Fire over Luoyang: A History of the Later Han Dynasty 23-220 Ad (Sinica Leidensia) (Sinica Leidensia, 134)

The Later Han Dynasty, Also Known As Eastern Han, Ruled China For The First Two Centuries Of The Christian Era. Comparable In Extent And Power To The Early Roman Empire, It Dominated East Asia From Present-day Vietnam To The Mongolian Steppe. Rafe De Crespigny Presents Here The First Full Account Of This Period In Chinese History To Be Found In A Western Language. Commencing With A Detailed Account Of The Imperial Capital, The History Describes The Nature Of Government, The Expansion Of The Chinese People To The South, The Conflicts Of Scholars And Officials With Eunuchs At Court, And The Final Collapse Which Followed The Rebellion Of The Yellow Turbans And The Rise Of Regional Warlords--provided By Publisher. Introduction: The Emperors Of Han; Chronology Of The Later Han Dynasty -- Imperial Capital -- Emperor Ming And Emperor Zhang (57-88) -- The Reign Of Emperor He (88-106) -- The Dowager Deng And Emperor An (106-125) -- The Reign Of Emperor Shun (125-144) -- The Hegemony Of Liang Ji (144-159) -- Emperor Huan And The Eunuchs (159-168) -- Emperor Ling : Disordered Government (169-184) -- End Of An Empire (185-189) -- Epilogues And Conclusions (part I, Elegy For A Lost Capital; Part Ii, What Went Wrong? : Reflections On A Ruin). By Rafe De Crespigny. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 513-542) And Index. Contents 7 List of Illustrations, Maps and Tables 10 Introduction 13 Acknowledgements 17 The Emperors of Han 18 Part I: Former Han 18 Part II: Later Han 19 Chronology of the Later Han Dynasty 20 Chronology of the Later Han Dynasty 20 Chapter 1 29 Imperial Capital* 29 Luoyang and Its Surroundings 29 Emperor Guangwu and His New Capital 40 Formalities and Government 46 City, Suburbs and People 64 Parks, Pleasure-Grounds and Tombs 73 Chapter 2 83 Emperor Ming and Emperor Zhang (57–88) 83 Chronology 83 Imperial Succession 84 The Government of Emperor Ming 94 The Government of Emperor Zhang 111 Empress Dou and the Boy from the Harem 120 Chapter 3 129 The Reign of Emperor He (88–106) 129 Chronology 129 Triumph in the Steppe 130 The Fall of the Dou Family 139 The Peoples of the West 148 The Government of Emperor He 153 The Military Structure of Later Han 160 Peace and Settlement? 176 Chapter 4 181 The Dowager Deng and Emperor An (106–125) 181 Chronology 181 The Child Emperors and the Regency 182 The Rebellion of the Qiang 189 Problems of Finance 202 The Government of the Dowager 211 The Favourites of Emperor An 219 Chapter 5 232 The Reign of Emperor Shun (125–144) 232 Chronology 232 The Destruction of the Yan Clan 233 Emperor Shun and the Reformers 237 The Rise of the Liang Family 250 Barbarians, Migrants and Rebels 256 People and Land 269 Chapter 6 281 The Hegemony of Liang Ji (144–159) 281 Chronology 281 Liang Ji and the Puppets 282 Rebel Emperors and Great Peace 286 The Government of Liang Ji 290 Great Families in the Provinces 306 The Fall of the House of Liang 315 Chapter 7 322 Emperor Huan and the Eunuchs (159–168)* 322 Chronology 322 Imperial Favourites 323 Problems of Finance 333 Gentlemen and Eunuchs 336 Imperial Consorts and the Worship of Huang-Lao 347 The First Faction Incident 363 Invitation to Genocide 369 Chapter 8 373 Emperor Ling: Disordered Government (169–184) 373 Chronology 373 The Dou Family and the Eunuchs 374 Duan Jiong and the Barbarians 381 The Second Faction Incident, the Great Proscription and the Decline of the University 387 The Government of Emperor Ling 400 Tanshihuai and the Misfortunes of the Frontier 409 Yellow Turbans 414 Chapter 9 430 End of an Empire (185–189) 430 Chronology 430 The Loss of Liang Province 432 Imperial Extravagance 440 Imperial Succession 448 Slaughter in the Palace 454 A Note on the Dates of the Crisis 460 Dong Zhuo 461 Ruin of a Capital 468 The End of Han 477 Chapter 10 486 Epilogues and Conclusions 486 Part I: Elegy for a Lost Capital 486 Part II: What Went Wrong? Reflections on a Ruin 492 Bibliography 525 Index and List of Characters 555 Winner of the 2017 Choice Outstanding Academic Title Award The Later Han dynasty, also known as Eastern Han, ruled China for the first two centuries of the Christian era. Comparable in extent and power to the early Roman empire, it dominated east Asia from present-day Vietnam to the Mongolian steppe. Rafe de Crespigny presents here the first full account of this period in Chinese history to be found in a Western language. Commencing with a detailed account of the imperial capital, the history describes the nature of government, the expansion of the Chinese people to the south, the conflicts of scholars and officials with eunuchs at court, and the final collapse which followed the rebellion of the Yellow Turbans and the rise of regional warlords.