Han Dynasty for Kids ｜ Bedtime History

Have you heard of a country called China? 1.4 billion people live in China, more people than any other country in the world. Around 19% of the world is Chinese, which means around 1 in 5 people. The Chinese have a very interesting history, which goes back thousands of years. Their civilizations were vast and powerful, and they invented many useful things. Tonight we're going to learn about the Han dynasty, which ruled China for over 400 years. China is located in the east, which is across the Pacific Ocean from the United States, then below Russia and above India. Like many civilizations, China changed over the years as emperors replaced other emperors. An emperor is the same thing as a king in China. Gaozu was the first emperor of the Han dynasty in 200 BC. He formed the new capital of Chaoanqi along the Wei River. His first move was to replace smaller kings over the different regions with his own relatives, which he first thought was a good idea. But these relatives ended up being just as difficult, often trying to take over his role as emperor. With Gaozu as emperor, Confucianism became the main philosophy in China. It started with a man named Confucius, who wrote about how people should treat each other and behave. He wrote that people should be honest and trustworthy. They should be loyal to their leaders, parents, and parents should love their children, and children should love their parents. A follower named Fu Shang had saved the books of Confucius, and under Emperor Gaozu, universities were established all over China to share his teachings. Before long, 30,000 students were studying Confucianism. For many years, the Chinese people worshipped their ancestors. The emperor worshipped his ancestors too, and he and most families made ritual sacrifices to them and to other spirits. Taoism was another religion practiced during the Han Dynasty, and during this time Buddhism was also introduced to China. For every civilization, trade is an important way for people to get things they need. In 138 BC, a man named Zheng Chen was sent by the emperor to explore the west. On the way, most of his party was captured, but Zheng Chen continued on until reaching Afghanistan. There he discovered goods the Chinese would find useful like horses, and gold and silver, and could be traded for. Zheng Chen hurried back to the emperor and told him about the trade route. Soon many Chinese were moving along this trade route, connecting the east and the west. Some of the main goods China traded to the countries in the west were tea, perfumes, precious stones, and silk. For this reason, it became known as the Silk Road, and was used for hundreds of years afterward for trade between the east and the west. The people of the Han Dynasty were also known for their beautiful artwork. We know this because many of the tombs were decorated with paintings and pottery and carved stones. For example, the tomb of the Wu family had 3,000 figures carved from silver, bronze, and jade. The Han Dynasty is also known for its invention of paper. The Chinese people took items like bamboo, rags, fishnets, and tree bark, and pounded them down and then mixed them with water. Next they spread it out flat and let it dry. This new invention quickly spread throughout the empire. Another important invention was writing. During the Han Dynasty, someone wrote the first Chinese dictionary, and historians began recording the history of the Chinese people, which is why we know so much about them today. Like all great dynasties, Gaozu's ended when someone more cunning and powerful took over. Wang Meng became the next emperor and broke with many of the old dynasty's traditions, and called his a new dynasty. The first thing he did was took the farms from many of the wealthy families and gave them back to the peasants, or the poor people. This angered many of the smaller kings, and before long a new emperor, Lei Xu, controlled the Han Dynasty. At this time, the dynasty was mostly controlled by young teenage boys, who were power hungry and always trying to get the best of each other, which only led to more trouble in the palace. Before long, the next person wanting to be emperor raised an army and conquered the palace, leading to the end of the Han Dynasty. But incredibly, at 400 years, this dynasty was the longest lasting of all dynasties in the history of China. It also set the standard for future dynasties, which sought to emulate its success. Today, China is one of the largest countries in seeing much growth, and has its history to thank for it.