Great Chinese dynasties, that of Han is one of the most important, and paradoxically one of the least known. Its apogee, under the reign of Emperor Wudi, is contemporary with the Roman Republic of the time of the Gracchi and the struggle between Sylla and Marius. It was at the same time that the famous Silk Road was opened. Han China also produced many of history's great inventions, which would take centuries to reach the West. The Han period also experienced an artistic and literary proliferation. It was also at the same time that Buddhism was introduced to China. The Han ruled China for four hundred years, contributing significantly to its already rich history.
Emperor Wudi, founder of the Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was founded in 206 BC. J-C, following the fall of the first Qin emperor. It was founded by Han Gaozu, or Liu Bang, who succeeded in ousting his rival Xian Yu, of the Chu, in the struggle for the succession of Emperor Qin, in a period of incessant revolts. Aware that the Qin dynasty had caused its own downfall by abusing its power, he reduced taxes, granted land to peasants and initiated many reforms.
Han power stabilized and peaked in 140 BC. J-C, when Wudi becomes emperor. His name means "warrior emperor" and it is indeed through war that he establishes his power. Above all, he fights against the nomads of the north, the Xiongnu, and establishes diplomatic relations with the peoples of Central Asia. It expands the territory of China to the south and east. At the end of its conquests, the territory of the empire reached almost the size of present-day China, except for Tibet. The capital of the Earlier Han is Chang'an.
Emperor Wudi is not just a fighter. He imposed Confucianism as a state philosophy, reorganized the army and especially the civil service by setting up competitions to recruit civil servants. He reigns fifty-four years.
The Silk Road and Chinese Inventions
It was during the reign of Wudi that the Silk Road was truly opened. Seeking alliances against the Xiongnu, the emperor sent his ambassador Zhang Qian to the west. This one concludes agreements with the peoples of Central Asia, which makes it possible to open trade routes. Starting from the Han capital, Chang'an, what will become the Silk Road pierces to the Mediterranean, and leads to Rome.
The Silk Road allowed the West, in this case the Republic and then the Roman Empire, to have access, not only to silk, but to other rare and expensive products, such as ivory and spices. Its role as a link between East and West goes beyond the strictly commercial plan, since it allows to establish diplomatic relations, but also the diffusion of religions, such as Nestorianism and Manichaeism.
It was not until the Mongol invasions, and even more so the opening of the great maritime routes in the 15th century, that the Silk Road was gradually abandoned.
The Han period is not only one of territorial and commercial expansion. It was also during the reign of the Han emperors that many fundamental inventions were discovered, which the West would take centuries to acquire. Among them, we can cite paper, invented in the 2nd century BC. J-C, or the irrigation pump and the rudder (1st century AD), as well as the compass and the seismograph, invented by Zhang He in the 2nd century AD. J-C.
The Fall of the Han
Despite the successes, the Han showed early signs of decline. The continual wars exhausted the treasury and obliged the emperors to resort to expedients. A usurper, Wang Mang, remained in power for a few years (9-23 AD) and attempted a curious collectivist experiment. After the jacquerie of the Red Eyebrows and a legitimist reaction, the Han were able to restore themselves (25), without however succeeding in putting an end to the corruption of the Court and the growing ambitions of the Literati.
Bloody struggles (peasant revolt of the Yellow Turbans, 184; rebellion of General Tong Tcho, 189; dictatorship of General Ts'ao Ts'ao, 196; aggressive returns of the Hiong- nou on the borders) prepared the fall of the dynasty, which sank in the middle of the military anarchy, in 220 of our era. The last Han emperor, Xiandi, was forced to abdicate by Cao Pi. Then began the so-called Three Kingdoms period, where Cao Pi had to face Liu Bei of Shu, and Sun Quan of Wu…
Bibliography
- Gernet J., The Chinese world, T.1, From the Bronze Age to Antiquity, Pocket, 2006.
- Pirrazzoli - T’Serstevens M., La Chine des Hans. Coll history and civilization, Book Office and University Press of France, 1982.
- Debaine-Francfort C., The rediscovery of ancient China, Découvertes Gallimard, 2008.