Polities
Han dynasty
Chinese Dynasties
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The Han dynasty ruled imperial China from 202 BC to 220 AD, founded by Liu Bang, posthumously honored as Emperor Gaozu, after he defeated his rival Xiang Yu at the Battle of Gaixia. The dynasty is divided into the Western Han period, based at the capital Chang'an, and the Eastern Han period, based at Luoyang, separated by a brief interruption from the short-lived Xin dynasty from 9 to 23 AD. At its peak the Han controlled roughly 6.5 million square kilometers, and China's first nationwide census in 2 AD recorded a population of about 57.7 million people across more than 12 million households. Han rulers established the Silk Road trade network, made Confucianism the state ideology under Emperor Wu, and oversaw innovations including papermaking and hydraulic-powered armillary spheres. The dynasty ended in 220 AD when Cao Pi, king of Wei, forced the abdication of the last Han emperor, Xian, opening the Three Kingdoms period among the rival successor states of Cao Wei, Shu Han and Eastern Wu.
Facts
Government TypeMonarchy (imperial dynasty; the emperor shared power with the nobility and appointed ministers drawn from the scholarly gentry class) 1 End YearThe source itself splits the span as 202 BC - 9 AD, 25-220 AD, naming the Xin dynasty interregnum (9-25 AD, Wang Mang's usurpation) in between; 220 AD is recorded here as the dynasty's final end year. Sources
1. Wikipedia: Han dynasty
WikipediaIntroduction, infoboxQuote, Introduction, infobox
The Han dynasty (202 BC - 9 AD, 25-220 AD) was an imperial dynasty of China
1. Wikipedia: Han dynasty
WikipediaSociety and government sectionQuote, Society and government section
The Han emperor was at the pinnacle of Han society and culture. He presided over the Han government but shared power with both the nobility and the appointed ministers, who came largely from the scholarly gentry class.
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