Doutaihou
ConsortsEmpress Zhang, Emperor He's nominal mother, rules as regent, relying on her brother Dou Xian and other relatives for exclusive power. After Dou Xian was executed, she was placed under house arrest and died in 1997.
Dynasties of ChinaEastern HanEastern Han lineage
Emperor HeLiu Zhao
Yongyuan · Yuanxing · Reign 88—105
He ascended the throne at the age of ten, and used the power of eunuchs to kill his cousin Dou Xian. During his reign, Dou Xian defeated the Northern Xiongnu and conquered the Western Regions, so that Cai Lun could make paper.
IBiography
- Reign
- 17 years
- Reign era
- Yongyuan · Yuanxing
- Order of accession
- Ruler #4 · Eastern Han lineage
- Life dates
- 79—105
- Titles
- Temple name: Muzong · Posthumous title: Emperor Xiaohe · Buried at Shenling Mausoleum
Liu Zhao is the fourth son of Emperor Zhang. His biological mother, Liang Guiren, was taken away by Douhuangzhou as his own son after birth. His biological mother died of fear due to the Dou family's frame-up. He was established as the Crown Prince in 1982, and ascended the throne at the age of ten after the death of Emperor Zhang in 1988. Doutaihourule as regent, his brother Dou Xian controlled the government with the power of serving in the middle and later the general. The Dou brothers were in important positions, and many courtiers attached themselves to their sect.
In 1989, in order to atone for the crime of murder, Dou Xian requested an attack on the Northern Huns, defeated Chanyu, and carved a stone commemoration on Yanran Mountain. In 91, he defeated Northern Chanyu on Jinwei Mountain. The Northern Xiongnu were forced to move westward, and the power of the Dou family reached its peak. In 92 years, Emperor He had grown up. With the help of the eunuch Zheng Zhong, he suddenly took back Dou Xian's general seal and ribbon. Dou Xian and others were forced to commit suicide, and the Dou family was expelled. This was the beginning of the Eastern Han emperor using the power of eunuchs to kill his relatives, and eunuchs participated in the government since then.
After taking office, he was diligent in political affairs, reduced land rent, and issued many edicts to provide relief for famines. He also supported Ban Chao in running the Western Regions, which led to the submission of more than 50 countries in the Western Regions. Ban Chao served as the Protector of the Western Regions in 1991, and managed it for thirty-one years. Later, Gan Ying was ordered to go to Daqin as an envoy. In 100 AD, Xu Shen wrote "Shuowen Jiezi", and in 105 AD, Cai Lun reported the improved papermaking technology to the court. In December of the same year, Emperor He died of illness at the age of 27 and was buried in Shen Mausoleum.
Emperor He of the Han Dynasty was controlled by Dou's relatives in the early stage of his reign. When he became an adult, he decisively eradicated Dou Xian. He ruled personally for more than ten years and the country became strong. Dou Xian's Northern Expedition and Ban Chao's Western Regions made the Han Dynasty famous far and wide. Cultural achievements such as papermaking and "Shuowen Jiezi" also appeared at this time. It is generally believed that Emperor He's period was the peak of the Eastern Han. However, he used the power of eunuchs to kill his relatives, which set a precedent for eunuchs to participate in politics. Since then, relatives and eunuchs have alternated exclusive power, which has become the root cause of Eastern Han's decline from prosperity.
IITimeline
During the reign · 88—105
PoliticsDoutaihou comes to court
Emperor Zhang died, and Liu Zhao, who was ten years old, came to the throne as Doutaihourule as regent. His brother Dou Xian was appointed as the servant, in charge of secrets and cashier's orders. His younger brothers Dou Du and Dou Jing were appointed as Huben Zhonglang General and Zhi Jinwu respectively. The Dou family's children were all over the court, and they had power both inside and outside.
MilitaryDou Xianyanranleshi
Dou Xian asked for the Northern Expedition to atone for his sins. As a chariot general, he led the Han army to fight with the Southern Xiongnu for more than 3,000 miles. He defeated Northern Chanyu. He climbed Yanran Mountain and carved stones to record his achievements. Ban Gu wrote an inscription. The Northern Xiongnu power collapsed.
Lasting legacyIn 2017, the China-Mongolia joint expedition team discovered the cliff stone inscription "Feng Yanran Mountain Inscription" in the Hangai Mountain area of Mongolia, which confirmed the records in the "Book of the Later Han".
MilitaryBattle of Jinweishan
Dou Xian sent Geng Kui and Ren Shang to live in Yansai and defeated Bei Chanyu in Jinwei Mountain. They killed more than 5,000 people from the Yan clan and the Mingwang. Bei Chanyu did not know where they ended up. It is said that they fled west to Wusun. After that, most of the Northern Xiongnu moved westward.
DiplomacyBan Chao appointed as the Protector of the Western Regions
After Ban Chao defeated the attack of Yuezhi Deputy King Xie in 90 AD, he pacified Kucha, Gumo, Wensu and other countries the following year. The imperial court appointed him as the Protector of the Western Regions and stationed himself in Kucha Tagancheng. More than 50 countries in the Western Regions returned to the Han Dynasty.
PoliticsZhu Dou Xian
Emperor He conspired with the eunuch Zheng Zhong to take advantage of Dou Xian's return to the capital to recapture the general's seal and send Dou Xian, Dou Du, Dou Jing and others back to the feudal country, and were soon forced to commit suicide. Zheng Zhong was granted the title of Marquis for his meritorious service, and eunuchs participated in the government affairs.
MilitaryBan Chao Ping Yanqi
Ban Chao mobilized more than 70,000 soldiers from various countries in the Western Regions, captured Yanqi, Weixu, and Weili, beheaded King Yanqi, and made all the more than 50 countries in the Western Regions send their sons to serve as servants. The peaceful countries in the Western Regions resumed exchanges with Eastern Han.
DiplomacyGan Ying envoy Da Qin
Ban Chao sent an official named Gan Ying to Daqin to envoy Daqin. He arrived at Tiaozhi and was about to cross the sea. The Parthians said that the voyage would take three months and would take even longer in case of wind, so Gan Ying gave up and returned. It is the westernmost place that Chinese people of the Han Dynasty have ever visited.
Culture"Shuowen Jiezi" is published as a book
Xu Shenli compiled "Shuowen Jiezi" for more than 20 years, containing 9,353 characters. He pioneered the classification and arrangement of radicals, systematically analyzed glyphs, and preserved a large amount of ancient writing materials. Its book was presented to the imperial court in 121 AD by Xu Chong, son of Xu Shen.
Lasting legacyThe radical arrangement system established by "Shuowen Jiezi" is still one of the basic arrangement methods of Chinese dictionaries.
PeopleBan Chao returns to China
Ban Chao was old and wanted to return home. His sister Ban Zhao wrote a letter to plead for him, and Emperor He allowed him to return to the court. He returned to Luoyang in August and paid homage to Colonel Shesheng. He died of illness a month later at the age of seventy-one. His successor as Protector-General was not good at appeasing him, and a few years later the Western Regions rebelled again.
PoliticsMake Deng Sui your queen
After Queen Yin was deposed because she was accused of using witchcraft to curse her, Emperor He appointed the noble Deng Sui as his queen. Deng Sui was born into a noble family, was modest and frugal, and did not indulge in luxury. Later, she became an accomplished empress dowager of Eastern Han.
Science & technologyCai Lun Papermaking
Shang Fang ordered Cai Lun to sum up the experience of his predecessors and use bark, hemp heads, rags, old fishing nets and other raw materials to make paper. He reported it to Emperor He and the paper was known as "Cai Hou paper" in the world. Paper was cheap and gradually replaced bamboo slips and silk.
Lasting legacyPapermaking is known as one of the four great inventions in ancient China; there are Cai Lun tombs in Yangxian, Shaanxi and Leiyang, Hunan, which are now cultural relics protection units.
PoliticsShenling died of illness
Emperor He reigned for seventeen years and died of illness in the front hall of Zhangde in December at the age of twenty-seven. Many of the princes died in infancy. Liu Long, who was just over a hundred days old, was made emperor, and Empress Dowager Deng came to the throne. Emperor He was buried in Shenling.
IIIPeople of this reign
Dou Xian
MilitaryDoutaihou's brother was imprisoned for killing Liu Chang, the son of King Shang of Qi. He asked for atonement in the Northern Expedition, defeated the Northern Huns, and became a general. His power reached its peak, and he was later executed by Emperor He.
Zheng Zhong
PoliticsA eunuch from Nanyang, he is prudent, resourceful and not greedy for money. In 92 years, he assisted Emperor He to annihilate Dou Xian and was granted the title of Marquis of Huxiang for his merit. He was the first eunuch in the Eastern Han Dynasty to be granted the title of Marquis for his merit.
Ban Chao
DiplomacyThe younger brother of Ban Gu, he joined the army and lived in the Western Regions for thirty-one years. He pacified more than fifty countries and granted the title of Marquis of Yuan Dynasty. In his later years, he wrote a letter saying, "I dare not see Jiuquan County, but I hope to be born in Yumen Pass" and had to return to Luoyang.
Gan Ying
DiplomacyBan Chao's subordinates were sent as envoys to Da Qin. He set out from Qiuci and arrived at Tiaozhi near the West Sea (some say it is the Persian Gulf) via Anxi. He turned back because he heard that the sea route was difficult and dangerous.
Cai Lun
Science & technologyA eunuch from Guiyang, Emperor He served as a regular servant at that time. He received orders from ministers, presided over the production of palace utensils, and made paper from tree bark, hemp heads, etc. During the reign of Queen Mother Deng, she was granted the title of Marquis of Longting, hence the name "Cai Hou Zhi".
Xu Shen
OtherA native of Zhaoling, Runan, he studied under Jia Kui and had extensive knowledge of classics. He was known as "Xu Shuzhong, the Unparalleled Five Classics" at that time. Author of "Shuowen Jiezi", which is China's first calligraphy book that systematically analyzes glyphs.
Deng Sui
ConsortsThe granddaughter of Taifu Deng Yu, she was established as queen in 102 AD. She ruled as regent nearly 20 years after the death of Emperor He. She supported Emperor Shang and Emperor An. She advocated frugality and was one of the more accomplished female rulers of Eastern Han.