History is quite diverse, and all civilizations have had their share of good and bad times. Whether they were the biggest empires or simple civilizations that originally started off on a small peninsula such as Italy, all civilizations have had golden ages. A golden age is a time period of peace, prosperity, stability and several achievements and accomplishments. Whether it’s the golden age under the Gupta Empire or the golden age under the Pax Romana, they all share the same basic characteristics. But, what was the golden age under the Han dynasty like, why was it considered a golden age and what was the backstory behind it?
The Han dynasty had been established in 206 B.C and it ruled until 220 A.D. Previously, the Qin empire had been facing catastrophic problems. Emperor ShiHuangdi seeked to unite the entirety of China, which he was successfully able to do. However, he implemented very strict legalist policies and made that a part of the political infrastructure. Unfortunately, his successors also continued to use his policies. Consequently, this sparked enormous amounts of outrage and riots. Eventually, the Qin Empire collapsed and a peasant by the name of Liu Bang gained power. This was the official start of the Han dynasty.
Liu Bang decided to create the capital of Chang’an beside the Wei River. This was actually one of the territories of the antecedently destroyed Qin empire. Eventually, he claimed himself emperor and adopted the title of Gaozu. He stabilized the empire by indulging in nepotism; he replaced the kings with members from his own family.
Shortly after, Gaozu died and the empress Lu Zhi seeked to conquer the throne. Empress Lu Zhi murdered and injured many of Gaozu’s relatives. But, Lu Zhi was not able to maintain her success for a prolonged period of time. Gaozu’s son ended up pulverizing her entire family and claimed his glory as emperor.
Unlike the Qin dynasty’s harsh legalist policies, the Han dynasty instituted values based on the teachings of confucianism. Confucianism was far more appealing to the masses because it was far less rigid and provided much more leeway for governmental laws.
Life was far more viable and placid under Confucian rule. Confucian rule resulted in political and social stability. It was preached that a ruler should set an example and be a role model in order to help inspire others. Furthermore, the Civil Service Commission was invented. This ensured that government officials were elected based on merit and skill, as opposed to means by nepotism or any other illicit means. The ideologies of filial piety and the five key relationships amongst other concepts helped ensure social stability. Filial piety stated that one should respect their elders. The five key relationships involved relationships between the parent and child, husband and wife, older sibling and younger sibling, older friends and younger friends and ruler and subject. The latter of the two in these relationships owed respect to the other one, and had to be the first ones to initiate respect in the relationship. In return, the elder of the two in these relationships would give respect back and show their care and concern.
The development of the Silk Road was arguably the biggest contributor to the Han dynasty’s wealth, for the Silk Road was the center of commerce and trade. It all started in 136 B.C. with a man named Zhang Qian. Emperor Wu had ordered him to make contact with western tribes but, he ended up being captured by the Xiongnu tribe. However, he was able to escape and continued his expedition West. Eventually, he landed in Bactria and discovered the presence of Chinese bamboo and textiles. Confused by this discovery, he questioned the tribes how they got these goods. They confessed that the valuables had come from a kingdom in Afghanistan by the name of Shendu. Thirteen years later, he broke the news to emperor Wu. Additionally, he also stated that he planned a route to send a voyage back to Bactria. Gradually, this route expanded continuously and became what we know today as the Silk Road.
The Han dynasty is also recognized for its artistic achievements, most of which were decorated tombs. The Chinese believed in the concept of reincarnation, and the tomb could possess valuable items that would help them in the after-life. Hence, they filled it with items that might be of value in their future lives. Evidently, the tomb was not only an artistic achievement, but it also symbolized the religious beliefs of the Chinese as well. Tomb walls were decorated with murals or designs on ceramic tiles, and these visuals were believed to predict what events would unfold in the afterlife.
There were many technological advancements during the Han dynasty as well. Some of these inventions include the invention of paper, the junk with rudder, compass, silk, gunpowder, printing. These inventions were revolutionary, and radically changed the course of history.
The junk with rudder helped revolutionize travel across large bodies of water. Not only did this help with trading, but it also gave the Chinese an edge in military combat.
The invention of paper greatly helped to create more advanced civilizations. As a result of paper being invented, many important religious texts, governmental texts, literature amongst other important documents were developed and able to be printed. This caused an enormous uprise in literacy, learning and the sharing of knowledge. Ultimately, the invention of paper led to the development of printing.
The compass is a device that uses magnetic forces to determine which direction is north. This greatly helped sailors when traveling overseas, and especially when there were bad weather conditions such as stormy nights.
The development of gunpowder was a major breakthrough for the Chinese military. Gunpowder was the fuel for guns and cannons, and this made fighting wars much easier. People could fight from a longer distance, instead of going all out up front with their swords and other weapons.
Silk was one of the most profitable inventions of China. Silk was a cloth which was produced by silkworms feeding on mulberry leaves. Silk was primarily used for religious festivities, along with everyday usage as well. For instance, silk clothes were quite popular and highly in demand. In Rome, wealthy aristocrats would commonly be seen wearing silk clothes. In terms of religious festivities, kings were covered in silk at their burials. Christian priests would wear clothing articles that were composed of both purple and gold silk.
To sum it all up, the Han dynasty was a time period of great prosperity for China. Loads of cash flowed into the government through the silk road, technological advancements vastly improved the quality of life and there was much political and social stability. Not only was this a time period of great prosperity for China, but this time period also vastly influenced our lives today. What would our educational system be like if we didn’t have paper? How would we have fought wars if not for the invention of gunpowder? It is evident that we owe a great debt to the people of the Han dynasty. If it weren’t for them, our lives would be very different today.
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