Dynasties of ChinaWestern HanWestern Han lineage
Reign 202–195 BCE
The leader of the Pavilion of Peixian County raised troops, entered the pass to destroy Qin, defeated Chu in Gaixia, established the Han Dynasty, and created the foundation of the Han family for 400 years.
Liu Bang, courtesy name Ji, was born in Fengyi, Peixian County (today's Fengxian County, Jiangsu Province). He was born in a peasant family and served as the pavilion chief of Sishui during the Qin Dynasty. He was an open-minded man and did not engage in production. He was ordered to escort the prisoners to Lishan Mountain. Many of the prisoners fled on the way, so he simply released them all and hid in the Mangdang Mountain. After Chen Sheng's uprising in 209 BC, the elders of Peixian County killed the county magistrate to welcome him as Peigong. Xiao He, Cao Can, Fan Kuai and others subsequently raised armies. He later attached himself to Xiang Liang and became a general of the Chu army with Xiang Yu. In 207 BC, he led his army to the west and entered Guanzhong first to accept the surrender of King of Qin Ziying.
After Xiang Yu entered the Pass, he enfeoffed the princes and made Liu Bang the King of Han, ruling Ba, Shu, Hanzhong, and the capital Nanzheng. In the same year, he used Han Xin's strategy to defeat the Three Qin Dynasties, and then went east to compete with Xiang Yu for the world. The Chu-Han stalemate lasted for more than four years, and Liu Bang suffered repeated defeats. However, he relied on Xiao He to sit in Guanzhong to supplement the army's food and salary, Zhang Liang and Chen Ping to make plans, and Han Xin to open up the northern battlefield. Finally, in 202 BC, he surrounded Xiang Yu in Gaixia. In February of the same year, he established the emperor's throne north of the flooding of Dingtao, and soon made Guanzhong his capital.
After proclaiming the emperor, he inherited the Qin system and abolished harsh laws, demobilized soldiers and returned to their fields, reduced land rents, and gradually restored society after the war. He also exterminated Han Xin, Peng Yue, Ying Bu and other princes and kings with different surnames, and instead granted titles to the children of the Liu family. After the siege of Baideng in 200 BC, he changed his approach to peace with the Huns. In 195 BC, he was killed in the campaign against Yingbu and died of serious injuries. He died in Changle Palace and was buried in Changling.
Liu Bang was born in a commoner family. He was good at employing people and accepting advice. He was able to win people's hearts with his generosity. In the end, the weak defeated the strong and established the first unified dynasty created by common people in Chinese history. He inherited the Qin system and discarded its harsh laws, laying the foundation for the 400-year-old Han Dynasty. However, he became increasingly suspicious of the heroes, and almost all the princes and kings with different surnames were cut off. The princes and kings with the same surname who were granted the title later became powerful, leaving behind the hidden danger of chaos in the Seven Kingdoms.
MilitaryPei County raises troops
After Chen Sheng's uprising, the magistrate of Pei County wanted to respond but then went back on his word and closed the city to refuse to accept Liu Bang. Liu Bang shot silk books into the city, and the elders of Peixian County led their children to kill the county magistrate. Kaicheng welcomed him as the Duke of Pei, and collected 2,000 or 3,000 children of Peixian County to rebel against Qin.
PoliticsThree chapters of the agreement
After accepting Ziying's surrender, he entered Xianyang, sealed up the Qin dynasty treasury, and returned the army to the throne. He summoned the elders in Guanzhong and announced the abolition of Qin Dynasty's harsh laws, and only "contracted three chapters": those who kill will die, and those who hurt others and steal will be compensated for their crimes. The people of Qin were overjoyed. Xiao He collected Qin Dynasty's legal books.
PoliticsHongmen Banquet
Xiang Yu led an army of 400,000 people into the pass and stationed at Hongmen, hoping to attack Liu Bang. Liu Bang went to Hongmen to apologize. During the banquet, Fan Zeng signaled Xiang Zhuang to dance with his sword and assassinate Xiang Bo.
Lasting legacy"Hongmen Banquet" and "Xiangzhuang's sword dance, intended for Pei Gong" are still commonly used idioms and allusions today.
PoliticsConferred the title of King of Han
Xiang Yu established himself as the overlord of Western Chu and enfeoffed the eighteen princes. He violated the agreement that "the first to enter Guanzhong will be king" and made Liu Bang the King of Han, ruling Ba, Shu, Hanzhong, and the capital Nanzheng. When Liu Bang entered Hanzhong, he burned down the plank road to show that he had no intention of returning eastward.
Lasting legacyAfter Liu Bang became emperor, he took "Han" as the name of his country. The two Han Dynasties lasted for more than 400 years, and the terms "Han people", "Han nationality", "Hanzi" and "Hanyu" all came from this; "Han" was originally the name of the Han River.
MilitaryAlso set the Three Qin Dynasty
In August, Liu Bang adopted Han Xin's strategy and sent troops to Chencang from the old route, defeating King Yong Zhang Han. King Sima Xin of Sai and King Dong Yi of Zhai surrendered one after another. Most of Guanzhong was pacified and became the base for the Han army to compete for the world.
MilitaryThe defeat of Pengcheng
Taking advantage of Xiang Yu to attack Qi State in the north, Liu Bang led a coalition of 560,000 princes to attack Pengcheng, the capital of Chu. Xiang Yu personally led 30,000 elite troops to rescue the Han army. The Han army was defeated and the Sui River stopped flowing. Liu Bang's father and wife Lü Zhi were captured by the Chu army.
PeopleHan Xin broke Zhao's back
Han Xin led his army out of Jingxing in the east and formed a formation with his back to the water, luring the Zhao army to attack in full force. He then used surprise troops to pull out the Zhao camp and set up the Han banner, defeating the Zhao army of 200,000 men. After that, Han Xin surrendered to Yan in the north and defeated Qi in the east, opening up the northern battlefield of the Chu-Han War.
Politicspeacemaking across the divide
Chu and Han had a long-term stalemate in Xingyang and Chenggao. Xiang Yu ran out of food and agreed with Liu Bang to use the chasm as the boundary, return the west to Han and the east to Chu, and return Liu Bang's father and wife. After Xiang Yu withdrew eastward, Liu Bang used Zhang Liang and Chen Ping's plan to break the contract and pursue him.
Lasting legacyThe "Chu-Han boundary" in the middle of the Chinese chess board is derived from the allusion of the Chu-Han boundary as a boundary.
MilitaryBattle of Gaixia
Liu Bang promised Han Xin and Peng Yue a fiefdom, and the two led their troops to join forces and surrounded Xiang Yu in Gaixia with Yingbu and others. Xiang Yu heard that he was besieged on all sides at night and led more than 800 cavalry to break through the encirclement. He went to Wujiang River and committed suicide, thus ending the Chu-Han War.
PoliticsDingtao proclaimed himself emperor
In February, the princes and kings jointly submitted a letter honoring Liu Bang as the emperor. He ascended the throne north of Dingtao Flooding River, named the country Han, and established Lü Zhi as the queen and Liu Ying as the Crown Prince. In the same year, he adopted the suggestions of Lou Jing and Zhang Liang, established his capital in Guanzhong, and temporarily settled in Yueyang.
EconomyStrike out and return home
In May, an edict was issued to demobilize the soldiers and return them home, and grant them titles and land and residences according to their merit; those who sold themselves as slaves due to famine were exempted from becoming common people; those who had been exiled in the mountains and rivers returned to their own counties and restored their original lands and houses. Land rents were also reduced and a tax of one per fifteen was implemented.
PoliticsDiscussing merit and ennoblement
The officials were undecided, but Liu Bang took Xiao He's contribution to Guanzhong as the first and was granted the title of Marquis of Feng. Zhang Liang could choose 30,000 households in the entire territory, so he only asked to be granted the title of Liu County. In the same year, Liu Bang pretended to travel to Yunmeng, captured Han Xin, the king of Chu who was accused of treason, and demoted him to the title of Marquis of Huaiyin.
CultureShu Suntong Dingchao Ritual
The ministers drank and competed for merit, and when they were drunk, they drew their swords and hit the pillars. Liu Bang felt deeply troubled. Shu Suntong recruited Confucian scholars from Lu to formulate court rituals. After the completion of Changle Palace, the princes and ministers paid their respects according to the ceremony and the order was in order. Liu Bang exclaimed, "I am now known to be the noblest emperor."
MilitarySiege of Baidun
Liu Bang personally conquered King Xin of Han who had surrendered to the Huns. He underestimated the enemy and advanced rashly. He was besieged by Moton Chanyu for seven days at Baishan Mountain in Pingcheng. He used Chen Ping's plan to bribe the Yan family heavily and was able to escape. Later, Liu Jing's suggestion was adopted to marry a daughter of the clan to Chanyu, which was the beginning of the marriage strategy in the early Han Dynasty.
PoliticsMoved the capital to Chang'an
After the Changle Palace was built, Liu Bang moved the capital from Liyang to Chang'an. Xiao He also presided over the construction of Weiyang Palace. Liu Bang was angry when he saw that it was too magnificent. Xiao He replied, "It cannot be majestic unless it is magnificent." From then on, Weiyang Palace became the main palace of Western Han.
Lasting legacyThe Han Chang'an City ruins are located in the northwest suburbs of present-day Xi'an. Among them, the Weiyang Palace ruins were listed as a World Heritage Site in 2014 as part of the Silk Road.
PoliticsKill Han Xin and Peng Yue
Chen Xi rebelled in Dai, and Liu Bang went to conquer it himself. Empress Lü conspired with Xiao He to lure Han Xin into Changle Palace and beheaded the three Yi clans in the bell chamber. In the same year, Liang Wang Peng Yue was also killed for treason. Wang Yingbu of Huainan was frightened and raised troops to rebel against the Han in autumn.
DiplomacyConsecrated King Yue of Nan
Lu Jia was sent as an envoy to Lingnan, and Zhao Tuo, who occupied the hometown of Qinnanhai, Guilin, and Xiangjun, was granted the title of Nanking Yue and was given a seal and ribbon. Zhao Tuo accepted the canonization and declared himself a vassal to comply with the Han treaty, and the southern border of the Han Dynasty was stabilized.
CultureReturning to hometown to compose "Song of the Great Wind"
After winning the battle against Yingbu, he returned to his hometown and passed through his hometown of Peixian County. He gathered his old friends, fathers and children to drink, built a building and sang "The wind is blowing, the clouds are flying, the powerful winds are blowing, and the sea is home, and the warriors are here to guard the four directions." He also exempted the people of Peixian County from taxes and servitude for generations.
PoliticsWhite Horse Alliance
In his later years, Liu Bang made an oath with his ministers, Xing Baima, and agreed that "if someone from the Liu family is the king, the whole world will attack him together" to prevent him from being crowned king with a different surname. Afterwards, Empress Lü made Zhu Lu king, and Zhou Bo, Chen Ping and others executed Zhu Lu on the grounds of violating this alliance.
PoliticsDied of illness in Changle Palace
During the expedition against Yingbu, he was shot by a stray arrow. After returning to Chang'an, he became seriously ill and refused medical treatment, saying, "My destiny is in heaven, so what's the point of being a flat magpie?" He died of illness in Changle Palace in April. In response to Empress Lü's questions before his death, he arranged for Cao Can, Wang Ling, Chen Ping, and Zhou Bo to assist the government one after another. Buried in Changling.
A native of Peixian County, he was originally the chief official of the county, and he followed Liu Bang to raise troops. When he entered Xianyang, he only collected Qin Dynasty's laws and regulations. During the Chu-Han war, he was in charge of transporting troops and supplies in Guanzhong, and he strongly recommended Han Xin as a general. In the early Han Dynasty, he formulated the "Nine Chapters Code" with reference to the Qin Code, ranking first among the heroes.
After becoming a Korean nobleman, he assassinated Qin Shihuang in Bolangsha. After assisting Liu Bang, he helped him escape from danger at the Hongmen Banquet, persuaded him to burn down the plank road, united with Han Xin and Peng Yueying, and tried to prevent the enfeoffment of the Six Kingdoms. After success, he only wanted to be granted the title of Marquis, and in his later years he learned the art of bigu guidance.
A native of Huaiyin, he was humiliated by his crotch in his early years. Xiao He called him "the unparalleled scholar in the country." After worshiping the general, the Three Qin Dynasties were pacified, Wei, Dai, and Zhao were defeated, Yan was surrendered, and Qi was leveled. Gaixia commanded the encirclement of Xiang Yu. In the early Han Dynasty, he was renamed King of Chu from King Qi, then demoted to Marquis of Huaiyin, and was eventually executed by Empress Lü.
A native of Yangwu, he first served the king of Wei and Xiang Yu, and then surrendered to Liu Bang. He used counterintuitive tactics to alienate Xiang Yu from Fan Zeng, and also offered suggestions to fake Yunmeng to capture Han Xin, and Bai Shanshan to bribe the Yan family to rescue the siege. This was known as the "Six Surprising Strategies" in history. Emperor returned and became prime minister, and conspired with Zhou Bo to kill Zhu Lu.
A native of Peixian County, he made a career out of butchering dogs. He married Empress Lü's sister Lu Yu. He raised troops with Liu Bang and made many military exploits. At the Hongmen Banquet, he broke into the military tent with a shield, scolded Xiang Yu, and helped Liu Bang escape.
The grandson of Chu general Xiang Yan, after defeating the Qin army in the Battle of Julu, ordered the princes to enfeoffment the world and established himself as the overlord of Western Chu. He fought with Liu Bang for more than four years. Because of his stubbornness and poor use of people, he was finally surrounded in Gaixia, broke out to Wujiang, and committed suicide.
A native of Xue County, he was originally Dr. Qin Dynasty. After defecting to the Han Dynasty, he formulated imperial rituals for Liu Bang, making the court etiquette orderly and worshiping Taichang. Later, he served as Crown Prince Tutor and tried his best to advise Liu Bang not to depose Crown Prince Liu Ying.
His real name was Lou Jing, a native of Qi State. As a garrison soldier, he asked to see Liu Bang. He tried his best to prove the benefits of establishing the capital in Guanzhong, so he was given the surname Liu. Zhang made peace with the Xiongnu and suggested that more than 100,000 old nobles and powerful people from Qi and Chu be relocated to enrich Guanzhong.