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Han Dynasty: Roman Empire
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The Later Han Dynasty never reached the heights of its predecessor. Warlords who were members of the rich landowner class seized more and more power, and widespread peasant rebellions (one band was led by "Mother Lu," a woman skilled in witchcraft) sapped the state's resources. Surviving in name only during its last thirty years, the Han Dynasty ended in A.D. 220, when the throne was usurped by the son of a famous warlord. Three and a half centuries of disunity and turbulence followed - the longest in China's long history and often called China's "Middle Ages" - as it did in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. But China eventually succeeded where Europe failed: in A.D. 589 China once again was united by the Sui Dynasty (see ch. 8). With minor exceptions, it has remained united to this day.
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During the Han Dynasty, China officially became a Confucian state and prospered domestically: agriculture, handicrafts and commerce flourished, and the population reached over 55 million people. Meanwhile, the empire extended its political and cultural influence over Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam, Japan, and Central Asia before it finally collapsed under a combination of domestic and external pressures.
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![[Map of Han]](http://retrieverimages.lycos.com/images/h/a/n/han-dynasty/i/016.gif)
The collapse of the Han dynasty was followed by nearly four centuries of rule by warlords. The age of civil wars and disunity began with the era of the Three Kingdoms (Wei, Shu, and Wu, which had overlapping reigns during the period A.D. 220-80). In later times, fiction and drama greatly romanticized the reputed chivalry of this period. Unity was restored briefly in the early years of the Jin dynasty (A.D. 265-420), but the Jin could not long contain the invasions of the nomadic peoples. In A.D. 317 the Jin court was forced to flee from Luoyang and reestablished
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After a short civil war, a new dynasty, called Han (206 BC to 220 AD), emerged with its capital at Chang'an. The new empire retained much of the Qin administrative structure but retreated a bit from centralized rule by establishing vassal principalities for the sake of political convenience. The Han rulers modified some of the harsher aspects of the previous dynasty. Technological advances ... marked this period with two inventions, paper and porcelain. The Han dynasty was notable for its military prowess. The empire expanded westward to modern Xinjiang Province.
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After a short civil war, a new dynasty, called Han (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), emerged with its capital at Chang'an ( ). The new empire retained much of the Qin administrative structure but retreated a bit from centralized rule by establishing vassal principalities in some areas for the sake of political convenience. The Han rulers modified some of the harsher aspects of the previous dynasty; Confucian ideals of government, out of favor during the Qin period, were adopted as the creed of the Han empire, and Confucian scholars gained prominent status as the core of the civil service. A civil service examination system ... was initiated. Intellectual, literary, and artistic endeavors revived and flourished.
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Both the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire were powerful and impressive. They both fell because of weak leaders and power hungry individuals. The Han practice of concubinage led to much violence and strife in the royal family, causing disunity and internal conflict. Regents often attempted to seize power. Love of money led to the precarious situations of Rome’s later emperors, as soldiers demanded gold for loyalty. In both empires, corruption of government contributed to the bitterness of the common people.
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