Antiquity
Han Dynasty
- Period
- 202 BC – AD 237
- Duration
- approx. 438 years
- Greatest extent
- around AD 91
- Area (max.)
- approx. 4.6 million km²
Profile
Strength
Conscription, crossbow units and large cavalry armies; under Emperor Wu, armies of over 100,000 marched against the Xiongnu.
Famous figures
- Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu)
- Emperor Wu
- Wei Qing
- Huo Qubing
- Ban Chao
Wars & battles won
- Han–Xiongnu War (133 BC–AD 89)
- Conquest of Nanyue (111 BC)
- Conquest of Gojoseon (108 BC)
Wars & battles lost
- Battle of Baideng (200 BC)
- Yellow Turban Rebellion (184) weakens the state
Languages
- Classical Chinese
Period and duration
Han Dynasty — according to the map data from 202 BC to AD 237, roughly 438 years. The dates refer to the time the empire is drawn as its own territory on the world map; historians sometimes date its founding and end differently.
Greatest extent
Han Dynasty — greatest extent around AD 91: the mapped borders then cover about 4.6 million km², roughly 3.1% of Earth's land area. The area is calculated from the border lines of the map and is therefore an approximation.
Predecessors and successors
States that ruled the same territory directly before and after:
Before (203 BC)
After
Neighbours around AD 91
The largest states in the region at the same time:
Learn more
- Open the world map in AD 91 — tap the empire for a detailed description
- Han Dynasty on Wikipedia
- All 371 empires at a glance
Borders and dates: Cliopatria / Seshat Global History Databank (CC BY 4.0). Coastlines: Natural Earth. Text: Centaurian.