Answer:
By the time the Qin Dynasty collapsed in 207 BCE, eighteen separate kingdoms had declared their independence. The Han and Chu states emerged as the most powerful, but the Han state was the victor of the Chu-Han Contention, a four-year civil war. Gaozu, who had been born a peasant, founded the Han Dynasty in 202 BCE, reunifying ChinaKey Points
The Han Dynasty put an end to civil war and reunified China in 202 BCE, ushering in a golden age of peace and prosperity during which progress and cultural development took place.
The Western Han period continued a lot of the Qin’s policies, but modified them with Confucian ideals. Because of this, the Han lasted far longer than the harsher Qin Dynasty—
the Western Han period in particular lasted until 9 CE, when there was a brief rebellion.
One of the most exalted Han emperors was Emperor Wu. He made Confucianism the official philosophy, encouraged reciprocity between the state and its people, reformed the economy and agriculture, made contact with India, defended China from the Huns, and doubled the size of the empire.
Rebellions and external threats posed challenges to the Western Han, but it was able to survive.
Key Terms
four occupations: A hierarchy in which aristocratic scholars had the highest social status, followed by farmers, then craftsmen and artisans, and finally merchants.
golden age: A happy age of peace and prosperity; a time of great progress or achievement.
patrilineal: Descent through the male line in a family.
xian: Mythical afterlife paradise during the Han Dynasty.
socialism: A political philosophy based on principles of community decision making, social equality, and the avoidance of economic and social exclusion, with preference to community goals over individual ones.
laissez-faire: A policy of governmental non-interference in economic affairs.
Chu-Han Contention: A four-year (206-202 BCE) civil war between the Chu and Han states.
Explanation:
The Han Dynasty would become one of the most important and long-lasting dynasties in all of Chinese history. It would rule China for over four hundred years, from 206 BCE-220 CE, and ushered in a golden age of peace, prosperity, and development. Today, both the majority ethnic group in China and Chinese script are called Han
