1.3.2 Evidence and theories of collapse
Nonetheless, the peace and prosperity of the Western Han dynasty was continuously tested throughout its time. It began with a war that came before the creation of the dynasty. A war between the Xiongu confederacy and Emperor Gaozu, formerly known as Lui Bang. It wasn’t until Emperor Gaozu realized his defeat, that the war ended and a treaty was negotiated with Xiongu. The treaty involved the creation of the Great Wall and its sole purpose to act as a border between the two powers. In addition, a marriage was held between the Chinese and Xiongu ruling families to solidify the treaty and the Chinese agreed to give periodic gifts in the form of rice and silk to Xiongu. Once the treaty was in place, Gaozu rewarded his supporters by granting them land. Gaozu had fallen into the same mismanagement approach taken by the Zhou dynasty, which collapsed several decades before the Han dynasty (Florence 2010). The mismanagement was that rulers gave gifts to their supports in an attempt to solidify the empire and the state. However, in the case of Emperor Gaozu, he gave the gift of land to his supporters which reciprocated several rebellions. Most importantly, the most devastating rebellion called the Rebellion of the Seven States (or Revolt of the Seven Kingdoms). The rebellion took place in 154 BC and was led by seven semi-autonomous kings. Its purpose was to resist the further centralization of the government (Yü-ch'üan 1949). Though, the rebellion was unsuccessful against the Han army. In return, the emperor lessened the power of the seven kingdoms and the semi-autonomous kings (Yü-ch'üan 1949). As time went by, the treaty amongst the Chinese and Xiongu was broken on numerous occasions by Xiongu. …show more content…
Humiliated, the Chinese took action under the ruling of Emperor Wudi. Emperor Wudi gathered the Han army and defeated Xiongu on numerous occasions. Resulting in either the Xiongu submitting to the Han or migrating further west in Asia. However, that was not the end of Xiongu. They reappear in the history of the later Han dynasty as barbarians, commonly referred to as the fearsome Huns. The Huns continuously fought to decentralize the government. Nevertheless, their effects on the state were quite the opposite in the Western Han time period. In fact, the Huns strengthened the state and furthered the unification of China. It wasn’t until 1st century BCE, that the Han dynasty began to move rapidly into a societal collapse. As a result of the empire falling into the hands of child emperors who were either infants or incompetent. Much of the infant emperor’s power was wielded by dowager empresses who manipulated the power for their personal gains. Such as allocating positions in the Han imperial court and administration to their relatives. This created conflict within the empire and destabilized the government system. A system based on Confucianism and a civil-service examination that governed the ability of a person to acquire positions within the empire. Yet, the empresses were able to manipulate the system to provide their families senior positions. Demonstrating the mismanagement of the empire and misbehaviours of the empresses who were given power on behalf of the emperor. Furthermore, incompetent emperors throughout Han history used their power to indulge in their own personal needs. Such needs came in the form of a royal harem, which was looked after by eunuchs. In accordance, the needs of the emperor were being met before the needs of the empire. Resulting in violent …show more content…
A change that was in favour to his style of ruling. In turn, Emperor Wu had a long reign and when it finally came to an end by his death, this initiated a series of infant and incompetent rulers coming into power. Figurehead often fell onto corrupt individuals that increased their powers within the empire. The corruption weakened the empire and a lack of sufficient management stemmed from the empires incompetent leaders (Florence 2010). Eventually, the throne was seized by a power hungry high minister named Wang Mang. An emperor who dismantled the Han dynasty and renamed it as the Xin dynasty. Ultimately, theories suggest that it was class conflict, societal contradictions, elite mismanagement and misbehaviours within the empire that led to the first societal collapse of the Han
Nonetheless, the peace and prosperity of the Western Han dynasty was continuously tested throughout its time. It began with a war that came before the creation of the dynasty. A war between the Xiongu confederacy and Emperor Gaozu, formerly known as Lui Bang. It wasn’t until Emperor Gaozu realized his defeat, that the war ended and a treaty was negotiated with Xiongu. The treaty involved the creation of the Great Wall and its sole purpose to act as a border between the two powers. In addition, a marriage was held between the Chinese and Xiongu ruling families to solidify the treaty and the Chinese agreed to give periodic gifts in the form of rice and silk to Xiongu. Once the treaty was in place, Gaozu rewarded his supporters by granting them land. Gaozu had fallen into the same mismanagement approach taken by the Zhou dynasty, which collapsed several decades before the Han dynasty (Florence 2010). The mismanagement was that rulers gave gifts to their supports in an attempt to solidify the empire and the state. However, in the case of Emperor Gaozu, he gave the gift of land to his supporters which reciprocated several rebellions. Most importantly, the most devastating rebellion called the Rebellion of the Seven States (or Revolt of the Seven Kingdoms). The rebellion took place in 154 BC and was led by seven semi-autonomous kings. Its purpose was to resist the further centralization of the government (Yü-ch'üan 1949). Though, the rebellion was unsuccessful against the Han army. In return, the emperor lessened the power of the seven kingdoms and the semi-autonomous kings (Yü-ch'üan 1949). As time went by, the treaty amongst the Chinese and Xiongu was broken on numerous occasions by Xiongu. …show more content…
Humiliated, the Chinese took action under the ruling of Emperor Wudi. Emperor Wudi gathered the Han army and defeated Xiongu on numerous occasions. Resulting in either the Xiongu submitting to the Han or migrating further west in Asia. However, that was not the end of Xiongu. They reappear in the history of the later Han dynasty as barbarians, commonly referred to as the fearsome Huns. The Huns continuously fought to decentralize the government. Nevertheless, their effects on the state were quite the opposite in the Western Han time period. In fact, the Huns strengthened the state and furthered the unification of China. It wasn’t until 1st century BCE, that the Han dynasty began to move rapidly into a societal collapse. As a result of the empire falling into the hands of child emperors who were either infants or incompetent. Much of the infant emperor’s power was wielded by dowager empresses who manipulated the power for their personal gains. Such as allocating positions in the Han imperial court and administration to their relatives. This created conflict within the empire and destabilized the government system. A system based on Confucianism and a civil-service examination that governed the ability of a person to acquire positions within the empire. Yet, the empresses were able to manipulate the system to provide their families senior positions. Demonstrating the mismanagement of the empire and misbehaviours of the empresses who were given power on behalf of the emperor. Furthermore, incompetent emperors throughout Han history used their power to indulge in their own personal needs. Such needs came in the form of a royal harem, which was looked after by eunuchs. In accordance, the needs of the emperor were being met before the needs of the empire. Resulting in violent …show more content…
A change that was in favour to his style of ruling. In turn, Emperor Wu had a long reign and when it finally came to an end by his death, this initiated a series of infant and incompetent rulers coming into power. Figurehead often fell onto corrupt individuals that increased their powers within the empire. The corruption weakened the empire and a lack of sufficient management stemmed from the empires incompetent leaders (Florence 2010). Eventually, the throne was seized by a power hungry high minister named Wang Mang. An emperor who dismantled the Han dynasty and renamed it as the Xin dynasty. Ultimately, theories suggest that it was class conflict, societal contradictions, elite mismanagement and misbehaviours within the empire that led to the first societal collapse of the Han