Yellow Turban Rebellion
The Yellow Turban Rebellion was a peasant revolt in China against the Han dynasty. The uprising broke out in the year 184 during the reign of Emperor Ling. It took 21 years until the uprising...
Huo Qubing: Young General of Military Might
Under the reign of Emperor Wu (武) of Han, the Han Dynasty (漢朝) (206 B.C.–A.D. 220) saw a vast territorial expansion as well as a strong and centralized government.
Although the nomadic Xiongnu were a...
Government of the Han Dynasty
Central government
A pottery model of a palace from a Han-dynasty tomb; the entrances to the emperor's palaces were strictly guarded by the Minister of the Guards; if it was found that a commoner, official,...
Roads, bridges, and canals of the Han Dynasty
In order to facilitate commerce and communication as well as speed the process of tax collection and movement of military troops, the Han government sponsored the building of new roads, bridges, and canal waterways. These...
Structural engineering of the Han Capitals
Chang'an and Luoyang
The ruins of the walls of Han's first capital Chang'an still stand today at 12 m (39 ft) in height with a base width of 12 to 16 m (39 to 52 ft). Modern archaeological surveys have...
Agriculture of Han Dynasty
Tools and methods
Modern archaeologists have unearthed Han iron farming tools throughout China, from Inner Mongolia in the north to Yunnan in the south. The spade, shovel, pick, and plow were used for tillage, the hoe...
Why Did Han China Collapse?
The Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 221 CE) ruled over such a pivotal era in the history of China that the majority ethnic group in the country still refer to themselves as "the people...
Western Han Dynasty
The Han dynasty was founded by Liu Bang, who emerged victorious in the civil war that followed the collapse of the unified but short-lived Qin dynasty. A golden age in Chinese history, the Han...