Han+Dynasty

Ben King 204 BC - 220 AD He came from a modest background of a peasant. He denounced Confucian scholars and old legalist Qin practices, and was seen as a welcome relief to the old Qin dynasty. He had a weak army and appeased the Xiongnu instead of fighting them, like marrying a Xiongnu princess and sending them gifts. Dies because he refuses to listen to the too smart doctors and leaves an evil wife-
 * Liu Bang/Gaozu 202-195 BC**

Is the empress that decides which concubine's son will become the next heir. Her and other women are characterized as evil in ancient texts. She used ruthless tactics to ensure her own son would be in power.
 * Lu**

He was an emperor who supported Confucianism and made several benevolent reforms. No punishing your entire family for a crime Government assistance program-free food after age 80 Civil service exam When there was a solar eclipse, instead of denying it he embraced the fact that he was making mistakes and asked for advice on how to improve his leadership.
 * Han Wendi 179-157 BC**

Wu was an uncontrolled teenage emperor. He fought a long and bloody war against the Xiongnu, since they have no centralized source of power and use guerilla tactics, the victory comes at the cost of 60% of Han soldiers dying, a pyrrhic victory in Greek.
 * Wu 141-87 BC**

A Chinese explorer sent out into central Asia. He was captured by the Xiongnu and they kept him for several years. He then escaped and kept going west until he had contact with the Persians. Qian came back after thirteen years and gave the Chinese not only intelligence on the Xiongnu's tactics, but an insight on the trade and society out West that the Chinese had never encountered before. He told the Chinese about the Persians, and how he heard about more thriving societies, and an even greater one than the Persians that was rumored about (Romans). This led Han Wudi (Wu) to take over a western blob of land to connect China to the great societies of the west.
 * Shan Qian**

He was the successor of multiple child emperors and was the regent to one(the person who runs china until they take power) but saw on a rock that it said he should be king, so he became king. He created the __Xin__ Dynasty and made multiple changes and economic reforms- Made a private loan service by the government to keep wealthy people from making high interest loans and getting wealthier Replaces precious metals in currency with no precious metal coins and causes a __global financial crisis__ Made a slave tax Redistributes land Farmers can no longer sell their land In 23 AD the yellow river floods it's banks and changes course a major disaster. This outweighs the rock with his name on it and he is replaced with Han Guang Wudi, and the old Han Dynasty is restored.
 * Wang Mang 9AD -23 AD**