The Western Han Dynasty

The Western Han Dynasty

The Western Han Dynasty is a unified dynasty in Chinese history, with 12 emperors and 210 years of state enjoyment, from 202 B.C. to 8 A.D., also known as the former Han Dynasty.

At the end of Qin Dynasty, the whole world rose up. After the battle between Chu and Han, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu. In 202 BC, Liu Bang became emperor in Shandong Province and established his capital Chang'an. Many systems of the Western Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system. In the early Han Dynasty, the national policy of light corvee and meagre taxes and recuperation was implemented, and the social economy recovered rapidly.

After succeeding to the throne, Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty carried out the policy of promoting benevolence, respecting Confucianism and strengthening centralization of power. Zhang Qian was sent to the western regions to communicate with the Central Plains and other countries in the western regions. Since Emperor Wu in the Western Han Dynasty, all of them were assisted by their relatives. After emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty succeeded to the throne, Huo Guang was the assistant minister. In the period of Emperor Xuan of Han Dynasty, the capital of western regions was set up, and the western regions were officially included in the territory. After emperor yuan of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, the imperial power fell, the influence of relatives and eunuchs rose, the Western Han Dynasty began to decline, and then experienced emperor Cheng of the Han Dynasty, Emperor AI of the Han Dynasty, and Emperor Ping of the Han Dynasty. In 8 A.D., Wang Mang abolished ruziying and established a new dynasty, and the Western Han Dynasty perished.

National name

Xiang Yu granted Liu Bang the title of "forty-one County of Hanzhong in Bashu". He ruled Hanzhong and called it "the king of Han". After he became emperor, he granted the name of the state, and Chang'an, the capital city, was located in the west of Luoyang, the capital of the Eastern Han dynasty built by Liu Xiu“

The Western Han Dynasty

”The Hanshi built by Liu Bang was before that built by Liu Xiu, so it is also called Hanshi“

The former Han Dynasty

”。

history

battle between Chu and Han

At the end of Qin Dynasty, the world was in chaos, and Liu Bang and Xiang Yu took advantage of the situation. Xiang Liang established the descendants of King Chu as king Huai of Chu (later changed to Emperor Chu Yi), and each raised his own troops to fight against the tyrant Qin. In December 207 BC, Liu Bang took the lead in conquering Guanzhong. Prince Qin Ying surrendered and Liu Bang occupied Xianyang, the capital of Qin. Xiang Yu did not realize the agreement that "the first one who entered the pass was king" and retreated to the military hegemony. After that, Xiang Yu gradually took power, established the Western Chu, enfeoffed the princes, established King Huai of Chu as emperor Yi of Chu, and made himself the "overlord of Western Chu". A total of 18 vassals were enfeoffed, Liu Bang was granted in Ba, Shu and Hanzhong, and Liu Bang's name was Han.

In August 206 B.C., because emperor Yi of Chu was killed by Xiang Yu, Liu Bang sent out his troops to the East, worshipped Han Xin as the general, and denounced Xiang Yu publicly, which opened the prelude of the battle between Chu and Han. In the last battle of cuxia, Liu Bang won, Xiang Yu committed suicide in Wujiang, and the Western Chu was destroyed.

The establishment of the Western Han Dynasty

In February 202 B.C., when Liu Bang's army marched to the north of the flood, Han Xin, king of Chu, Ying Bu, king of Huainan, Peng Yue, king of Liang, Wu Rui, king of Hengshan, Zhang Ao, king of Zhao, Zang Da, king of Yan, and other princes jointly wrote a letter asking Liu Bang to be emperor. After several times of humility, Liu Bang agreed. On the third day of February, Liu Bang became emperor in Dingtao (now Dingtao District, Heze City, Shandong Province) to the north of Sishui, and the name of Jianguo was Han Dynasty.

Liu Bang wanted to make Luoyang his capital. Lou Jing analyzed the advantages of making the capital Guanzhong, which made Liu Bang want to make Chang'an his capital. Liu Bang asked Zhang Liang to enter Guanzhong with Zhang Liang's support. Due to the war and damage of Xianyang palace, he first lived in the old capital of Qin state, Liyang. At the same time, he ordered Shaofu Yangcheng to build a new town in Chang'an township to the east of Xianyang, the former capital of Qin state. It took shape in February of the seventh year of emperor Gaozu of Han Dynasty (200 BC) and officially moved to Chang'an.

recuperate and build up strength

After the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty, it adopted the national policy of "recuperation". Since the beginning of Liu Bang, the policy of recuperation has been carried out for sixty or seventy years. It has achieved the achievement of "rich at home and substantial national strength". Ban Gu once said: "in the prosperity of Han Dynasty, we should wipe out the vexation and harshness, and rest with the people; as for filial piety, we should be polite and thrifty; filial piety should follow the industry. In 50 or 60 years, as for changing customs, the people are mellow. "

After Liu Bang became emperor, he adopted the "system of prefectures and states", in which prefectures and states coexisted. The central government adopted the same three metric system as the Qin Dynasty, and the local government adopted the system of enfeoffment. The emperor enfeoffed the Marquis and the Kingdom, in which the Marquis only enjoyed the tax within the fief, without military and administrative power, and was under the jurisdiction of the county, while the kingdom had independent political and military power. At home, we should pay attention to building water conservancy and reducing taxes to create conditions for the restoration of agricultural development; at abroad, we should be pro Hun and maintain peace in the border region. The policy of the early Han Dynasty had a significant effect on the recovery of economy, but it also led to some disadvantages. The policy of light corvee and meager taxes made some local powerful forces grow, forming land annexation; the Xiongnu invaders became more frequent outside.

In his later years, Liu Bang was suspicious of the princes with different surnames. Han Xin was eventually executed by Empress Lu by Xiao He Yong Ji, and then Peng Yue, yingbu and other princes of different surnames were eliminated one after another, and replaced by the princes of Liu. Liu Bang once established a white horse Alliance: "those who are not the Liu family but the king will be attacked by the whole world." In 195 B.C., Liu Bang was injured and died when he crusaded against the British Bolshevik rebellion.

enlightened administration of the Han emperors Wen and Jing

After Liu Bang's death, empress Lu came to power gradually. Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, who succeeded to the throne, was stimulated and depressed by Empress Lu. After the death of emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, empress Lu successively established the young emperor as a puppet, gradually weakened Liu's family, and made Zhu LV king. She mastered the government for eight years.

After the death of empress Lu, the minister was dissatisfied with her interference in politics, and the Taiwei Zhou Bo and the Prime Minister Chen Ping planned to seize the military power of empress Lu. Liu Heng was appointed Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. After Liu Heng ascended the throne, he reduced taxes and labor and advocated leniency of punishment. His son Liu Qi, Emperor Jingdi of Han Dynasty, followed suit. Emperor Wenjing advocated governing by inaction and recuperation. He advocated taking agriculture as the foundation, and further implemented the policies of "light corvee and light taxes" and "regulations and provincial prohibitions", so as to restore and develop production. During this period, the national strength was significantly enhanced, which was known as "the rule of Wenjing".

In July 167 B.C., Emperor Wen issued an imperial edict to "remove the taxes on the farmland"; in June 156 B.C., Emperor Jing "ordered the farmland to be semi rented", that is, 30 taxes and one tax, which became the custom of the Han Dynasty. In Wenjing period, the local corvee and Guard soldiers were reduced, the annual tribute of prefectures and states was stopped, the forbidden gardens in Shanze were opened to the poor for farming, and the decree of relieving the widows and widows was issued. The implementation of these measures has reduced the burden of farmers. In the age of Wenjing, "the refugees returned home, and the household registration was also paid for," and the price of grain was greatly reduced, "the grain was worth tens of money.".

In the period of Wenjing, Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing ruled by "Inaction". While restoring the economy, they "punished the government of the Qin Dynasty, and lenient ethical affairs". They carried out the policy of "restraint and prohibition", abolished some severe laws, such as the wife sitting law, the corporal punishment of amputated limbs, and alleviated the flogging, so as to ease the class contradictions and the internal contradictions of the ruling class. As a result, many officials are lenient when they break the prison, and they don't ask for detailed punishment. They even say that "the punishment is lighter than it, and sometimes there are few offenders" and "several hundred cases of breaking the prison result in several punishment measures". This is in sharp contrast to the tragic scene of "tens of millions of years of imprisonment" in the Qin Dynasty. The policy of "rest with the people" in Wenjing period played a certain role in the recovery and development of production, thus further consolidating the autocratic rule.

Wenjing time, "Taicang have not eat millet, there are decaying money.". When Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty ascended the throne, the national finance went up to a new level. The Western Han Dynasty was prosperous under the rule of Wen Jing, which laid a solid foundation for fighting against Xiongnu on a large scale.

During the reign of emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, he cut off the vassals, broke out the rebellion of the seven kingdoms, and appointed Zhou Yafu to pacify them. After the rebellion of the seven kingdoms, the Han court tried to deprive the princes of their power and strengthen centralization. During the Wenjing period, the Western Han Dynasty still adopted the policy of reconciliation with the Xiongnu, but the Xiongnu still repeatedly violated the border, and the border problems became more and more serious.

The heyday of Han and Wu Dynasties

After the death of emperor Jing of Han Dynasty, Liu Che ascended the throne, namely Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he issued a decree of favor to weaken the power of the princes, and took the salt, iron and coinage rights back to the central government. Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were sent to fight back against the Xiongnu, expelling the Xiongnu to Mobei, opening up the Silk Road; but the external war also caused a great loss of national strength, heavy taxes and severe penalties, which led to the civil commotion in the later period; because of the huge expenses, they set up "Junshu" and "Pingzhun" officials to fight for profits with the people. In addition, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty adopted Dong Zhongshu's proposal to "depose all schools of thought and respect Confucianism alone", which gradually made Confucianism the orthodox thought of China's autocratic society. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, they fought everywhere, including annexing and defending Korea, recovering South Vietnam, subduing Southwest Barbarians, and expediting Dawan. They opened up a vast territory of Yinshan in the north, Congling in the west, Jiaozhi in the south, and Korea in the East, and established the Han territory.

During the reign of Emperor Hanwu, the prosperity of the Western Han Dynasty was established, so it is said that the contribution of Emperor Hanwu is no greater than that of the Qin emperor. Emperor Hanwu has made great achievements in politics, economy, culture, military and other aspects, so historians of all dynasties fully recognized and praised him. Ban Gu, a historian of the Han Dynasty, praised him in the book of the Han Dynasty: "the heirs have to follow Hongye, and there are three generations of wind. For example, Emperor Wu's great talent and general plan did not change his courtesy and frugality in writing and scenery, but helped the people Zhao Yi, a man of the Qing Dynasty, said in the book: "Emperor Wu drives far away In history, it is said that "great talent and general plan, solid but not empty". Mao Zedong, a great contemporary man, also highly appreciated Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty. He said that "Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty had great talent and developed Liu Bang's achievements. In his later years, he knew that he was extravagant, militaristic, and had been punished. It was a prosperous world." In his later years, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty issued the Luntai crime edict, reflecting on his own faults, restarting the recuperation and meager taxes in the early Han Dynasty, which made the national situation tend to be stable and laid the foundation for the resurgence of Zhaoxuan.

Zhaoxuan Zhongxing

After Liu Che, Emperor Zhao and Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne one after another. During his term of office, the Western Han Dynasty was prosperous in economy, stable in politics, prosperous in culture, advanced in science and technology, vast in territory, and popular in foreign countries.

During the period of emperor Xuandi of Han Dynasty, the countries in the western regions separated from Xiongnu and attached themselves to the Western Han Dynasty. After defeating the Western Qiang in 61 BC, Zhao Chong, a general appointed by him, carried out garrison work and strengthened border defense,

Chinese PinYin : Xi Han