Opinion/Editorial

The Han Dynasty: The Most Successful Chinese Dynasty.

Written By Leanne Hooper: Executive Time Traveler

               The Han Dynasty should definitely be considered one of the most successful dynasties in all of Chinese history. During this time, art, philosophy, and inventing flourished. Throughout most of the Han Dynasty people were wealthy which gave them more time to invent. The creations of silk weaving and paper making during its time is what makes the Han Dynasty the most successful dynasty.

               The invention of silk has had a huge impact on what the modern world is like today. It is because of their weaving styles that silk was considered an expensive article and was greatly traded throughout the world (Han Dynasty Inventions). The Han Dynasty's invention of weaving silk also paved the way for the creation of the Silk Road; hense the name "Silk Road". Without the success of the Han Dynasty, there would have not been such thing as the Silk Road, which has in turn spread Chinese culture across the globe. The Chinese culture is the most successful dynasty of all due to their creation of silk.

                The invention of paper is definitely the most important object that has ever been created. Not only has paper allowed historians to look more in depth into the past, but paper is everywhere in the modern world. Paper has carved so many paths and has opened so many doors for people. Almost every important event throughout history has involved some type of paper. This all traces back to the Han Dynasty when a man named Cia Lun decided that he wanted to create a skinnier, lighter, more affordable invention that people could record their thoughts on. Paper has certainly changed the world and because of that the Han Dynasty is the most successful dynasty in all of Chinese History.

Front Page News Story

CARVING THE PATHS OF THE SILK ROAD
Written By Leanne Hooper: Executive Time Traveler

        
                    The Silk Road was first dicoverd during the Han Dynasty. In 139 A.D.,a man named Zhang Qian was on a mission to create a military alliance with Da Yuezhi against the Huns. But ironically, Qian was captured by the Huns along the way and was held captive. After ten years of being held by the Huns, Zhang Qian finally escaped (Silk Road in Western Han Dynasty). He traveled west and eventually made it to Da Yuezhi. But when Qian arrived, the people turned down Qian's offer for alliance.

                    Zhang Qian decided to return to Chang'an, the capital of the Han Dynasty, after one year. On his travels, he tried his best to avoid the area controlled by the Huns by going on the outskirts of different civilizations. Unfortunately, Qian was again captured by the Huns, but he was only held captive for one year (Silk Road in Western Han Dynasty).

                    Zhang Qian was finally able to make it back to Chang'an. Emperor Wudi was quite interested in the information that Zhang brought back. He sent Zhang Qian on yet another journey to ally with Wusun, but Wusun did not have any interest in fighting against the Huns.

                   Quian then sent people into other states. By doing this, Zhang left traces in many other parts of the world including Southwest and Central Asia, and even as far as the Roman Empire. Zhang therefore became famous for pioneering the what is known as the Silk Road.

Invention of Paper

          



http://www.history-of-china.com/han-dynasty/invention-of-paper.html



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        One of the most important inventions created in the Han Dynasty was a new form of making paper. Although there were earlier materials used for paper such as cloth, rock, bamboo, animal bones, and wooded boards, they were not easy to use and were certainly not convenient. Instead, a court official named Cai Lun created a new kind of paper. This new paper was made from bark, hemp, rags, fishnet, wheat stalks and other materials (Four Great Invetions of Ancient China). It was thinner, lighter, smaller, and much less expensive. This paper also was durable and more suitable for brush writing.

Cai Lun developed the paper-making process in around 105 C.E., but his techniques were not spread to other nations until after the Han Dynasty had ended (Szczepanski). Surrounding nations, such as Korea and Japan, were the first to discover this new form of paper. They were then able to export the paper to other various parts of the world (Europe) and Lun's techniques quickly became popular.



The invention of paper has had a gigantic impact on the world today. Paper is used almost everywhere worldwide; in schools, at work, for road maps, and even for things like toilet paper and paper towels. Paper has also given mankind something to record their lives on. Without the invention of paper, historians would not know most of the information they have discovered about the past. Paper has definitely made the world what it is today.

Han Dynasty Map and Important Geographical Features



http://tbiegel.wix.com/reb-han#!page-5

                                
The Han Dynasty covered much of what today is known as China Proper and also some of Outer China. There were many major geographical formations in the Han Dynasty Empire. Some of those formations included rivers. The most important rivers in the Han Dynasty Empire were the Yellow River, the Wei River, and the Yangtse River. These rivers were used to help with irrigation systems on fields and also used with canals to transport goods from one river to the next. The rivers were a huge part of the Han Dynasty's economy. They supplied fertile land for people and they were also the main sources of water. Other important features found on this map are the two largest cities in the Han Dynasty, Luoyang and Chang'an. Because trade routes ran through these two cities, they were main spots for trade and work. The last important feature found on this map is the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall was extremely important to the protection from invaders into China.