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15 Fascinating Facts About the Han Dynasty

Throughout history, the Han dynasty is a pretty big deal and it is one of the earliest civilizations that proves to us there’s absolutely nothing new under the sun. This dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China that was in power between 206 BC and 220 AD. It was preceded by the Qin dynasty was in power between 221-206 BC and was succeeded by the period of the three kingdoms which was between 220 and 280 AD. The Han period has always been considered a golden age in Chinese history such that many people in China consider themselves as the “Han people.” With that said, let’s take a look at some of the most fascinating facts about the Han dynasty.

1. The Han Dynasty had a Big Interruption

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Between 9 and 23 AD, the Han Dynasty was briefly interrupted by the Con dynasty of the former regent, Wang Mang. This interruption is what actually separated the Han dynasty into two dynasties that we read in history books today. These periods are the Western Han which was from 206BC- 9 AD and the Eastern Han or later Han which was in power between 25-220 AD. These were quite long serving periods and why the Han dynasty is the one most people know of worldwide.

2. The Han dynasty had massive economic prosperity

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During the Han dynasty, people and civilizations experienced true economic prosperity. It was actually during this time that the coinage issued by the central government mint in 119 BC remained the standard coinage of China. This remained the standard of trade and anything economic in China until the Tang dynasty came into power between 618- 907 AD.  Given this fact, it doesn’t come as a surprise that other civilizations at the time would benchmark using the Han dynasty because of the economic stronghold they held.

3. The Han dynasty was begun by a peasant

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Even more impressively, the Han dynasty which was obviously very powerful, wasn’t started by a rich novice or true blood. It was started by a peasant who was known as Liu Bang. He did this after the collapse of the Qin Dynasty. This is probably why most people in China associate with this dynasty because it was begun by a commoner. An individual who understood what it meant to lack and hence would work with the good of the people in mind. Because he understood, the typical challenges the peasants and commoners were facing, he worked towards ensuring that all these gaps would be addressed and all people would live equally.

4. The emperor of Han was more than an emperor

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The emperor of the Han dynasty was more than just an emperor who sat pretty and issued orders from the comfort of his throne and high chair. The emperor typically performed many duties including religious ceremonies, and solving inner conflicts among his people among many others. It is said that during the longest nights of the year, typically during winter, he would dress in a blue robe and go on a fast. This made him have an undeniable respect from the people who saw him as a leader that’s more human. He does the things commoners would do and takes religion seriously while at the same time putting the needs of his people forward.

5. The Han dynasty is responsible for the Silk Road

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The famous ‘Silk Road’ in China was started during the Han dynasty. This was an ancient network of trade routes that were the central and cultural interaction connecting the West and East from China then the Mediterranean Sea. This trade is what made China become so famous and even more appreciated. Civilizations from different corners of the world would come to China in order to buy silk. Naturally, the economic strength was unmatched hence why the Han dynasty has always been quoted as one of the most powerful economies of the early civilization.

6. Civil Services

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The concept of civil servants was started during the Han dynasty. So we have this civilization to thank. Emperor Gaozu encouraged the idea of civil services by gathering a group of educated men around him, to help him run the empire. Later on, Han emperors even established exams and schools that would ensure that only the most intelligent men would end up running the government. Before this, most emperors would single-handedly run the government and their word would be final. Han dynasty however opened the eyes of many by making it clear that running a government with elites isn’t such a bad idea. You are most likely to succeed this way. Evidently, this system worked so well because it is still in use to date and has been adopted by every nation in the world.

7. Emperor Wu was the long-serving emperor of the Han dynasty

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Emperor Wu became the longest reigning emperor of the Han dynasty with his reign lasting 54 straight years. This record was unbroken for so long until 1800 years later during the rule of the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, Kangxi. Emperor WiU spanned from what is modern Kyrgyzstan I’m the west, all the way to Korea in the east, and to Northern Vietnam in the south. In other words, his hold was pretty massive and it doesn’t come as a surprise that today China is a superpower.

8. We have paper thanks to The Han dynasty

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Cai Lun, a Chinese inventor who was also a eunuch court official of the Eastern Han dynasty, was the one responsible for paper invention. He was the guy who invented the standard paper-making process and the oldest known paper that has been preserved to date was found in the ruins of a Han watchtower that had been abandoned in 110 AD. It has however been found ( although it has not yet been confirmed), that early forms of paper were used in China as early as 2 BC.

9. The Han Dynasty was the era of Inventions

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You thought paper was the only thing they invented? Nope! During the Han dynasty, there were invention after invention. For instance, this is the era they discovered square roots, cube roots, the Pythagorean theorem, calculations of pi, and even more impressively, the first use of negative numbers in the world. In other words, if you’re a person who has never had a good relationship with mathematics, we have the Han dynasty to thank for that complication. Other inventions we can thank them for include the rudder, which is usually used to steer boats and ships, the seismoscope, and the rotary fan that was invented by Ding Huan, an engineer of the Han dynasty.

10. Buddhism was introduced in China during this dynasty

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The religion of Buddhism, which is a very popular religion in China, was introduced during the Han period between 206 and 220 BC. They were introduced to it by traveling monks from India and Central Asia. During the earliest days, Buddhism was primarily practiced by foreign monks and merchants but within no time, it was practiced everywhere. Buddhism is what gave the Han civilization a mode of belief system as far as divine entities are concerned.

11. Merchants began having hope during the Han dynasty

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For a long time, merchants were considered poor and miserable and that is one position that was always associated with extreme poverty. They never enjoyed a respectable position. However, during the Han dynasty when the silk trade took off and became successful, they instantly became rich. This is because naturally, the silk trade improved trade generally and the profits were quite good. Because of the wealth they were getting overnight, laws were made where they were made to wear white clothes and pay high taxes. I bet this is when corruption started because of course when rates are too high traders always find a way of ensuring that at the end of the day, they use some shrewdness to remain with extra in their pocket.

12. Confucianism was the main ideology of the Han dynasty

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During the Qin dynasty, they ruled with the philosophy of legalism, and many other non-legalistic philosophies like Confucianism were suppressed. However, during the Han Dynasty rule, teachings of legalism and Confucianism were accepted and Emperor Wu especially gave Confucianism first priority, making it the official state ideology of the Han. To date, this concept remains one of the most prominent philosophies in China.

13. The Han dynasty made the Hanfu fashion sense popular

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The popular fashion style during the Han dynasty known as Hanfu, became a well-known clothing style that defines this period. It was particularly known for its flowing and colourful robes. It ended up becoming pretty popular and the following dynasties that followed imitated it just tweaking it a bit to look different.

14. Literary works thrived during the Han dynasty

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During the Han dynasty, literary works like poetry, painting, calligraphy, and music did so well. It was during this era that China managed to produce some of the most famous and well-known artists and writers. In the world of literature, they are still celebrated and recognized to date.

15. Embraced iron casting that helped in agriculture and war a lot

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As we have seen, the Han dynasty was the era of innovations. Among those innovations were iron casting techniques which helped so much in creating farming tools and weapons. The techniques thus helped in improving agriculture for one and making it easy and less laborious and also making weapons that helped in going to war. Many other civilizations imitated these techniques.

The legacy that the Han dynasty left behind is one that cannot be forgotten. It shaped the culture of China, its governance, and even societal norms. China is the way it is today thanks to this era that played a huge role in shaping Chinese civilization.

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