Han dynasty

Chinese ruling family from 206 BC to AD 220 established by Liu Bang (256–195 BC) after he overthrew the Qin dynasty, and named after the Han River. There was territorial expansion to the west, southwest, and north, including the conquest of Korea by Emperor Wudi or Wu-ti (ruling 141–87 BC) and the suppression of the Xiongnu invaders. Under the Han, a Confucianist-educated civil service was established and Buddhism introduced.

Divided into the eras of the Western Han (206 BC–AD 8) and the Eastern Han (AD 25–220), it was a time of internal peace, except for the period AD 8 to 25. The building of new canals allowed long-distance trading, while the arts and technologies (including the invention of paper) flourished; see China: early imperial history 221 BC–AD 1279. The dynasty collapsed under the weight of court intrigues, rebellions, and renewed threat from the Xiongnu, and was replaced by the Three Kingdoms.