Han Empire was among the kingdoms
which developed along the river valley. In china state kingdoms was emerged due
to two major factors which are wars and irrigation agriculture along the river
valley. Han Empire was the results of the collapse of Chin or Qin dynasty. The
Qin dynasty was the first dynasty of imperial lasting from 221 to 206 BC was
founded by Qin Shi Huang. Chin dynasty collapse due to stricter government and
was not shaped by religion. Through those
failures of Qin dynasty the Han raised and created more lasting political
structure and reshaped in the religion. The Han dynasty of China, founded in
206 BC when the rebel leader LIU BANG successfully ended the Qin dynasty. The
Han dynasty lasted for 4th centuries and is considered a golden age
in Chinese history. WU-DI came after several rivals; Chinese forces pushed
Nomads toward Europe also there are group who pushed west were Hun’s. The
following are the factors for the rise of Han Dynasty Empire.
Involvement in Trade, the Han found
in central Asia allowed for the establishment of over-land trade routes between
China and West Asia. For example, lively caravan route known as the Silk Road
for its most valuable India, The Middle East and southern Europe. Some of these
goods reached Rome, Silk was most desired product since it was light weight and
easily packed large quantities were carried west by each caravans then returned
with horses and luxury goods such as Egyptian bead red sea pearls and Baltic
amber. The Silk Road and the trade network that is shaped greatly influenced the
people are who participated in the trade.
Government stability, the Han period
saw the emergence of government structure that survived in its basic form until
the early of 20th century, whereas the Qin had sought to transform
China in one brutal stroke than were more pragmatic and cautions. Under emperor
WU-DI and LIU BANG the government expanded its economic role and income in an
attempt to stabilize price, government would prevent prices from soaring,
besides the government monopolized the affair of the merchants an attempt that
increase government revenue.
Taxation
and government revenue, the rise of dynasties also correlated with economic
Trends,
a strong new dynasty initially generated security and prosperity which led to
Population
increase and additional tax revenues, the whole society depended on Agriculture
where
as land tax, head tax were main source of government revenue.
Peace and Agriculture productivity,
the Han government softened legalism with Confucian humanism, demonstrating
that Confucian philosophy could maintain stability in the wake of momentous
change. They adopted the advice of the Confucian Mengzi, who argued that “when
person life is cultivated, the family will be regulated, the state will be in
order and when the state is in order, there will be peace throughout the land”
and this will result to high productivity in agriculture lead to increase of
government income.
Instructional and ideological policies,
during Han times the civil services developed, in early Han era the bureaucracy
comprised some 130,000 officials or 1 for every 400, to 500 people. The dynasty
institutional and ideological policies contributed to the formation of a
bureaucracy staffed by men who shared not only similar background. The central
government mainly existed to ensure law, order and border defense and its
bureaucracy collected taxes, administrated the legal system and officered
military forces.
Revolts against Qin dynasty, the
Chin dynasty was under Xiang Yu and Han was lead by Liu Bang in the 247 to 195
BC who had a background village. Liu Bang skills improved more than the lasted
leaders of Chin dynasty Xiang Yu. The Han developed policies and military that
led Liu pang became a victory.
Strong leadership of the King Liu
Pang, the king Liu pang of Han dynasty built a strong state which was greatly
modified the Qins harsh legalist structure. He established kingdoms in eastern
China for members of his aim family were managed by court appointed officials
who were responsible to king Liu Pang, these vassals state offered tribute the
strength of empire.
Centralization
of power, in Han empire political system was vested in the hand of emperor, official were graded
by rank and salaries were controlled from the capital, these ranks include
chancellor, director of the secretariat all these deriver the power from the
King. Not only Han Empire raised but also there are some factors which lead to
the collapse of Han Empire, these as the follows.[3]
Oppression of Peasants, the Han
dynasty had experienced the great oppression to the peasants, for example; in
order to meet the growing deficit the government raised taxes, forcing many
poor peasants to sell their land to wealth owners, hence revenues further
declined. The Han dynasty finally collapsed in 220C.E so the critical factors
was peasant revolts, powerfully landed family contending for power and raided
by pastoralist from the borderland.
Deterioration of the quality and
effectiveness of the government, Han government could no longer fund the
military commitment to protect the state and it became vulnerable, and some
bureaucrats became corrupt. Also government over extended imperial power and
squandering human and financial resources, not only on wars of expansion but
also in place and country luxury.
Largeness of the empire, the Han Empire
made some efforts to expand their territory by the use of expansionism war in
which finally became a very large empire hence resulted to the failure of the
government to manage it as a whole. For example; used his army to establish colonies
control over North Korea, Vietnam and also extend to Afghanistan that lead to
the collapse of Han Empire.
Natural disaster and warfare, the
Han empire experienced with different natural disasters like floods and
drought, where as Han agriculture depended on hard physical labor especially in
growing rice, field had to be flooded with irrigation water and drained and the
rice had to be sown, transplanted and harvest all by hand.
In fact that, due to the fall of Han
empire, was accompanied by different impacts as shortage of land, population
pressure which fermented rebellion, at times of endemic unrest caused by bad
harvesters , official corruption, peasants were revolts
REFERENCES OF BOOKS.
1.
Lockard C.A: (2008).A Global history. Houghton mifftin company
[1] Lockard C.A: (2008).A Global history. Houghton mifftin
company
[2] Lockard C.A: (2008).A Global history. Houghton mifftin
company
[3] Lockard C.A: (2008).A Global history. Houghton mifftin
company
