Classical Asian Civilizations: Rise and Fall of the Han DynastyThe Han Dynasty was often considered the greatest Chinese dynasty in terms of power and prestige. The Han Dynasty period was called the "Golden Age" largely because of its historic advancements in the arts, politics, and technology. The Han dynasty was preceded by the Qin dynasty of China and was first established in 202 BCE by Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang); Emperor Gaozu of Han was his posthumous name (Zhou, 2003). Ancient Chinese civilizations were largely dominated by monarchical control. The Han dynasty ruled China for nearly four centuries, from 206 BCE to 220 CE; The official start of the Han dynasty dates back to 206 BCE, where it was still under the rule of Emperor Gaozu. The official start of the Han dynasty took place after the Qin dynasty which ruled China between 221 and 206 BCE; the end of the Qin dynasty was largely unstable following the death of its first emperor Qin Shi Huangdi (Ebrey, 1999). The Battle of Giaxia (202 BCE) between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu would determine the next emperor of China; Liu Bang was victorious and this marked the founding of the Western Han Dynasty (Loewe, 1986). The Western Han dynasty was established in the imperial capital of Chang'an and was specifically chosen because of its strategic importance; all major roads converged on Chang'an and essentially formed the heart of the city. The Han Dynasty era can be broken down into two episodes: the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 9 AD) and the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 – 220 AD) ; interrupted by an era of leadership of the Xin dynasty (9 – 23 AD) (Zhou, 2003). The Han dynasty enjoyed many successes during its period of domination over China and one of the... middle of paper ......so much is the philosophy of Confucianism. The powerful and prestigious Han dynasty owes its great success to suicide. of Xiang Yu, strong centralized governments, advanced technologies, and the rule of Emperor Wu who adapted the philosophies of Confucianism, government monopolies, and military expansion that allowed the Han dynasty to remain in power for nearly 400 years old. The Han dynasty collapsed due to many internal and external factors; Internal factors that led to the collapse of the Han dynasty include administrative weaknesses, financial corruption, and heavy taxation. External forces for the collapse of the Han dynasty can be attributed to climate and desertification which played a role in the overall weakening of the Han empire. Although the Han Empire no longer exists today, the legacy of the Han Dynasty will continue to be the roots of modern Chinese culture..