The Han Dynasty 汉朝

The Han Dynasty lasted from 206 BC to 220 AD and was founded by the peasant rebel leader Liu Bang 刘邦 (posthumously named Emperor Han Gaozu 汉高祖). It was the second imperial dynasty of China and followed the Qin Dynasty 秦朝 which had just unified the Warring States by conquest. Interrupted briefly by the Xin Dynasty 新朝 (9–23 AD) of Wang Mang 王莽, the Han Dynasty is divided into two periods: the Western Han (206 BC – 9 AD) and the Eastern Han (25–220 AD). These appellations are derived from the locations of the capital cities Chang'an 长安 and Luoyang 洛阳, respectively. The third and final capital of the dynasty was Xuchang 许昌, where the court moved in 196 CE during a period of political turmoil and civil war.