The Han dynasty lasted for about 400 years. Over 90% of the current Chinese population claim to be descendants of the "Han People" originating from this era. China was a name adopted from the previous dynasty, the Ch"in. In regards to historical time periods, the Han dynasty was the East Asian counterpart of the Roman Empire in its Golden Age. .
The Han Dynasty is dived into two parts; The Former Han, or Western Han with the capital city of Ch"ang-an and the Later Han or Eastern Han with its" capital at Loyang. The Former Han lasted from 202 B.C. - 9 A.D., while the Later Han lasted from 23 - 220 A.D. Their was a brief interlude between 9 and 23 A.D. when the reformer, Wang Mang, succeeded in capturing the throne in what is known as the Hsin Dynasty. .
The Han Dynasty formerly began with the ascension of a commoner to the throne, Liu Pang. Liu Pang was an able ruler wha spent most of his time battling the incursions of Barbarian marauders from the north known as the Hsiung-nu. He also incorporated governmental policy changes which incorporated more officials in policy-making and less reliance on the emperor. He also began a mixed campaign of ending feudalism in the eastern part of the empire while retaining strong centralized government control in the Western half. The end of pre-Ch"in feudalism and the adoption of the free-hold system was based on the belief that free men work harder then the serfs of feudal lords. This blending of government policy led to economic expansion, population growth, and a flourishing culture. Liu Pang ruled from 202 - 195 B.C. .
The next notable ruler in the Han line was Han Wu-Ti who ruled from 141 - 87 B.C. Emperor Wu continued the policy of strong centralization of government power coupled with defeudalization. The result was a transformation of feudal lords losing wealth and status and the land being turned into commanderies and districts.
