The terrestrial impact of the Three Gorges Dam
Gaozu of Han is unusual in that he was born a peasant. In fact, he is among the few dynastic originators to have been born into a lowly farming family. In his youth, Liu Bang was described as a peasant rebel, and had an affinity with dragons (his face was described as resembling that of the mythical beast's).
Emperor Gaozu of Han, who is also known by his given name Liu Bang, was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty.
Rising from obscurity, commoner Liu Bang was crowned emperor of China on February 28, 202 BCE. As Emperor Gaozu of Han, he presided over China's golden age.
The Han dynasty is known for its technological advancements. One of the inventions to come out of this fertile period was the wheelbarrow (this one seen here with a sail at the front to catch the wind).
Evidence of this unique, one-wheeled cart can be seen in brick reliefs found lining the tomb of Emperor Hui, dated back to precisely 118 CE.
A man named Zhuge Liang is considered its inventor. Liang, an accomplished military strategist, conceived the wheelbarrow as a way to transport supplies and munitions to the battlefield and use the same vehicle to transport the wounded to safety.
The Han dynasty contributed towards the development of specialized weaponry in ancient China.
The jian (a type of sword) was mentioned as one of the "Five Weapons" during the Han dynasty, the other four being the dao (sword), spear, halberd (polearm), and staff.
These polychrome terracotta statues of a pair of warriors date back to the Western Han dynasty. The figures are dressed in traditional Han armor.
Cai Lun, a Chinese official working in the Imperial court during the Han dynasty, is attributed with the invention of paper, around 105 CE.
By improving upon an already known process, Cai Lun set in motion a standard papermaking process that is still followed today.
While earlier forms of paper existed, Cai Lun added pulp via tree bark and hemp ends, which resulted in the large-scale manufacture and worldwide spread of paper.
Famously, the Ten Attendants, a group of influential eunuch-officials in the imperial court of Emperor Ling in Eastern Han and which actually numbered 12, gained considerable power in the imperial palace.
Eunuchs served as palace menials and as watchdogs, guarding the emperor's harem. Some were also employed as high-ranking civil servants, the reason being that since they were incapable of having children, they would not be tempted to seize power and start their own dynasty.
Eunuchs, males who have been castrated, first appeared in Chinese royal courts around 146 CE, during the Han dynasty.
The use of silk as a decorative textile can be traced back to 2,696 BCE. But it was during the Han dynasty that the value of this delicate and much sought-after material soared.
Chinese diplomat, explorer, and politician Zhang Quian was one of the first Western Han officials to bring back news about Central Asia after an expedition he undertook to the region from 138 to 126 BCE.
Zhang Quian's epic trek paved the way for the establishment of the Silk Road, a trade route that stretched from Asia through India, Persia, Arabia, Greece, and all the way to Italy.
Later during the Han dynasty, Emperor Wu of Han made Confucianism the official state ideology.
Confucianism followed the teachings of Chinese philosopher Confucius, who advocated moderation, virtuous behavior and thought, and filial piety.
During this time, Confucius schools were established to teach Confucian ethics. Embracing Confucianism is credited with Han being the longest-lasting Chinese empire in history, establishing the rule for more than 400 years.
The fall of the Han dynasty more or less coincided with the rule of Xian of Han, the last emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in China.
The centuries-old dynasty started to fracture under Emperor Xian's reign. A series of natural disasters were exacerbated by peasant rebellion and tribal revolt.
Eventually, the Han dynasty collapsed under chaotic infighting among warlords across China.
The period surrounding the collapse of the Han dynasty is one of the bloodiest in the country's history. It was marked by the Battle of Red Cliffs, one of the most famous battles in the annals of ancient China and arguably the largest naval encounter ever recorded.
The battle was fought on the Yangtze River during the winter of 208–209 CE between rival warlords controlling different parts of the country. The site today is marked with a stone inscription on cliffs near Chibi, in Hubei province.
Also landmarking the battle site is a statue of Zhou Yu, primarily known for his leading role in defeating the numerically superior forces of the northern warlord Cao Cao. After the battle, the warlords stabilized their regions to usher in a period known as the Three Kingdoms, when Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu dominated China from 220 to 280 CE.
The Han dynasty's achievements provided a lasting legacy for China both as a society and a state. It saw the development of the civil service and government structure, and the first official trade with Western cultures.
The invention of new materials, things like paper, the suspension bridge, the wheelbarrow, seismograph, and the blast furnace, among many other firsts, helped shape today's modern China.
But perhaps the dynasty's most lasting legacy is the fact that out of over 1.4 billion people, 92% of the entire population of China still consider themselves part of the Han ethnic group.
Sources: (World History Encyclopedia) (History) (Britannica)
The Han dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history. Spanning the years 206 BCE to 220 CE, the dynasty oversaw periods of economic prosperity and an astonishing advance in technical achievements. Intellectual enquiry was another hallmark of Han culture, particularly in the areas of government, law, philosophy, history, and art. Indeed, this fertile and imaginative epoch helped shape China into the prosperous country it is today. But how did the Han dynasty evolve, and why was its end so brutal?
Click back through time and find out more about the Han dynasty's long reign and achievements.
The Han dynasty, China's golden age
A period of astonishing prosperity and inventiveness
LIFESTYLE History
The Han dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history. Spanning the years 206 BCE to 220 CE, the dynasty oversaw periods of economic prosperity and an astonishing advance in technical achievements. Intellectual enquiry was another hallmark of Han culture, particularly in the areas of government, law, philosophy, history, and art. Indeed, this fertile and imaginative epoch helped shape China into the prosperous country it is today. But how did the Han dynasty evolve, and why was its end so brutal?
Click back through time and find out more about the Han dynasty's long reign and achievements.