Ban Zhou
Assignment 1 - Profile of a Historic Figure
The Han Dynasty which lasted roughly four centuries was considered to be the Golden Age in Chinese History. This was a period of technological and cultural advancements. The Han Dynasty is known for its very rich culture and strong concept on family; Intellect, Political disputes and Great Inventions. This essay will touch each aspect of the Han Dynasty proving why this was one of China's most powerful dynasties and how Ban Zhao, a great female scholar, shaped the lives of imperial women in her era, by helping them better understand their roles.
This Dynasty was established when Liu Bang who was the Prince of Han at the time, conquered the Imperial Army of Qin in the Wei Valley. This came about due to the disappointment and unhappiness that arose from civilians when the First Qin Emperor passed away due to illness and Qin successors wanted absolute power. The time period spans from 206-220 AD in which there was a big emphasis on unifying and expanding the Chinese Kingdom. Even though the Qin Dynasty had ended, the Han Dynasty still retained many of the rules. The dynasty was divided into two parts, the Western Han, also known as the Former Han that lasted from 206 BC until 24 AD and the Eastern Han, also known as the Later Han that lasted from 25 AD until 220 AD.
The Han dynasty had a clear distinction of social class. "It compromised of a three- tiered social system, Aristocrats and bureaucrats were at the top of this hierarchy followed by skilled laborers like farmers and iron workers. The bottom tier consisted of unskilled laborers such as servants and slaves. The emperor was at the top of the whole hierarchy."(Totallyhistory.com) These social classes dictated the societies status but not their wealth or power, and has influenced the Chinese social structure even with the end of the Han Dynasty.
During the Western Han Dynasty social class was highly determined by their garments, with black being
The Han Dynasty which lasted roughly four centuries was considered to be the Golden Age in Chinese History. This was a period of technological and cultural advancements. The Han Dynasty is known for its very rich culture and strong concept on family; Intellect, Political disputes and Great Inventions. This essay will touch each aspect of the Han Dynasty proving why this was one of China's most powerful dynasties and how Ban Zhao, a great female scholar, shaped the lives of imperial women in her era, by helping them better understand their roles.
This Dynasty was established when Liu Bang who was the Prince of Han at the time, conquered the Imperial Army of Qin in the Wei Valley. This came about due to the disappointment and unhappiness that arose from civilians when the First Qin Emperor passed away due to illness and Qin successors wanted absolute power. The time period spans from 206-220 AD in which there was a big emphasis on unifying and expanding the Chinese Kingdom. Even though the Qin Dynasty had ended, the Han Dynasty still retained many of the rules. The dynasty was divided into two parts, the Western Han, also known as the Former Han that lasted from 206 BC until 24 AD and the Eastern Han, also known as the Later Han that lasted from 25 AD until 220 AD.
The Han dynasty had a clear distinction of social class. "It compromised of a three- tiered social system, Aristocrats and bureaucrats were at the top of this hierarchy followed by skilled laborers like farmers and iron workers. The bottom tier consisted of unskilled laborers such as servants and slaves. The emperor was at the top of the whole hierarchy."(Totallyhistory.com) These social classes dictated the societies status but not their wealth or power, and has influenced the Chinese social structure even with the end of the Han Dynasty.
During the Western Han Dynasty social class was highly determined by their garments, with black being