jjares reviewed Western Han Dynasty: A History from Beginning to End (History of China) on + 3262 more book reviews
Qin Shi Huang, Qin Dynasty (from 247 to 221 BCE), unified China and created 36 military districts, all under his rule. He built the Great Wall of China to protect from the northern barbarians. He ruled by the governing principle of legalism (strict adherence to a religious or moral code), not Confucianism (which emphasized love for humanity, placed a high value on learning, and devotion to one's family, including ancestors; valued peace, justice, and the traditional culture of China).
After Qin Shi Huang died, his kingdom became fractured, with the Chu and Han states declaring that they intended to become independent. In the meantime, all of the Qin family were killed and Liu Bang rose to lead the Han against the Chu in a war that lasted for 4 years. At the end of the warring, the Han Dynasty began. However, at that point, the book just became a listing of rulers' names and how they were killed or overthrown.
One thing about Chinese dynasties, they weren't shy about killing off their enemies; the bizarre thing is that the rulers had more to fear from their relatives than others. Murders, assassinations, suicides abound in this story
Wang Mang was the Usurper Emperor and he ended the Western Han Dynasty. After Wang Mang's Xin Dynasty was overthrown in 23 CE, the Eastern Han Dynasty began. The entire Han Dynasty lasted from 202 BCE to 220 CE. The Xin Dynasty lasted from 9 to 23 CE (essentially 14 years), so the Western Han lasted for 211 years and the Eastern Han lasted for 197 years.
After Qin Shi Huang died, his kingdom became fractured, with the Chu and Han states declaring that they intended to become independent. In the meantime, all of the Qin family were killed and Liu Bang rose to lead the Han against the Chu in a war that lasted for 4 years. At the end of the warring, the Han Dynasty began. However, at that point, the book just became a listing of rulers' names and how they were killed or overthrown.
One thing about Chinese dynasties, they weren't shy about killing off their enemies; the bizarre thing is that the rulers had more to fear from their relatives than others. Murders, assassinations, suicides abound in this story
Wang Mang was the Usurper Emperor and he ended the Western Han Dynasty. After Wang Mang's Xin Dynasty was overthrown in 23 CE, the Eastern Han Dynasty began. The entire Han Dynasty lasted from 202 BCE to 220 CE. The Xin Dynasty lasted from 9 to 23 CE (essentially 14 years), so the Western Han lasted for 211 years and the Eastern Han lasted for 197 years.
