The Han Dynasty was one of the most prosperous eras in Chinese history. It lasted for over 400 years and even now many Chinese people refer to themselves as "the people of the Han"
Social
Social structure in the Han Dynasty was clearly defined and highly structured. The bottom of the social pyramid were slaves who were often prisoners taken from conquered enemies. The next level up were soldiers who helped defend china’s vast borders. The next level up were merchants and after that artisans who were considered useless and highly disliked by many people. The next level up were peasant farmers who were considered vital because of their large production of food. The next level was palace and state official, and nobles who helped the government's rule. The last level was the emperor who was considered divine. In the Han Dynasty Women weren’t viewed as citizens and were inferior to men. They were taught to be submissive which began with the arranged marriage which was arranged by their father, and the mother had no say in who her daughter was marrying. To ensure that daughters would be married there was an increased tax for women between the ages of 15 and 30. Women were born to serve men beginning with their father, then their husband, and lastly their sons. The Han people have had kin based groups since the beginning of writing in hierarchical clans. Han people were organized into large lineages until the Han empire. During the Han empire families were called domestic units. Sons and their wives were expected to live with his parents until the parents died. The eldest son always received more than his younger siblings in his father's death which often created sibling rivalries.
Political
The Han people have existed in China for thousands of years. The Han Dynasty officially came to be in 202 BCE when the emperor Lui Bang became the first emperor of the Han Dynasty when he ended the last rebellion against him. He was the first emperor who was originally a commoner who was one of the many rebels against the Qin Dynasty. To regain China’s trust he moved away from the strict legalism the Qin had used and created a society that was less harsh. The emperor depended on a a very intricate bureaucracy to keep the empire stable. He had three counselors of the state who each had a different job. The local governments had provinces, counties and districts. The provinces were governed by government appointed officials chosen through the civil service that was created. become a government officials.
During the Han Dynasty the borders of the empire were expanded to almost China’s modern borders. The biggest expansions happened under the emperor Wudi’s rule. His rule was considered a very large military and expansion period. He expanded the empire to modern Kyrgyztan, Vietnam, and Korea. He also banished the Hun’s to the Gobi desert. He moved 2 million people to colonize and settle his newly conquered lands. In the Han Dynasty large land owners didn’t have to pay taxes on their land which meant the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. This created many rebellions and uprisings against the government. The silk road was a trade route that connected the Chinese empire and the Roman empire. It led to the sharing of cultures especially religion. Many religions were introduced into the Chinese Empire like Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Nestorianism, Manichaeism, and Islam. Silk was introduced into the west and had a very high demand because it was only made in China. The invention and sharing of papermaking, the compass, and gunpowder allowed explorers to go on their missions.
During the Han Dynasty the borders of the empire were expanded to almost China’s modern borders. The biggest expansions happened under the emperor Wudi’s rule. His rule was considered a very large military and expansion period. He expanded the empire to modern Kyrgyztan, Vietnam, and Korea. He also banished the Hun’s to the Gobi desert. He moved 2 million people to colonize and settle his newly conquered lands. In the Han Dynasty large land owners didn’t have to pay taxes on their land which meant the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. This created many rebellions and uprisings against the government. The silk road was a trade route that connected the Chinese empire and the Roman empire. It led to the sharing of cultures especially religion. Many religions were introduced into the Chinese Empire like Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Nestorianism, Manichaeism, and Islam. Silk was introduced into the west and had a very high demand because it was only made in China. The invention and sharing of papermaking, the compass, and gunpowder allowed explorers to go on their missions.
Interaction
The Han Dynasty was located in what is now modern China. It was mainly located on the Yellow River and it had vast plateaus and plains. It was about 9.6 million square kilometers, and that area was split up into provinces. This area has very diverse flora and fauna depending on where in the country. There are over 100 species indigenous to China, and the climate is so different in certain areas that there is a very large range of species. Some places have tropical climates while others have harsh winds and snow. The natural resources of the Han Dynasty were steel, porcelain, silk, salt, iron, and bronze. Grains and other food grown from agriculture were the most prevalent food source along with seafood in the coastal areas. The main grain was rice which was the first grain used in China.
In the year 2 CE an imperial census was taken that counted 59 million people in the Han Dynasty which was about 20% of the world population. During the Han dynasty about 80 to 90 percent of the population lived in rural areas mainly in plains or valleys in villages. Many of theses villages were fairly large and could have up to 2,000 people. The Han dynasty had 4 main inventions paper, compass, printing, and gunpowder. These inventions spread quickly throughout the world and aided many other empires. They also invented the wheelbarrow and iron plows that were very useful for farmers.
In the year 2 CE an imperial census was taken that counted 59 million people in the Han Dynasty which was about 20% of the world population. During the Han dynasty about 80 to 90 percent of the population lived in rural areas mainly in plains or valleys in villages. Many of theses villages were fairly large and could have up to 2,000 people. The Han dynasty had 4 main inventions paper, compass, printing, and gunpowder. These inventions spread quickly throughout the world and aided many other empires. They also invented the wheelbarrow and iron plows that were very useful for farmers.
culture
The biggest scientific feats in the Han Dynasty were the development of the complex medical theory along with the invention of the seismograph. Another important discovery was the first theory's on how solar eclipses happened. Art was greatly encouraged in the Han Dynasty and craftsmen made gold ornaments and jade jewelry that were often sold or traded. Pottery was painted with glimpses into life in the Han Dynasty. Black was the preferred color of the higher classes so clothing was often black. Ceremonial dresses were black edged with red with square sleeves and a sloping neck line. Clothes worn by the peasants and nobles were the same style but the colors and materials were different. The most important ceremony was ancestor worship which was communicating with deceased relatives. When a couple had a child they dyed eggs red and sent them to relatives. Timber was the main building material, it was used for houses, multi story towers, and palaces. Stone and plaster were used for smaller architectural pieces. Tombs towers and houses were the main structures that were built.
Economic
The Han Dynasty developed the Silk Road which enhanced trade throughout the world because it connected the western and eastern hemispheres. Many things were traded on the silk road like silk, spices, and diseases. During the reign of the emperor Wudi there was a single currency that could only be used which were copper coins. These coins were circular with a square hole in the center. The main industry in the Han Dynasty was the silk industry because silk was a closley guarded secret that only chinese weavers knew about which gave it a very high value. Metalurgy was the other large industry because pots and weapons were made out of various metals and were traded.