The history of the Western Han Dynasty (202-8 BC) from its rise to its decline totaled two hundred years, which can be divided into five stages: the reign of the High Emperor Gao Hou Dingguo, the reign of Wenjing, the expansion of Emperor Wu, the Zhaoxuan Zhongxing and the Yuancheng Waiping Emperor.
I. The High Emperor and the High Emperor (202 BC to 180 BC)
Rulers: Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), Lü Hei (Empress Gao)
Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) Lü Hei (Empress Gao)
(1) The High Emperor fixed the country
In 202 BC, after the Han emperor Liu Bang eliminated Xiang Yu and established the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty adopted a parallel system of counties and feudal states, in which Han Xin the King of Chu, Peng Yue the King of Liang and Yingbu the King of Huainan were not subordinate to Liu Bang before the establishment of the Han Dynasty, but a cooperative relationship, after Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty, he still enjoyed relatively independent autonomy rights within the feudal state, and still had a great threat to the Han Dynasty, so Liu Bang said that the first task of the empress was to eliminate and weaken the power of these princes and kings, So he devoted eight years of reign to solving the problem of princes and kings.
(2) Stabilizing government after high school
In 195 BC, Liu Bang died, and his second son Liu Ying took the throne, because of his cowardly personality, the power was in the hands of Gao Hou Lü He, at this time Fan He, Cao Shen and Zhou Bo and other founding ministers were still alive, and an authoritative leader was needed to suppress the meritorious figures, adopt a tolerant strategy against the Xiongnu in the north, and adopt the learning of Huang Lao internally, recuperate, but too much support for the Lü clan and suppress the meritorious heroes led to the dissatisfaction of the meritorious group.
II. The Reign of Wenjing (180 BC-141 BC)
Rulers: Liu Heng (Emperor Wen), Liu Qi (Emperor Jing)
Liu Heng (Emperor Wen) Liu Qi (Emperor Jing)
(3) Emperor Wen's lineage
In 180 BC, Empress Gao died, the meritorious ministers destroyed the Lü clan, and welcomed the accession of Liu Heng, the fourth son of Emperor Gao, to the throne, it was for Emperor Wen of Han, and after Emperor Wen took the throne, he rewarded the founding heroes, pacified the meritorious ministers, and suppressed the rebellion of the rest of Emperor Gao's sons, and then the imperial lineage was basically stabilized in the line of Emperor Wen, and through his son Emperor Jing, the Rebellion of the Seven Kings, after which the local princes completely lost the strength to confront the central government, and by the time Emperor Wudi of Han came to the throne, political centralization had basically formed.
(4) The governance of cultural landscapes
During the forty years of the reign of Emperor Wendi Jingdi, the Han Dynasty basically made a truce with the outside world, basically adopted a policy of tolerance in diplomacy, sent princesses and relatives, respected the learning of Huang Lao internally, ruled and recuperated without doing anything, reduced taxes many times, rewarded farming, agricultural production recovered rapidly, the private economy developed rapidly, and the national treasury was gradually filled, which was the first prosperous era after Chinese civilization entered the imperial era.
III. Emperor Wu's Expansion of the Border (141 BC-87 BC)
Ruler: Liu Che (Emperor Wu)
Liu Che (Emperor Wu) and the Western Han Dynasty
(5) Reform and expansion in the early period of Emperor Wu
In 141 BC, Emperor Wudi of Han ascended the throne, and in the early days of his accession to the throne, he basically continued the policy of the Wenjing period, advocating the learning of Huang Lao, tolerating externally, and developing internally. At this time, due to years of peaceful development and the Matthew effect, the phenomenon of domestic land annexation was serious, and the external Xiongnu no longer satisfied the peace conditions given by the Western Han Dynasty. Therefore, Emperor Wudi of Han promoted reform, deposed the hundred schools of thought and respected Confucianism, strengthened ideological unity, and improved the country's ideological organization ability; In terms of political economy, the implementation of the Tui En Order, the reform of the currency system and the salt and iron official system, and the enhancement of the central government's control over the political economy; He turned defense against the Xiongnu and sent Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to defeat the Xiongnu several times, seize the Hetao and Hexi Corridor areas (present-day Ningxia, Gansu), and eliminate the state of South Vietnam, and the Liangguang region was incorporated into the Huaxia region.
(6) The shortcomings and troubles of Emperor Wu's later period
In his later years, Emperor Wudi of Han was so happy that he constantly launched foreign wars, and the years of conquest led to the emptiness of the national treasury and the decline of the people's livelihood, and the scourge of witchcraft broke out in Emperor Wudi of Han in his later years, in which the empress prince was forced to commit suicide one after another, and the country was on the verge of collapse. Emperor Houwu's edict marked the turn of the Western Han Dynasty again.
4. Zhaoxuan Zhongxing (87 BC-49 BC)
Rulers: Huo Guang (Quanchen), Liu Fuling (Emperor Zhao), Liu Xun (Emperor Xuan)
Huo Guang (ruler during the Zhao Emperor and early Xuan Dynasties) Liu Xun (Emperor Xuan)
(7) The period of Emperor Zhao
In 87 BC, Emperor Wudi of Han died, and his youngest son Liu Fuling ascended the throne, because of his young age, so the power was in the hands of the heavy minister Huo Guang, Huo Guang stopped the strict administration of Emperor Wu, began to reduce taxes, encourage production, and the productivity was quickly restored, and the situation of the people's livelihood in the Western Han Dynasty since the end of Emperor Wu was significantly improved.
(8) The period of Emperor Xuan
In 74 AD, Emperor Zhao died, and Huo Guang supported Liu Xun, the grandson of Emperor Wu's eldest son Liu Zheng (Prince Jiao), to the throne, and Emperor Xuan continued the policies of the Huo Guang period, so that the Western Han Dynasty's national strength was quickly restored. Militarily, Emperor Xuan, with the people's tuntian, defeated the attacks of the Xiongnu and Wuhuan many times. made Huhan Xidan subordinate to the Han Dynasty, eliminating the threat of the Xiongnu to the Han Dynasty; The establishment of the Western Regions Protectorate, and the decree has since been issued in the Western Regions, promoting the production of the Western Regions and exchanges between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, and also making the territory of the Western Han Dynasty reach its peak.
V. Yuan Cheng Laiping (49 BC - 8 AD)
Rulers: Liu Xi (Emperor Yuan), Liu Xiao (Emperor Cheng), Liu Xin (Emperor Wai), Wang Zhengjun (Empress Yuan), Wang Mang (Quan Chen)
Liu Xi (Emperor Yuan) Liu Xiao (Emperor Cheng) Wang Zhengjun (Empress Yuan) Wang Mang (Quan Chen)
(8) The period when Emperor Yuan became emperor
In 49 BC, Emperor Yuan ascended the throne, due to his weak health, he handed over political affairs to eunuchs, which opened the chaotic government of eunuchs, and after Emperor Cheng took the throne, he indulged in ignoring the imperial government, and the foreign forces represented by his mother Wang Zhengjun continued to develop, and gradually controlled the imperial government. At this time, land annexation became more serious, and social contradictions became increasingly acute. The armed resistance of the people rose one after another, dealing a heavy blow to the rule of the Western Han Dynasty.
(9) The period of Emperor Pingdi of Mourning
In 7 BC, Emperor Cheng died, and because he had no children, his nephew Emperor Moi ascended the throne, at this time, because the father of Emperor Moi was not born to the Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun, Emperor Moi actively supported the forces of his biological grandmother Fu and mother Ding, and the struggle with the power of the Empress Dowager Wang became increasingly fierce. In 1 BC, the Mourning Emperor collapsed without a child, and Wang Zhengjun came to the throne in the dynasty, supporting Emperor Ping to take the throne, after which the Wang clan completely held great power, due to the old age of Wang Zhengjun, his government affairs were gradually handed over to the nephew Wang Mang, who was humble in appearance, after which Wang Mang gradually gained power, and finally after the death of Emperor Ping, usurped the throne and established a new dynasty, and the Western Han Dynasty perished.