Emperors of the Han Dynasty

Emperors of the Western Han Dynasty

This spanned from 2016 BC to 8 AD

Han Gaozu (Liu Bang)

202 BC - 195 BC

Emperor Gaozu, originally Liu Bang (劉邦), was the first emperor of the Han dynasty. He established it after a 4 year civil war, and a peseant revolt.

Han Huidi (Liu Ying)

195 BC - 188 BC

Son of Liu Bang; Because he was not a capable emperor, the power was held in the hand of his mother, Lvhou.

Han Lvhou(Lv Zhi)

188 BC - 180 BC

Wife of Liu Bang; After Liu Bang died, she was in the seat of power although Liu Ying, Liu Gong and Liu Hong were the emperors in succession.

Han Wendi(Liu Heng)

180 BC - 157 BC

The fourth son of Liu Bang; He lightened the taxes and paid great importance to production thus promoting the development of society. Also he was a famously frugal emperor.

Han Jingdi (Liu Qi)

157 BC - 141 BC

Son of Han Wendi; He carried out serious measures like Wendi had done and obtained good results.

Han Wudi (Liu Che)

141 BC - 87 BC

The ninth son of Han Jingdi; He subdued the ethnic Xiongnu (Hun) invaders by wars. The Western Han was in its most powerful period during the reign of the Han Wudi.

Han Zhaodi (Liu Fuling)

87 bC - 74 BC

The youngest son of Han Wudi; He lightened the burden of the peasants and was on good terms with Xiongnu (Hun).

Han Xuandi(Liu Xun)

74 BC - 49 BC

Also called Liu Bingyi and the great grandson of Han Wudi; During his reign, the ruling position of Confucianism was strengthened and burdens of the people were reduced greatly.

Han Yuandi (Liu Shi)

49 BC - 33 BC

Son of Han Xuandi; The Western Han began to decline during his reign.

Han Chengdi (Liu Ao)

33 BC - 7 BC

Son of Han Yuandi; He squandered the countries wealth, which caused the country to decline.

Han Aidi (Liu Xin)

7 BC - 1 BC

Nephew of Han Chengdi; Although all kinds of social contradictions were sharp, he only believed in ghosts and gods to solve all the problems with the result that Wang Mang stole power.

Han Pingdi (Liu Kan)

1 Bc - 5 AD

Grandson of Han Yuandi; was really a puppet of Wang Mang. Later, he was poisoned to death by Wang Mang.

Ruzi (Liu Ying)

6 AD - 8 AD

He came to the throne when he was two years old. In 8 AD, Wang Mang claimed himself as the emperor and killed Ruzi in 25 AD.

Emperors of the Xin Dynasty

Wang Mang

9 AD - 23 AD

Nephew of the queen of Han Yuandi. In 8 AD, he became the emperor of the Western Han and changed the country's name to 'Xin' the next year. Although he carried out a series of measures, the society was in great disarray. His reign was finally overthrown by a peasant revolt.

Emperors of the Eastern Han Dynasty

(25 - 220)

Guang Wudi (Liu Xiu)

25 AD - 57 AD

He joined the troops to rebel against the Xin. After defeating the army of Wang Mang, he re-established the Han Dynasty making Luoyang its capital city.

Mingdi(Liu Zhuang)

57 AD - 75 ad

The fourth son of Guang Wudi; People lived a stable life during his reign. The famous White Horse Temple was built under his order.

Zhangdi (Liu Da)

75 ad - 88 ad

The fifth son of Mingdi; He was also regarded as a calligraphist adept at cursive scripts.

Hedi(Liu Zhao)

88 ad - 105 ad

The fourth son of Zhangdi

Shangdi (Liu Long)

105 ad - 106 ad

The youngest son of Hedi

Andi (Liu Hu)

106 ad - 125 ad

Grandson of Zhangdi; The social divide was increased and all kinds of social contradictions became sharp under his rule.

Shundi (Liu Bao)

125 ad - 144 ad

Son of Andi; Eunuch grasped the power to deal with the state affairs under his reign.

Zhidi(Liu Zuan)

145 ad - 146 ad

Great grandson of Zhangdi

Huandi(Liu Zhi)

146 ad - 167 ad