Han: Map & History
The golden age of classical Chinese civilization, founding the imperial civil service, inventing paper, and establishing the trans-Eurasian Silk Road.
Wikipedia Encyclopedic Compendium
Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
The golden age of classical Chinese civilization, founding the imperial civil service, inventing paper, and establishing the trans-Eurasian Silk Road.
Modern Countries Once Part of Han
At its mapped extent, Han covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Han's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Han: Key Facts
| Capital | Manisa |
|---|---|
| Official language | Turkish |
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 1313 |
| Dissolved | 1412 |
Facts from Wikidata Q1968654 (CC0).
Han Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Han appears, with the other states of the time.
Imperial History & Territorial Expansion
Established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gaozu) following the fall of the short-lived Qin dynasty, the Han Dynasty consolidated Chinese identity to the degree that China’s majority ethnic group still calls themselves "Han people." Under Emperor Wu of Han, the empire expanded westward through the Hexi Corridor, dispatching diplomat Zhang Qian to Central Asia and opening the legendary Silk Road.
Han Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Liu Bang defeats Xiang Yu and establishes Western Han with capital at Chang'an.
Diplomatic expedition pioneers the Silk Road routes through Central Asia.
Emperor Guangwu overthrows Wang Mang’s Xin dynasty and moves capital to Luoyang.
Cai Lun presents refined paper-making technology to the imperial court.
Cao Pi accepts abdication, concluding the dynasty and initiating the Three Kingdoms period.
Key Monarchs, Architects & Strategists
Enduring Planetary Legacy
- ✓Invention of paper (Cai Lun, 105 CE) revolutionizing record-keeping and literacy
- ✓Establishment of the Imperial Academy and Confucian civil service examinations
- ✓Opening of the overland Silk Road trade arteries through the Hexi Corridor
- ✓Compilation of the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) by Sima Qian
Han: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Han exist?
Han is dated to 202 BCE – 9 CE (Western) / 25–220 CE (Eastern), in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Han?
The capital of Han was Chang'an (Western Han), Luoyang (Eastern Han).
How large was Han at its peak?
At its peak in 100 BC Han covered about 1,310,598 km².