Book
Western Han Dynasty
Book 11 in the History of China series.
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The Western Han Dynasty surveys the empire founded after the collapse of the Qin and ruled from 206 BCE to 9 CE. It follows the consolidation of imperial government, the reduction of rival kingdoms and the political balance between central authority and powerful families.
The book examines Emperor Wu’s expansion, conflict with the Xiongnu, state finance, court debate and the opening of routes later associated with the Silk Road. It also considers scholarship, bureaucracy and social strain, explaining both the dynasty’s durability and the crises that ended its first phase.
