Chinese ruling family 206 BC–AD 220 established by Liu Bang (256–195 BC) after he overthrew the Qin dynasty, and named for the Han River. There was territorial expansion to the W, SW, and N, including the conquest of Korea by emperor Wudi (Wu-ti, ruled 141–87 BC) and the suppression of the Xiongnu invaders. Under the Han, a Confucianist-educated civil service was established and Buddhism introduced.
Divided into the eras of the Western Han 206 BC–AD 8 and the Eastern Han AD 25–220, it was a time of internal peace, except AD 8–25. The building of new canals allowed long-distance trading, while the arts and technologies (including the invention of paper) flourished. The dynasty collapsed under the weight of court intrigues, rebellions, and renewed threat from the Xiongnu, and was replaced by the Three Kingdoms.