From the beginning of civilization to our modern era, a nation’s success has always corresponded with the actions of its government. Though government organization has varied over the years, this has never changed. During the Han Dynasty, beginning in 206 BCE and lasting over 400 years, quality of life and security for the Chinese people improved because of the powerful actions by the government. There were several reasons for the success of the government; one key example was Emperor Wu Di, the fifth Han emperor, who contributed greatly to the Han Chinese successes by incorporating a new philosophy, and using his economy and population to his advantage.
After the assassination of Ziying, the last Ch’in emperor, China was without a leader. Two leaders of the rebellion against the Ch’in, a bandit named Lui Bang, and a powerful nobleman named Xiang Yu fought for control. Surprising the masses, Lui Bang was victorious and seized the role of supreme ruler of China. Within 60 years, he and three other insignificant emperors had fallen until the uprising of Emperor Wu Di at age 15 (Immell 20-22). Soon after taking over China, he declared an innovative variation of Confucianism as the country’s official philosophy. Over the 400 year span of the Han Dynasty, the economy was able to thrive. This was due to the development of the Great Silk Road, the primary Chinese trade route (Immell 27); and the inventions of silk spinning and weaving machines, the iron plow, the wheelbarrow, milling tools, the stern rudder, a new horse harness, and a powerful furnace for converting iron to steel (Hall 53-55, 106).
One of the most essential innovations for the Han Chinese’ successes was the philosophy by which the government ruled. Emperor Wu Di blended the positive aspects of each of the original Chinese philosophies into new Confucian principals. From Legalism, the government made sure it was considered the highest authority, from Daoism, harmony and respect for nature, and from Confucianism respect for a hierarchy, and government involvement in peasant life (Immell 34, 42). This was the consensus throughout China which eventually led to the development of the Chinese Bureaucracy. The bureaucracy was made up of 150,000 citizens, each chosen by skill rather than birth status. Civil service exams were given about Confucianism to stress the importance of following the Five Classics, the basis of Confucian study (Immell 56).
China had an incredible population in comparison to the rest of the world at the time of the Han Dynasty. Their power was in numbers, as they possessed armies of hundreds of thousands of soldiers (Morton 54-56). The government made the best of their massive army; soldiers were well equipped with steel swords, plate and scale mails, and their new invention, crossbows and bolts. The soldiers were also well trained by skilled generals (Immell 22, 24). The powerful military dominated their neighboring nations in twenty five significant military campaigns throughout the dynasty; expanding into Manchuria, Mongolia, Central Asia and the South Tropics (Gernet 123). The government was responsible for developing a simply large army into a great and skilled one. They provided the army with quality equipment and employed the generals who trained the soldiers. The expansion directly improved the Chinese economy; as the size of the empire increased, the population did as well, meaning more tax money, thus resulting in more economic stability.
After a series of military campaigns by Wu Di, the great wall was expanded by 300 miles for extra protection. Hundreds of thousands of draftees worked on the project, and within a number of years the project was complete. Afterwards, the wall was maintained and defended by a sufficient count of soldiers. Garrisons were also set up along the wall and in major cities such as the capital, Chang’an (Morton 56-58). These projects were initiated and sponsored by the government. They proved to have lasting effects on protecting Chinese citizens who resided on the borders of the wall from Barbarian invaders.
For many years before Emperor Wu Di’s rule, China had served as prey for a barbarian tribe known as the Xiung-Nu. They constantly raided Chinese farms, riding on Mongolian ponies which allowed for quick escapes. However, for most of the invasions, they were disunited, and did minimal damage in small numbers. When they finally did unite, China’s borders were heavily plundered. In the early stages of the plundering, Emperor Lui Bang was focusing on the development of his economy, and decided to bribe the invaders instead. He offered to marry off a Chinese Princess to the Barbarian emperor, along with tributes of silk, liquor, rice, and money; putting an end to the raids (Morton 51). This specific action by the government stopped what could have led to China’s downfall. Had Emperor Lui Bang have ignored the issue, the outcome could have been disastrous; the barbarians could have continued raiding China’s borders, and eventually moved on to expanding within. Had he forced a war by retaliating (despite being in a weak stage); China could have been overpowered, possibly leading to a catastrophic sacking of the dynasty.
Over a half-century after the bribery of the Xiung-Nu tribe had begun, China had stabilized its economy and military. Emperor Wu Di decided it was time to cut the ties between China and the barbarians holding them captive. Beginning in 133 BC, invasions against the Xiung-Nu began. Between 129-119 BC, multiple invasions carried through, and by 119 BC, the barbarians had been driven hundreds of miles west. The emperor then sent thousands of settlers westward to occupy the land so that the Xiung-Nu could not reuse it (Greenblatt 17-18). This series of military assaults were well timed and well executed by the government. The bribery in the past was necessary, but the government realized it was time to end the oppression. The successful campaigns allowed for China’s resources to be used more productively, and not be squandered paying off weaker barbarians.
When Wu Di changed the official philosophy of the Han Dynasty to a unique form of Confucianism, he stabilized China for as long as the philosophy was closely followed (Immell 34). The philosophy stressed easing the burden on peasants, which Wu Di did exceedingly well. He understood that the country’s main source of income was agriculture, and that peasants formed the overwhelming majority of agricultural business in China (Hall 84). For the majority of the dynasty, taxation was extremely manageable for peasants. Peasant life was never enviable, but as long as after paying taxes they were left with enough of their crop to eat, peasants were content (Immell 71). For the times in which the government allowed peasants to live healthy lives, major rebellions were avoided and the country’s economy was kept stable.
One of the most powerful bureaucracy’s in ancient Chinese history developed during the Han dynasty. Aside from the emperor, bureaucrats were known as the “leaders of society,” and were regarded with great respect. The system was based on Confucianism, stressing the five classics. With each bureaucrat focusing on the same teachings, their thoughts were consistent. Though the emperor still had a greater power than bureaucrats, he depended on them to run small cities while he ran the country as a whole. The bureaucrats managed the tasks such as tax collection, law enforcement and promotion of Confucianism (Immell 56, 59). The bureaucracy was the backbone of the government. China was too large of a country for a single emperor to manage; the bureaucrats took care of small and behind the scenes jobs which allowed the country to function. The emperor was behind the success of such a stable government with his implementation of Confucianism, which allowed the people and bureaucrats of China to adhere a common goal.
Though most of the Han Dynasty had a very stable government, there was a small gap in the middle of two periods of Han China. In 9 AD, a man named Wang Mang usurped the throne in an attempt to start a new dynasty (Hall 96). His decisions were extremely bold, and for the most part, unrealistic. Soon after his usurpation, he attempted to nationalize China. He would have to reclaim land and private slaves from great noblemen and peasants alike. Wang Mang also decided to tamper with the currency; he soon found that neither the nationalization nor the currency change was possible in a country which had already been developed so far. The result was an unjust degree of taxation, harsh living conditions, and starvation. Wang Mang lost not only the approval of starving peasants, but of wealthy landowners fighting to keep their land as well. Rebellion broke out with haste, and the usurper was overthrown; China was in the hands of Han Blood once again in less than 30 years later (Morton 58). The result of this usurpation only further supports that Han China depended completely on a strong government. Under the short period of weak leadership, the empire nearly collapsed under famine and rebellion.
The Han Dynasty achieved great things and maintained a powerful empire for hundreds of years under strong leadership; while falling under weak leadership. The impact of philosophy, the strong economic traits, and the powerful military all branched off from the decisions of great Chinese emperors.
Bibliography
Gernet, Jacques. A History of Chinese Civilization. Cambridge: The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 1985.
Greenblatt, Miriam. Han Wu Di and Ancient China. Tarryton: Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2006.
Hall, Eleanor J. Ancient Chinese Dynasties. San Diego: Lucent Books. 2000.
Immell, Myra. Lost Civilizations: Han Dynasty. Farmington Hills: Lucent Books. 2003.
Morton, Keith Scott. China: Its History and Culture. New York: Lippincott & Crowell, 1980.
