvements through agricultural production and bureaucracy based on meritocracy (“The Han Dynasty is Established”, 2014). They advanced steadily with visions and goals.
Science advancements
Han dynasty was an interesting period with science advancements, such as paper-making, nautical steering ship rudder, use of negative numbers in mathematics that we use in school todayand a seismometer to measure earthquakes (“Han dynasty”, n.d.).
Xiongnu confederation
Emperor Wu, the seventh emperor of Han Dynasty, launched several military attacks on the nomadic Xiongnu confederation and Han armies eventually won when they forced the Xiongnu confederation to accept vassal status as Han tributaries. Han sovereignty expanded into the Tarim Basin province and divided Xiongnu into separate confederations and established the Silk Road. The Silk Road derives its name from the trade of silk in the beginning of Han Dynasty. The Silk Road is not just for economic trade, but a route for cultural trade among the civilisations along its network (“Silk Road”, n.d.). In 117 BCE - 100 BCE, Han expanded the Great Wall of China ("Han Dynasty Timeline, n.d.).
Chu-Han contention
During the Chu-Han contention, Han army was victorious in several battles such as Battle of Pengcheng, Battle of Xingyang. By 203 BCE, there was a treaty of Hong Canal between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, a prominent warlord in Qin. Xiang Yu asked for an armistice and returned Liu Bang’s hostages as part of the agreement. This treaty split China into East and West, Chu and Han domains (“Xiang Yu”, n.d.). During one of the battles, Battle of Gaixia, Xiang Yu himself thought Han has “occupied the whole state of Western Chu” (Hung, 2011). This is when Liu Bang made Xiang Yu troops sing their own national song to cause the Chu armies to lose their will to fight the battle.
In summary, the rise of Han was due to military campaigns, economic, science advancements and Confucian ideology. The Han government were also aware of the institutional innovations and found ways to finance them. The rise of Han was also because of Liu Bang and his strong capable generals who fought strategically in battles.
The Fall of Han Dynasty
Court politics
After 92 CE, the palace eunuchs were involved with court politics and violent power struggles with consort clans of the empresses. Imperial authority was challenged by taoist religious societies which started the Yellow Turban rebellion and Five Pecks of Rice Rebellion. After the death of Emperor Ling (r. 168–189 AD), the palace eunuchs experienced massacre by the military officers, allowing members to aristocracy and governors to become warlords and divide the empire. When the King of Wei usurped the throne from Emperor Xian, the Han dynasty ceased to exist.
In summary, the fall of Han was due to court politics and change in religious beliefs. Although taoist is similar to Confucianism, it does not follow rigid rituals and social order. There were many revolts against Eastern Han and north borders overrun by nomadic Xianbei confederation.
Summarised points
Reasons for rise
Economic
Private minting of coins instead of government minting of coins
Landowner cultivators form majority of Han tax base
Reforms such as reduce tax to help keep landowner cultivators out of debt
Private manufacture and government monopolies, salt and iron industries in 117 BCE to eliminate influence of private entrepreneurs
2. Advancements in Science and Technology
Chief writing materials were clay tablets, silk cloth, hemp's paper and rolled scrolls made from bamboo strips sewn together with hempen string
Standard paper-making process invented by Cai Lun
Medicinal advancements such as acupuncture and calisthenics
3 legged iron seed drill allows farmers to cast seeds by hand
Mathematical advancements - negative numbers
Reasons for fall
Court politics
Consort clans of empresses
Governors become warlords
2. Revolts due to taoist religious societies
Yellow Turban rebellion
Five Pecks of Rice Rebellion
Reference
[Cover Image] Badaling China Great-Wall-of-China. Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Badaling_China_Great-Wall-of-China-06.jpg
Han Dynasty Timeline. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/timeline/Han_Dynasty/
Hung, H. M. (2011). Road to the throne : how liu bang founded chinas han dynasty. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.gate.lib.buffalo.edu
The Han Dynasty Is Established. (2014). In J. Stock (Ed.), Global Events: Milestone Events Throughout History (Vol. 2, pp. 62-65). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. Retrieved from http://link.galegroup.com.gate.lib.buffalo.edu/apps/doc/CX3728000199/GIC?u=sunybuff_main&sid=GIC&xid=147b995d
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d) In Wikipedia, “Han dynasty”. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#Economy
Wikipedia contributors (n.d.) In Wikipedia, “Silk Road”. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road
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