The Han Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China who was founded by the Liu family. The dynasty was preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms period. However, the Xin Dynasty briefly interrupted the Han Dynasty. This is the cause why the Han Dynasty is separated into two periods. The first Western Han (202 BC to 9 AD) was followed by the Xin Dynasty (9 to 23) and succeeded by the Eastern Hans (25 to 220). The period is considered a golden age in Chinese history which still (2022) influence the Chinese civilization.

The Han Dynasty is named after the Han River. The emperor was the pinnacle of Han society. However, the presided emperor shared the power with the nobility an appointed ministers who came from the scholarly gentry class (= privileged elite that passed Imperial exams). Divided parts of China were directly controlled by the central government (commanderies), as well as several semi-autonomous kingdoms, who lost all their independence following the Rebellion of the Seven States.

China became officially a Confucian state from the reign of Emperor Wu (141 BC – 87 BC) and sponsored Confucianism in education and court politics. This policy endured till the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912 AD. The country prospered in agriculture, crafts and trade flourished. The population reached 50 million. This age of economic prosperity witnessed a significant growth of the money economy first established during the Zhou Dynasty (1050 BC to 256 BC). The coinage mint in 119 BC by the central government remained standard coinage of China until the Tang Dynasty (618 AD).

To finance its military campaigns and the settlements of conquered frontier territories, the Han government nationalized the private salt and iron industries in 117 BC. These monopolies were repealed during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Science and technology advanced. The process of papermaking, the nautical steering ship rudder, the use of negative numbers in mathematics are some examples of advancements.

The Xiongnu is a nomadic steppe confederation who had many conflicts with the Han Dynasty. At first, the Han were defeated and forced to submit. This changed during the reign of Emperor Wu in 133 BC, after a series of intensive military campaigns and operations against the Xiongnu. The latter were forced to accept vassal status as Han tributaries. The campaigns helped establish the trade network known as the Silk Road to the Mediterranean world.

The Han’s ultimate downfall was caused by the palace eunuchs, who increasingly involved themselves in dynasty’s court politics. They engaged in violent power struggles between various consort clans of the empresses and empresses dowager. Following the death of emperor Ling in 189 AD, the palace eunuchs suffered wholesale massacre by military officers. Members of the aristocracy and military governors became warlords and divided the empire. When Cao Pi usurped the throne from Emperor Xian, the Han Dynasty ceased to exist.