History UsefulNotes / HanDynasty

[[caption-width-right:350:明犯强漢者，雖遠必誅 No matter how far away, those who dare violate the Great Han will be annihilated]]

The Emperor responsible for broadly defining the borders of China up to the present day. He continued the golden age since his grandfather's peaceful reign with expansionism, conquering what is now parts of Korea and Vietnam. Emperor Wu reigned for over half-century, and warred against Han's neighbors, but in particular the Xiongnu for almost as long as he was on the throne. Domestically, he elevated Confucianism as the official doctrine while practicing pragmatic policies similar to Legalist teachings. Often gets compared to Qin Shi Huangdi for his military achievements, strict use of rewards and punishments as well as attempts to gain immortality in his final years. The copper coin he introduced in 118 BCE, the ''wuzhu'' (五銖/五铢), was legal tender in China for more than ''7 centuries''; it was replaced by the ''Kaiyuan Tongbao'' (開元通寶/开元通宝) coin during the early Tang era. In his late reign, people framed his eldest son Liu Ju (劉據/刘据) of witchcraft; Liu Che decided to execute his entire family (except his newborn grandson who was thrown in prison), and Liu Ju committed suicide.

Continued the golden age since his grandfather's peaceful reign with expansionism, conquering what is now parts of Korea and Vietnam. He elevated Confucianism as the official doctrine while practicing pragmatic policies similar to Legalist teachings. Often gets compared to Qin Shi Huangdi for his military achievements, strict use of rewards and punishments as well as attempts to gain immortality in his final years. The copper coin he introduced in 118 BCE, the ''wuzhu'' (五銖/五铢), was legal tender in China for more than ''7 centuries''; it was replaced by the ''Kaiyuan Tongbao'' (開元通寶/开元通宝) coin during the early Tang era. In his late reign, people framed his eldest son Liu Ju (劉據/刘据) of witchcraft; Liu Che decided to execute his entire family (except his newborn grandson who was thrown in prison), and Liu Ju committed suicide.

[[quoteright:350:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_dynasty#/media/File:Han_Dynasty_map_2CE.png]]

[[quoteright:350:https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%A5%BF%E6%B1%89#/media/File:%E6%B1%89%E6%9C%9D%E8%A1%8C%E6%94%BF%E5%8C%BA%E5%88%92(%E7%B9%81).png]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/han_dynasty.png]]

The Han Empire coexisted with the Roman, Parthian (Persian), and Mauryan (north Indian) Empires and together these four countries ruled over more than 70% of the entire world's population. There was much trade contact between the four, both directly and via intermediaries--the Romans had to pass laws restricting the silk trade because Rome's gold reserves were being emptied by its ravenous demand for Chinese silk. The Han Chinese for their part did rather like Roman glassware, particularly glass beads (sophisticated glass-making was as unknown in China as silk was in Rome), but never enough to seriously affect monetary policy. There is some debate about whether Roman and Chinese soldiers ever met in combat--there have been claims that the Persians captured some Roman soldiers, then moved them to their other frontier and paid them to fight for them, where they then fought Han troops in the area of modern Afghanistan. For their part, Han's numerous expeditions into Parthia would allow the Han Chinese to learn about their Roman counterpart in the West, although most of the information regarding Rome was based off what the Chinese learned from Syria. The Han Chinese nonetheless correctly understood that the Roman Republic did not have a permanent king and power was shared (referring to the senate).
The Romans were seen as something of a western version of China [[note]]Rome was already the premier power in the Italian Peninsula when [[UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat Alexander of Macedon]] conquered the Achaemenid Empire, and they held the whole Western Mediterranean plus Greece and Asia Minor by the time the Parthians had knocked out the Seleucids; as for the Mauryans, they were the first pan-Indian empire in history, and existed basically only because Alexander had come knocking[[/note]], terming their realm as ''Dàqín'' (大秦, "Great Qin"; the Qin and the Roman Republic had also been contemporaries) and this name stuck.

The Han Empire coexisted with the Roman, Parthian (Persian), and Mauryan (north Indian) Empires and together these four countries ruled over more than 70% of the entire world's population. There was much trade contact between the four, both directly and via intermediaries--the Romans had to pass laws restricting the silk trade because Rome's gold reserves were being emptied by its ravenous demand for Chinese silk. The Han Chinese for their part did rather like Roman glassware, particularly glass beads (sophisticated glass-making was as unknown in China as silk was in Rome), but never enough to seriously affect monetary policy. There is some debate about whether Roman and Chinese soldiers ever met in combat--there have been claims that the Persians captured some Roman soldiers, then moved them to their other frontier and paid them to fight for them, where they then fought Han troops in the area of modern Afghanistan. For their part, Han's numerous expeditions into Parthia would allow the Han Chinese to learn about their Roman counterpart in the West, although most of information regarding Rome was based off what the Chinese learned from Syria. The Han Chinese nonetheless correctly understood that the Roman Republic did not have a permanent king and power was shared (referring to the senate).

The Han Empire coexisted with the Roman, Parthian (Persian), and Mauryan (north Indian) Empires and together these four countries ruled over more than 70% of the entire world's population. There was much trade contact between the four, both directly and via intermediaries--the Romans had to pass laws restricting the silk trade because Rome's gold reserves were being emptied by its ravenous demand for Chinese silk. The Han Chinese for their part did rather like Roman glassware, particularly glass beads (sophisticated glass-making was as unknown in China as silk was in Rome), but never enough to seriously affect monetary policy. There is some debate about whether Roman and Chinese soldiers ever met in combat--there have been claims that the Persians captured some Roman soldiers, then moved them to their other frontier and paid them to fight for them, where they then fought Han troops in the area of modern Afghanistan. For their part, the Han respected the Romans' greater relative longevity[[note]]Rome was already the premier power in the Italian Peninsula when [[UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat Alexander of Macedon]] conquered the Achaemenid Empire, and they held the whole Western Mediterranean plus Greece and Asia Minor by the time the Parthians had knocked out the Seleucids; as for the Mauryans, they were the first pan-Indian empire in history, and existed basically only because Alexander had come knocking[[/note]] and regarded them as something of a western version of China, terming their realm as ''Dàqín'' (大秦, "Great Qin"; the Qin and Roman Empires had also been contemporaries) and this name stuck.

The Han Dynasty was briefly overthrown by Wang Mang (王莽; nephew of the last Grand Empress Dowager of the Western Han, Wang Zhengjun, and had already been ruling as regent of three different child Emperors for several years) in 9 AD, but his self-proclaimed Xin Dynasty (新朝, ''Xīn Cháo'') lasted only 14 years before he was killed in a peasant rebellion and the Han Dynasty was restored 2 years after Wang's death.[[note]]Emperor Gengshi Liu Xuan (劉玄/刘玄), who reigned from 23 to 25 C.E. over a small part of the empire, was not considered part of the Han Dynasty even though he, like Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu (劉秀/刘秀), was a descendant of Emperor Jing.[[/note]] As the restored Han Dynasty moved its capital to the east from Chang'an to Luoyang, historians divide it into the Western Han (prior to Wang's usurpation) and Eastern Han (after restoration) periods.[[note]]Besides Wang Mang, there was a period of 27 days in 74 B.C. where there was no Emperor. This period was after Liu He (劉賀/刘贺) was deposed by Huo Guang (霍光), Emperor Zhao's regent and an immensely powerful official, and before the ascension of Emperor Xuan. Liu He, who took over after Emperor Zhao died, also only reigned for 27 days.[[/note]]

Noteworthy emperors during this era are Emperors Wen and Jing--father and son ushered in what was arguably imperial China's first golden age, the "Reign of Wen and Jing" (文景之治, ''Wén Jǐng zhī Zhì'') and Emperor Wu (Jing's son, who sent men to explore the Silk Road and warred with the Xiongnu).[[note]]Emperor Wu's 54 years on the throne was a record which stood for more than 1700 years until Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty.[[/note]] Emperor Wu's long reign on the throne also allowed him to wage war against the Xiongnu (pronounced Hunnu at the time) for almost as long as he reigned. These nomadic peoples were eventually displaced and forced westward, and it is alleged that their descendants mingled with other peoples of central/west Asia, where they eventually reappeared as a new nomadic confederation known to Europe as the [[UsefulNotes/AttilaTheHun Huns]]. By defeating the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu was able to expand China all the way to the Tarim Basin and opened China to trade with the rest of the world. This became the origins of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilkRoad Silk-Road]], a route that future Chinese dynasties would protect with extreme jealousy.

Noteworthy emperors during this era are Emperors Wen and Jing--father and son ushered in what was arguably imperial China's first golden age, the "Reign of Wen and Jing" (文景之治, ''Wén Jǐng zhī Zhì'') and Emperor Wu (Jing's son, who sent men to explore the Silk Road and warred with the Xiongnu).[[note]]Emperor Wu's 54 years on the throne was a record which stood for more than 1700 years until Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty.[[/note]] Emperor Wu's long reign on the throne also allowed him to wage war against the Xiongnu (pronounced Hunnu at the time) for almost as long as he reigned. These nomadic peoples were eventually displaced and forced westward, and it is alleged that their descendants mingled with other peoples of central/west Asia, where they eventually reappeared as a new nomadic confederation known to Europe as the [[UsefulNotes/AttilaTheHun Huns]]. By defeating the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu was able to expand China all the way to the Tarim Basin and opened China to trade with the rest of the world. This became the origins of the Silk-Road, a route that future Chinese dynasties would protect with extreme jealousy.

Confucianism became solidly entrenched as the official government philosophy (during Emperor Wu's reign),[[note]]Liu Bang did not have a coherent state ideology during his reign, although he did adapt Qin rites to suit the Han imperial court under the advice of Shusun Tong (叔孫通/叔孙通), a Confucian. His wife, his son Emperor Wen, and grandson Emperor Jing followed an early form of Taoism. The first few years of Emperor Wu's reign saw the continuation of this form of Taoism, until the death of Wu's grandmother Grand Empress Dowager Dou.[[/note]] but Legalism remained at large, especially policies in regards to crime and punishment. This was also the time when many Chinese inventions came forward: paper (a must for bureaucrats), advances in metallurgy (mostly in casting iron and producing steel), and other stuff. Concurrently, Chinese character writing was codified during this time, giving us the Han characters (漢字/汉字) that the world would recognize until the present day. The first attempt to record Chinese history from the era of the legendary 3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors to the then present-day was undertaken by Sima Tan (司馬談/司马谈), but it was his son Sima Qian (司馬遷/司马迁) who completed the task. The resulting work, ''Shǐjì'' ("Records of the Grand Historian"), was regarded as a literary and historical masterpiece (regarded as the pinnacle of the "24 Histories"), and Sima Qian himself became known as ''the'' Grand Historian.

Noteworthy emperors during this era are Emperors Wen and Jing--father and son ushered in what was arguably imperial China's first golden age, the "Reign of Wen and Jing" (文景之治, ''Wén Jǐng zhī Zhì'') and Emperor Wu (Jing's son, who sent men to explore the Silk Road and warred with the Xiongnu).[[note]]Emperor Wu's 54 years on the throne was a record which stood for more than 1700 years until Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty.[[/note]] Emperor Wu's long reign on the throne also allowed him to wage war against the Xiongnu (pronounced Hunnu at the time) for almost as long as he reigned. These nomadic peoples were eventually displaced and forced westward, and it is alleged that their descendants mingled with other peoples of central/west Asia, where they eventually reappeared as a new nomadic confederation known to Europeans as the [[UsefulNotes/AttilaTheHun Huns]]. By defeating the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu was able to expand China all the way to the Tarim Basin and opened China to trade with the rest of the world. This became the origins of the Silk-Road, a route that future Chinese dynasties would protect with extreme jealousy.

Noteworthy emperors during this era are Emperors Wen and Jing--father and son ushered in what was arguably imperial China's first golden age, the "Reign of Wen and Jing" (文景之治, ''Wén Jǐng zhī Zhì'') and Emperor Wu (Jing's son, who sent men to explore the Silk Road and warred with the Xiongnu).[[note]]Emperor Wu's 54 years on the throne was a record which stood for more than 1700 years until Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty.[[/note]] Emperor Wu's long reign on the throne also allowed him to wage war against the Xiongnu (pronounced Hunnu at the time) for almost as long as he reigned. These nomadic peoples were eventually displaced and forced westward, and it is alleged that their descendants mingled with other peoples of central/west Asia, where they eventually reappeared as a new nomadic confederation known to Europeans as the [[UsefulNotes/AttilaTheHun Huns]]. By defeating the Xiongnu, Emperor Wu was able to expand China all the way to the Tarim Basinfor and opened China to trade with everyone westward. This became the origins of the Silk-Road, a route that future Chinese dynasties would protect with extreme jealousy.

Confucianism became solidly entrenched as the official government philosophy (during Emperor Wu's reign),[[note]]Liu Bang did not have a coherent state ideology during his reign, although he did adapt Qin rites to suit the Han imperial court under the advice of Shusun Tong (叔孫通/叔孙通), a Confucian. His wife, his son Emperor Wen, and grandson Emperor Jing followed an early form of Taoism. The first few years of Emperor Wu's reign saw the continuation of this form of Taoism, until the death of Wu's grandmother Grand Empress Dowager Dou.[[/note]] but Legalism remained at large, especially policies in regards to crime and punishment. This was also the time when many Chinese inventions came forward: paper (a must for bureaucrats), advances in metallurgy (mostly in casting iron and producing steel), and other stuff. Concurrently, Chinese character writing was codified during this time, giving us the Han characters (漢字/汉字) that the world would recognize until the present day.

Noteworthy emperors during this era are Emperors Wen and Jing--father and son ushered in what was arguably imperial China's first golden age, the "Reign of Wen and Jing" (文景之治, ''Wén Jǐng zhī Zhì'') and Emperor Wu (Jing's son, who sent men to explore the Silk Road and warred with the Xiongnu).[[note]]Emperor Wu's 54 years on the throne was a record which stood for more than 1700 years until Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty.[[/note]] The first attempt to record Chinese history from the era of the legendary 3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors to the then present-day was undertaken by Sima Tan (司馬談/司马谈), but it was his son Sima Qian (司馬遷/司马迁) who completed the task. The resulting work, ''Shǐjì'' ("Records of the Grand Historian"), was regarded as a literary and historical masterpiece (regarded as the pinnacle of the "24 Histories"), and Sima Qian himself became known as ''the'' Grand Historian.

Confucianism became solidly entrenched as the official government philosophy (during Emperor Wu's reign),[[note]]Liu Bang did not have a coherent state ideology during his reign, although he did adapt Qin rites to suit the Han imperial court under the advice of Shusun Tong (叔孫通/叔孙通), a Confucian. His wife, his son Emperor Wen, and grandson Emperor Jing followed an early form of Taoism. The first few years of Emperor Wu's reign saw the continuation of this form of Taoism, until the death of Wu's grandmother Grand Empress Dowager Dou.[[/note]] but Legalism remained at large, especially policies in crime and punishment. This was also the time when many Chinese inventions came forward: paper (a must for bureaucrats), advances in metallurgy (mostly in casting iron and producing steel), and other stuff. Noteworthy emperors during this era are Emperors Wen and Jing--father and son ushered in what was arguably imperial China's first golden age, the "Reign of Wen and Jing" (文景之治, ''Wén Jǐng zhī Zhì'') and Emperor Wu (Jing's son, who sent men to explore the Silk Road and warred with the Xiongnu).[[note]]Emperor Wu's 54 years on the throne was a record which stood for more than 1700 years until Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty.[[/note]] The first attempt to record Chinese history from the era of the legendary 3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors to the then present-day was undertaken by Sima Tan (司馬談/司马谈), but it was his son Sima Qian (司馬遷/司马迁) who completed the task. The resulting work, ''Shǐjì'' ("Records of the Grand Historian"), was regarded as a literary and historical masterpiece (regarded as the pinnacle of the "24 Histories"), and Sima Qian himself became known as ''the'' Grand Historian.

Confucianism became solidly entrenched as the official philosophy (during Emperor Wu's reign).[[note]]Liu Bang did not have a coherent state ideology during his reign, although he did adapt Qin rites to suit the Han imperial court under the advice of Shusun Tong (叔孫通/叔孙通), a Confucian. His wife, his son Emperor Wen, and grandson Emperor Jing followed an early form of Taoism. The first few years of Emperor Wu's reign saw the continuation of this form of Taoism, until the death of Wu's grandmother Grand Empress Dowager Dou.[[/note]] This was also the time when many Chinese inventions came forward: paper (a must for bureaucrats), advances in metallurgy (mostly in casting iron and producing steel), and other stuff. Noteworthy emperors during this era are Emperors Wen and Jing--father and son ushered in what was arguably imperial China's first golden age, the "Reign of Wen and Jing" (文景之治, ''Wén Jǐng zhī Zhì'') and Emperor Wu (Jing's son, who sent men to explore the Silk Road and warred with the Xiongnu).[[note]]Emperor Wu's 54 years on the throne was a record which stood for more than 1700 years until Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty.[[/note]] The first attempt to record Chinese history from the era of the legendary 3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors to the then present-day was undertaken by Sima Tan (司馬談/司马谈), but it was his son Sima Qian (司馬遷/司马迁) who completed the task. The resulting work, ''Shǐjì'' ("Records of the Grand Historian"), was regarded as a literary and historical masterpiece (regarded as the pinnacle of the "24 Histories"), and Sima Qian himself became known as ''the'' Grand Historian.

The Han Dynasty was founded by Liu Bang (劉邦/刘邦), a BoisterousBruiser of humble birth from what is now Xuzhou (徐州) in Jiangsu Province. He was AFatherToHisMen (at least initially) and a good politician. He was also very likable that bartenders gave him free booze because people would buy more drinks just to hang around him longer. In fact, he was so likable that his future father-in-law offered his daughter (future Empress Dowager, Lü Zhi 呂雉/吕雉)to marry Liu Bang upon just meeting the man for the first time. He fought his way to the throne in the turmoil after the fall of the Qin, and although he was a bit crude and uncouth, he knew how power worked and could take advice, even criticism, and so developed policies that helped his line rule all China almost uninterrupted for 400 years. His main rival during the post-Qin turmoil was Xiang Yu (項羽/项羽), and the years of their struggle were commonly known as the "Chu-Han Contention" (楚漢爭霸/楚汉争霸, 206-202 B.C.)

The Han Dynasty was founded by Liu Bang (劉邦/刘邦), a BoisterousBruiser of humble birth from what is now Xuzhou (徐州) in Jiangsu Province. He was a good politician, so likable that bartenders gave him free booze because people would buy more drinks just to hang around him longer. He fought his way to the throne in the turmoil after the fall of the Qin, and although he was a bit crude and uncouth, he knew how power worked and could take advice, even criticism, and so developed policies that helped his line rule all China almost uninterrupted for 400 years. His main rival during the post-Qin turmoil was Xiang Yu (項羽/项羽), and the years of their struggle were commonly known as the "Chu-Han Contention" (楚漢爭霸/楚汉争霸, 206-202 B.C.)

He supported Confucianism as the state ideology, however while he was doing that, the empire started to crumble apart under him, due to his indecisiveness and trust in corrupt officials. Wang Mang (王莽), who usurped the throne, was the nephew of his wife Wang Zhengjun. He favoured his son Liu Kang (劉康/刘康)[[note]]Not that [[Franchise/MortalKombat Liu Kang]][[/note]], the son of his concubine Consort Fu (傅昭儀/傅昭仪[[note]]''Zhāoyí'' (昭儀/昭仪) is the imperial title of a high-ranking concubine[[/note]]), but did not change the order of succession. His reign also saw the appearance of the second of the UsefulNotes/FourBeautiesOfAncientChina, Wang Zhaojun (王昭君), whom he accidentally sent off to Xiongnu because the local court painter painted her unflatteringly for not trying to bribe him, so Liu Shi dismissed her as plain and could be sent off no problem, then realized his mistake too late. Still, the relationship with Xiongnu became even stronger due to his accident, so not all was lost. Liu Shi still had the painter executed for the trickery, though.

Is widely seen as gay with his lover Dong Xian (董賢/董贤). There is a famous story that Emperor Ai cut his own sleeve to avoid waking the sleeping Dong Xian. A struggle emerged between the Fu clan and Wang clan, of which the Wang clan emerged victorious. When he died, he planned to leave the kingdom to Dong Xian, but Empress Dowager Wang acted first and forced Dong Xian to kill himself.

While he was a kind and gentle man, he lacked his father and grandfather's political ability. Despite the fact that it was his reign that began Han decline, scientific progress, including the invention of paper, was made during his reign.

Became emperor at the age of seven or eight. He spent his early reign caught in a power struggle between his two of his co-regents, who were also the paternal and maternal grandfathers of his wife--Shangguan Jie (上官桀) and Huo Guang (霍光), respectively. The power struggle ended in Huo Guang exterminating the Shangguan clan (Empress Dowager Shangguan was spared because she was eight years old and Huo Guang's granddaughter). However, the young emperor was wise beyond his years, but died at the age of 20 before making his mark as emperor.

He is well known as a playboy emperor. He was enamored with the Zhao sisters, Zhao Feiyan[[note]]Feiyan was also one of China's Great Beauties, but eventually was omitted from the UsefulNotes/FourBeautiesOfAncientChina in favor of Wang Zhaojun, because she wasn't considered tragic enough.[[/note]] and Zhao Hede (趙合德/赵合德), and he took them as concubines. However, they were rumoured to have murdered the children of other consorts. During his reign, he let Wang Mang, his cousin, rise to power in the court. He had no children when he died.

He is well known as a playboy emperor. He was enamored with the Zhao sisters, Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede (趙合德/赵合德), and he took them as concubines. However, they were rumoured to have murdered the children of other consorts. During his reign, he let Wang Mang, his cousin, rise to power in the court. He had no children when he died.

The Han Dynasty (漢朝, ''Hàn Cháo'', Western period 202 BC – AD 9, Eastern period 25–220) is the fifth Chinese dynasty following the UsefulNotes/QinDynasty and the first to have its capital in Chang'an (modern Xi'an).\\
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The big one. So famous that the dominant ethnic group in China still refers to itself as Han Chinese. So big that the Chinese most commonly call their [[UsefulNotes/ChineseLanguage language(s)]] ''Hànyǔ'' (漢語/汉语, "Han speech") and the most widely used system of [[UsefulNotes/WhyMaoChangedHisName romanizing Chinese]] is called Hanyu Pinyin (漢語拼音/汉语拼音). So big that the Chinese word for "Chinese characters" is ''Hànzì'' (漢字/汉字), literally "Han characters", and was exported to other cultures as the Japanese word "kanji", Korean "hanja", and Vietnamese "Hán tự". You have one guess which part of their writing system it refers to.[[note]]Although confusingly, the Koreans ''also'' call themselves "Han", with an altogether different etymology that just happened to end up the same way. The difference is evident when writing the two words in hanja. In Mandarin, (using the 4 tones of Mandarin as reference) the Chinese Han (漢) is pronounced with the fourth tone, while the Korean Han (韓) is pronounced with the 2nd tone. The truly confusing part is that in Chinese history, there are ''two'' states named "Han" (same word as the Korean one): one existed during the Western Zhou era; the other more famous one existed during the Warring States period, and was carved out from the state of Jin; the division of Jin into Han, Zhao and Wei were regarded by some historians as the start of the Warring States.[[/note]]\\
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The Han Dynasty was founded by Liu Bang, a BoisterousBruiser of humble birth from what is now Xuzhou in Jiangsu Province. He was a good politician, so likable that bartenders gave him free booze because people would buy more drinks just to hang around him longer. He fought his way to the throne in the turmoil after the fall of the Qin, and although he was a bit crude and uncouth, he knew how power worked and could take advice, even criticism, and so developed policies that helped his line rule all China almost uninterrupted for 400 years. His main rival during the post-Qin turmoil was Xiang Yu, and the years of their struggle were commonly known as the "Chu-Han Contention" (楚漢爭霸/楚汉争霸, 206-202 B.C.) \\
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Confucianism became solidly entrenched as the official philosophy (during Emperor Wu's reign).[[note]]Liu Bang did not have a coherent state ideology during his reign, although he did adapt Qin rites to suit the Han imperial court under the advice of Shusun Tong, a Confucian. His wife, his son Emperor Wen, and grandson Emperor Jing followed an early form of Taoism. The first few years of Emperor Wu's reign saw the continuation of this form of Taoism, until the death of Wu's grandmother Grand Empress Dowager Dou.[[/note]] This was also the time when many Chinese inventions came forward: paper (a must for bureaucrats), advances in metallurgy (mostly in casting iron and producing steel), and other stuff. Noteworthy emperors during this era are Emperors Wen and Jing (father and son ushered in what was arguably imperial China's first golden age, "The Reign of Wen & Jing") and Emperor Wu (Jing's son, who sent men to explore the Silk Road and warred with the Xiongnu).[[note]]Emperor Wu's 54 years on the throne was a record which stood for more than 1700 years until Emperor Kangxi during the Qing Dynasty.[[/note]] The first attempt to record Chinese history from the era of the legendary 3 Sovereigns and 5 Emperors to the then present-day was undertaken by Sima Tan, but it was his son Sima Qian who completed the task. The resulting work, ''Shǐjì'' ("Records of the Grand Historian"), was regarded as a literary and historical masterpiece (regarded as the pinnacle of the "24 Histories"), and Sima Qian himself became known as ''the'' Grand Historian.\\
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The Han Empire coexisted with the Roman, Parthian (Persian), and Mauryan (north Indian) empires and together these four countries ruled over more than 70% of the entire world's population. There was much trade contact between the four, both directly and via intermediaries--the Romans had to pass laws restricting the silk trade because Rome's gold reserves were being emptied by its ravenous demand for Chinese silk. The Han Chinese for their part did rather like Roman glassware, particularly glass beads (sophisticated glass-making was as unknown in China as silk was in Rome), but never enough to seriously affect monetary policy. There is some debate about whether Roman and Chinese soldiers ever met in combat--there have been claims that the Persians captured some Roman soldiers, then moved them to their other frontier and paid them to fight for them, where they then fought Han troops in the area of modern Afghanistan. For their part, the Han respected the Romans' greater relative longevity (Rome was already the premier power in the Italian Peninsula when [[UsefulNotes/AlexanderTheGreat Alexander of Macedon]] conquered the Achaemenid Empire, and they held the whole Western Mediterranean plus Greece and Asia Minor by the time the Parthians had knocked out the Seleucids; as for the Mauryans, they were the first pan-Indian empire in history, and existed basically only because Alexander had come knocking) and regarded them as something of a western version of China, terming their realm as ''Daqin'' ("Great Qin"; the Qin and Roman Empires had also been contemporaries) and this name stuck.\\
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The Han also gave imperial China her first Empress and ''living'' Empress Dowager, Lü Zhi.[[note]]Both Qin emperors left both positions empty, although Qin Shihuang elevated his mother Lady Zhao to the title of Empress dowager posthumously.[[/note]] Lü Zhi proved to be an ambitious woman, and dominated court politics from her husband Liu Bang's death to her own, a period of about 15 years.[[note]]While Lü Zhi's son, Emperor Hui, did inherit the throne, no one was in any doubt on who the real ruler was.[[/note]] Emperor Wu himself faced pressure from his grandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Dou, during the first years of his reign. The rest of the Han dynasty would also have powerful women, especially in the Eastern Han as there were a lot of child emperors.

The Han Dynasty was briefly overthrown by Wang Mang (nephew of the last Grand Empress Dowager of the Western Han, Wang Zhengjun, and had already been ruling as regent of three different child Emperors for several years) in 9 AD, but his self-proclaimed Xin Dynasty lasted only 14 years before he was killed in a peasant rebellion and the Han Dynasty was restored 2 years after Wang's death.[[note]]Emperor Gengshi Liu Xuan, who reigned from 23 to 25 C.E. over a small part of the empire, was not considered part of the Han Dynasty even though he, like Liu Xiu, was a descendant of Emperor Jing.[[/note]] As the restored Han Dynasty moved its capital to the east from Chang'an to Luoyang, historians divide it into the Western Han (prior to Wang's usurpation) and Eastern Han (after restoration) periods.[[note]]Besides Wang Mang, there was a period of 27 days in 74 B.C. where there was no Emperor. This period was after Liu He was deposed by Huo Guang, Emperor Zhao's regent and an immensely powerful official, and before the ascension of Emperor Xuan. Liu He, who took over after Emperor Zhao died, also only reigned for 27 days.[[/note]]\\
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The Eastern Han was founded by Liu Xiu (descended from Emperor Jing), who crowned himself emperor in 25 C.E. His reign was known as the "Restoration of Guang Wu".[[note]]Guang Wu being his posthumous name. While living, Liu Xiu was also known as Emperor Jian Wu after his first era name, which he used for about 30 years.[[/note]] His son and grandson continued his good governance, ushering in a golden age known as the "Rule of Ming & Zhang". However, Emperor Zhang died relatively young (in his early 30s), a curse which was to linger in the dynasty ever since. This allowed eunuchs and relatives of the imperial harem to interfere in state politics (as Emperors ascend the throne as either children or teenagers), causing governance to decay and eventually the dynasty to collapse. This could be seen as someone's idea of a bad joke, as Emperor Guangwu was the one who set the rule that male attendants in the harem had to be ''all'' eunuchs.\\
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Of the "24 Histories", ''Shǐjì'' covers the early Han era, almost until the end of the reign of Emperor Wu.[[note]]However, modern scholarship agrees that the parts of ''Shiji'' that we see today on the reigns of Emperor Jing and Wu were almost certainly ''not'' from Sima Qian; Emperor Wu was reportedly angered by Sima's WartsAndAll recording of both his father's and his reigns.[[/note]] The "Book of Han" (漢書/汉书, ''Hànshū''), attributed to Ban Gu, covered mostly the Western Han, while the "Book of Later Han" (後漢書/后汉书, ''Hòu Hànshū''), attributed to Fan Ye, covered the Eastern Han.

!!Monarchs of the Han dynasty [[note]]some puppet emperors have been omitted[[/note]]
[[folder: Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han (202 BCE – 195 BCE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 256 BCE - 195 BCE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Lu Zhi (241 BCE - 180 BCE), Empress Bo (??? - 155 BCE), at least three other concubines

[[RagsToRoyalty Came from a peasant family]], contended against [[BoisterousBruiser Xiang Yu]] for domination of China, and after victory [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness disposed of his most talented generals]]. Despite [[WrittenByTheWinners a hefty dose of Han propaganda]], [[RootingForTheEmpire Xiang Yu still tends to be the more popular character]] for some reason. He was the husband of the aforementioned Lu Zhi.

[[folder: Liu Ying, Emperor Hui of Han (195 BCE - 188 BCE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 210 BCE - 188 BCE
-> '''Consorts''': Empress Zhang Yan (202 BCE - 163 BCE)

Became emperor at the age of 15 after his father died. He was essentially a PuppetKing under his mother Lu Zhi. Liu Ying was afraid his mother would hurt Liu Ruyi and [[BigBrotherInstinct tried to protect him.]] However his mother poisoned Liu Ruyi and killed his mother Concubine Qi in [[CruelAndUnusualDeath a very gruesome way.]] After this, Liu Ying was so horrified that he believed he was unfit to rule due to having such an evil mother, and [[HeroicBSoD relinquished all control to her.]]

[[folder: Liu Heng, Emperor Wen of Han (180 BCE - 157 BCE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 203/2 BCE - 157 BCE
-> '''Consorts:''' Princess Consort Lu (??? - ???) Empress Dou Yifang (c.205 BCE - 135 BCE), at least one other concubine

Became emperor after the Lu clan were deposed and murdered after Lu Zhi’s death. His reign was marked by internal stability, and the reign of him and his son Emperor Jing is known as a golden age in Chinese history. He was considered a benevolent ruler. He was also known as filially pious [[note]] essentially respecting your ancestors; usually your parents and grandparents [[/note]].

[[folder: Liu Qi, Emperor Jing of Han (188 BCE - 141 BCE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 188 BCE - 141 BCE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Bo (??? - 147 BCE), Empress Wang Zhi (173 BCE - 126 BCE), at least five other concubines

Continued his father’s peaceful reign (the so-called ‘Reign of Wen and Jing’ is known as a golden age and period of stability in Chinese history). However, his reign was also marked by political intrigue and treachery. He is also credited with furthering the study of Taoist texts.

[[folder: Liu Che, Emperor Wu of Han (141 BC – 87 BC)]]
-> '''Life:''' 156 BCE - 87 BCE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Chen Jiao (166/5 BCE - 110 BCE), Empress Wei Zifu (??? - 91 BCE), at least four other concubines

Continued the golden age since his grandfather's peaceful reign with expansionism, conquering what is now parts of Korea and Vietnam. He elevated Confucianism as the official doctrine while practicing pragmatic policies similar to Legalist teachings. Often gets compared to Qin Shi Huangdi for his military achievements, strict use of rewards and punishments as well as attempts to gain immortality in his final years. The copper coin he introduced in 118 BCE, the ''wuzhu'' cash, was legal tender in China for more than ''7 centuries''; it was replaced by the ''Kaiyuan Tongbao'' coin during the early Tang era. In his late reign, people framed his eldest son Liu Ju of witchcraft. Liu Che decided to execute his entire family (except his newborn grandson who was thrown in prison), and Liu Ju committed suicide.

[[folder: Liu Fuling, Emperor Zhao of Han (87 BCE - 74 BCE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 94 BCE - 74 BC
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Dowager Shangguan (89 BCE - 37 BCE), at least one other concubine

Became emperor at the age of seven. He spent his early reign caught in a power struggle between regents Shangguan Jie (the grandfather of his wife Empress Dowager Shangguan), and Huo Guang (also the grandfather of Empress Dowager Shangguan) which ended in Huo Guang exterminating the Shangguan clan (Empress Dowager Shangguan was spared because she was eight years old and Huo Guang’s granddaughter). However, the young emperor was wise beyond his years, but died at the age of 20 before making his mark as emperor.

[[folder: Liu Xun né Liu Bingyi, Emperor Xuan of Han (74 BCE - 48 BCE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 91 BCE - 48 BCE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Xu Pingjun (89 BCE - 71 BCE), Empress Huo Chengjun (87 BCE - 54 BCE), Empress Wang (??? - 16 BCE), at least five other concubines

Remember that baby grandson Emperor Wu threw into prison? He grew up, learned of his royal origins, and got married. After Emperor Zhao died, Liu He was put into power. However, Liu He was impeached after a month on 1127 different charges. Therefore, they put Liu Bingyi [[note]] who changed his name to Xun, to make the naming taboo on the emperor’s name easier to follow [[/note]] on the throne. He spent his early reign under the control of Huo Guang. However, his first Empress died suddenly after giving birth. Huo Guang’s ambitious wife put her own daughter on the throne. Then it was discovered that not only had Lady Huo poisoned his first wife, but the Huo clan were plotting against him, so he wiped out the Huos. The rest of his reign was a good one, and he was hard working and brilliant.

[[folder: Liu Shi, Emperor Yuan of Han (48 BCE - 33 BCE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 75 BCE - 33 BCE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Wang Zhengjun (71 BCE - 13 CE), at least three other concubines

He supported Confucianism as the state ideology, however while he was doing that, the empire started to crumble apart under him, due to his indecisiveness and trust in corrupt officials. Wang Mang, who usurped the throne, was the nephew of his wife Wang Zhengjun. He favoured his son Liu Kang[[note]]Not that [[Franchise/MortalKombat Liu Kang.]][[/note]], the son of his concubine Consort Fu, but did not change the order of succession. His reign also saw the appearance of the second of the UsefulNotes/FourBeautiesOfAncientChina, Wang Zhaojun, whom he accidentally sent off to Xiongnu because the local court painter painted her unflatteringly for not trying to bribe him, so Liu Shi dismissed her as plain and could be sent off no problem, then realized his mistake too late. Still, the relationship with Xiongnu became even stronger due to his accident, so not all was lost. Liu Shi still had the painter executed for the trickery, though.

[[folder: Liu Ao, Emperor Cheng of Han (33 BCE - 7 BCE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 51 BCE - 7 BCE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Xu Kua (??? - 8 BCE), Empress Zhao Feiyan (45 BCE - 1 BCE), at least six other concubines

He is well known as a playboy emperor. He was enamored with the Zhao sisters, Zhao Feiyan and Zhao Hede, and he took them as concubines. However, they were rumoured to have murdered the children of other consorts. During his reign, he let Wang Mang, his cousin, rise to power in the court. He had no children when he died.

[[folder: Liu Xin, Emperor Ai of Han (7 BCE - 1 BCE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 27 BCE - 1 BCE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Fu (??? - 1 BCE)

Is widely seen as gay with his lover Dong Xian. There is a famous story that Emperor Ai cut his own sleeve to avoid waking the sleeping Dong Xian. A struggle emerged between the Fu clan and Wang clan, of which the Wang clan emerged victorious. When he died, he planned to leave the kingdom to Dong Xian, but Empress Dowager Wang acted first and forced Dong Xian to kill himself.

[[folder: Liu Jizi, Emperor Ping of Han (1 BCE - 6 CE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 9 BCE - 6 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Wang (8 BCE - 23 CE)

Became emperor aged eight via Wang Zhengjun and Wang Mang’s machinations. He had a heart condition so he was easy to control as a puppet. He was married to Wang Mang’s daughter [[note]] which seems to have actually been happy, as she refused to remarry after his death, and retained loyalty to the Han [[/note]] which helped Wang Mang gain power. By his early teens, however, he grew out of his heart condition and made it clear he resented Wang Mang for killing his relatives. Wang Mang poisoned him and put a baby on the throne, before usurping the throne himself.

[[folder: Wang Mang (9 CE – 23 CE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 45 BCE - 23 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Wang (??? - 21 CE), Empress Shi (??? - ???), at least four other concubines

[[folder: Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of Han (5 BC - 57 AD)]]
-> '''Life:''' 5 BCE - 57 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Yin Lihua (5 CE - 64 CE), Empress Guo Shengtong (??? - 52 CE), at least one other concubine

[[folder: Liu Zhuang, Emperor Ming of Han (57 CE - 75 CE]]
-> '''Life:''' 28 CE - 75 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Ma (39 CE - 79 CE), at least four other concubines

Restored the golden age of Wen and Jing. It was also during his reign that Buddhism spread in China, however it would not be until the UsefulNotes/SouthernAndNorthernDynasties that it would become popular. He was a hard-working and able administrator. He was also the last emperor of the Han dynasty to reach 40 before Liu Xie.

[[folder: Liu Da, Emperor Zhang of Han (75 CE - 88 CE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 56 CE - 88 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Dou (??? - 97 CE), Empress Liang (c.61/2 CE - 83 CE), honoured posthumously, Empress Song (??? - 82 CE), honoured posthumously, at least one other concubine

Continued the golden age of his father. However, it was also him who set the precedent of the immense power of waiqi, or consort kin. Like his father, he was a hardworking and diligent emperor. It was also him that set the precedent for the absurdly short life expectancy of Eastern Han emperors, as he died aged 32.

[[folder: Liu Zhao, Emperor He of Han (88 CE - 106 CE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 79 CE - 106 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Yin (80 CE - 102 CE), Empress Dowager Deng Sui (81 CE - 121 CE), at least two other concubines

While he was a kind and gentle man, he lacked his father and -grandfather’s political ability. Despite the fact that it was his reign that began Han decline, scientific progress, including the invention of paper, was made during his reign.

[[folder: Liu Hu, Emperor An of Han (107 CE - 125 CE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 94 CE - 125 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Yan Ji (??? - 126 CE), Empress Li (??? - 115 CE), honoured posthumously

Became emperor after the death of the one-year-old Liu Long. Looked upon as a poor emperor, who did little to improve the state, and spent his time with women while listening to [[EunuchsAreEvil corrupt eunuchs]] and his wife Yan Ji’s corrupt relatives.

[[folder: Liu Bao, Emperor Shun of Han (125 CE - 144 CE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 115 CE - 144 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Dowager Liang Na (116 CE - 150 CE), at least three other concubines

Made the same mistakes as his father, and despite being kind, listened to corrupt eunuchs and his wife Liang Na’s obviously corrupt brother Liang Ji. Despite his reign being an improvement of his father’s, he didn’t stop the decline of the Eastern Han.

[[folder: Liu Zhi, Emperor Huan of Han (146 CE - 168 CE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 132 CE - 168 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Liang Nuying (??? - 159 CE), Empress Deng Mengnu (??? - 165), Empress Dou Miao (??? - 172 CE), at least four other concubines

After Emperor Shun’s death, his young son Liu Bing was put on the throne, but died a year later. Then the seven year old Liu Zuan was put on the throne, but he was [[WouldHurtAChild murdered by Liang Ji]] after he made a rude comment on him. Liu Zhi was then out on the throne because he was married to Liang Ji’s sister Liang Nuying. He spent the first years of his reign as Liang Ji’s puppet, but in 159 he massacred the Liangs and took back his own power. However, he was no better than his predecessors and listened to eunuchs.

[[folder: Liu Hong, Emperor Ling of Han (168 CE - 189 CE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 156 CE - 189 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Song (??? - 178 CE), Empress Dowager He (??? - 189 CE), Empress Wang Rong (??? - 181 CE), honoured posthumously

Like Emperor Huan, he trusted his corrupt eunuchs (the Ten Attendants). Eventually widespread corruption lead to the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which lead to a severely weakened Han state. He favoured his son Liu Xie over his oldest son Liu Bian, and entrusted Liu Xie to his eunuch Jian Shuo in an attempt to put him on the throne.

[[folder: Liu Bian, Emperor Shao of Han (189 CE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 176 CE - 190 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' At least one concubine

Became emperor at the age of thirteen due to [[MotherMakesYouKing the machinations of his mother.]] During his short reign, the power of the eunuch faction at court ended after He Jin (his uncle) and Yuan Shao (a warlord at the time) massacred the palace eunuchs. Dong Zhuo saw him and his mother as bad puppets, so had him deposed and installed Liu Xie on the throne. He was forced to commit suicide during a rebellion against Dong Zhuo when he was only fourteen.

[[folder: Liu Xie, Emperor Xian of Han (189 CE - 220 CE)]]
-> '''Life:''' 181 CE - 234 CE
-> '''Consorts:''' Empress Fu Shou (??? - 214 CE), Empress Cao Jie (197 CE - 260 CE), at least four other concubines

Became emperor aged eight. He spent his life as the PuppetKing of various warlords, such as Dong Zhuo and Cao Cao. At the age of 39, he was forced to abdicate to Cao Pi[[note]] his brother-in-law, as he was married to his sister Cao Jie, best known for cursing Cao Pi when he usurped the throne[[/note]] Best known for being a puppet of Cao Cao and later for being a minor character in ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'' [[note]] Unlike UsefulNotes/SouthernAndNorthernDynasties, the last emperors of the three kingdoms and their families were allowed to live [[/note]]

He supported Confucianism as the state ideology, however while he was doing that, the empire started to crumble apart under him, due to his indecisiveness and trust in corrupt officials. Wang Mang, who usurped the throne, was the nephew of his wife Wang Zhengjun. He favoured his son Liu Kang, the son of his concubine Consort Fu, but did not change the order of succession.

The Han also gave imperial China her first Empress and ''living'' Empress Dowager, Lü Zhi.[[note]]Both Qin emperors left both positions empty, although Qin Shihuang elevated his mother Lady Zhao to the title of Empress dowager posthumously.[[/note]] Lü Zhi proved to be an ambitious woman, and dominated court politics from her husband Liu Bang's death to her own, a period of about 15 years.[[note]]While Lü Zhi's son, Emperor Hui, did inherit the throne, no one was in any doubt on who the real ruler was.[[/note]] Emperor Wu himself faced pressure from his grandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Dou, during the first years of his reign.[[/note]] The rest of the Han dynasty would also have powerful women, especially in the Eastern Han as there were a lot of child emperors.

The Han also gave imperial China her first Empress and ''living'' Empress Dowager, Lü Zhi.[[note]]Both Qin emperors left both positions empty, although Qin Shihuang elevated his mother Lady Zhao to the title of Empress dowager posthumously.[[/note]] Lü Zhi proved to be an ambitious woman, and dominated court politics from her husband Liu Bang's death to her own, a period of about 15 years.[[note]]While Lü Zhi's son, Emperor Hui, did inherit the throne, no one was in any doubt on who the real ruler was.[[/note]] Emperor Wu himself faced pressure from his grandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Dou, during the first years of his reign.\\

The Han Dynasty was briefly overthrown by Wang Mang (nephew of the last Grand Empress Dowager of the Western Han, Wang Zhengjun, and had already been ruling as regent of three different child Emperors for several years) in 9 AD, but his self-proclaimed Xin Dynasty lasted only 14 years before he was killed in a peasant rebellion and the Han Dynasty was restored 2 years after Wang's death.[[note]]Emperor Gengshi Liu Xuan, who reigned from 23 to 25 C.E. over a small part of the empire, was not considered part of the Han Dynasty even though he, like Liu Xiu, was a descendant of Emperor Jing.[[/note]] As the restored Han Dynasty moved its capital to the east from Chang'an to Luoyang, historians divide it into the Western Han (prior to Wang's usurpation) and Eastern Han (after restoration) periods.[[note]]Besides Wang Mang, there was a period of 27 days in 74 B.C. where there was no Emperor. This period was after Liu He was deposed by Huo Guang, Emperor Zhao's regent and an immensely powerful official, and before the ascension of Emperor Xuan. Liu He, who took over after Emperor Zhao died, also only reigned for 27 days.[[/note]]\\
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!!Notable monarchs
* '''Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han''' (256 BCE – 195 BCE): [[RagsToRoyalty Came from a peasant family]], contended against [[BoisterousBruiser Xiang Yu]] for domination of China, and after victory [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness disposed of his most talented generals]]. Despite [[WrittenByTheWinners a hefty dose of Han propaganda]], [[RootingForTheEmpire Xiang Yu still tends to be the more popular character]] for some reason.
* '''Liu Che, Emperor Wu of Han''' (157 BC – 87 BC): Continued the golden age since his grandfather's peaceful reign with expansionism, conquering what is now parts of Korea and Vietnam. He elevated Confucianism as the official doctrine while practicing pragmatic policies similar to Legalist teachings. Often gets compared to Qin Shi Huangdi for his military achievements, strict use of rewards and punishments as well as attempts to gain immortality in his final years. The copper coin he introduced in 118 BCE, the ''wuzhu'' cash, was legal tender in China for more than ''7 centuries''; it was replaced by the ''Kaiyuan Tongbao'' coin during the early Tang era.
* '''Wang Mang''' (45 BC – 23 AD): Usurped the throne from the Han and enacted radical reforms which prove UsefulNotes/{{socialism}} is OlderThanFeudalism: land redistribution, income tax, state monopoly of key commodities. He was also the first ruler anywhere on Earth who's recorded to have abolished slavery. The upper class turned against him in no time, and his arrogance towards [[BarbarianTribe northern]] [[BornInTheSaddle nomads]] didn't help. Ended in utter failure and [[BackFromTheBrink the restoration of the Han]], he became the [[AnAesop stock figure for usurpers and the fate that befalls them]].
* '''Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of Han''' (15 BC - 57 AD): Restored the Han to power after Wang Mang's usurpation. Notable for ''not'' [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness killing any of his generals once the war was over]], and generally considered a wise ruler who knew when to be merciful, but showing no hesitation for violence when it ''was'' necessary. He was also a rare example of a Chinese ruler who didn't employ [[TheStrategist strategists]], because he had that role covered himself.
* '''Liu Xie, Emperor Xian of Han''' (181 AD - 234 AD): Last emperor of the Eastern Han. Best known for being a puppet of Cao Cao and later for being a minor character in ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms''.