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The inception of Han Dynasty

Ying Zheng (嬴政) founded the Qin Dynasty (秦朝 221BC to 207BC). He
adopted the title of the First Emperor of Qin (Qin Shi Huang Di 秦始皇帝).
The First Emperor died in 210BC and the centralized power he created
collapsed. His second son Ying Huhai (嬴胡亥) succeeded him as the Second
Emperor (Qin Er Huang Di 秦二皇帝).

The Second Emperor was an idiot, unable to rule the vast Qin Empire. Riots
broke out every where throughout the empire because the vast majority of
the people had suffered too much under the severe rigidity of the Qin
government. People were deserting the Qin Government en masse. Everywhere,
soldiers were mutining against their superiors and the authorities.

The remnant aristocrats living in the six States of Chu (楚國), Han
(韓國), Zhao (趙國), Wei (魏國), Yan (燕國) and Qi (齊國), which were
formerly conquered by Qin, began to revive their former States and
establish their own Governments.

Xiang Yu (項羽) was an unknown person who lived during the time of unrest.
He was the grandson of a famous aristocratic general, Xiang Yan (項燕) in
the former State of Chu which was conquered by Qin in 223BC. Taking
advantage of the turmoil in the land, Xiang Yu killed the local official
in his home town. With the help from his uncle Xiang Liang (項梁) he
organized an army with the intention of destroying the Qin Government. In
208BC he installed Mi Xin (羋心) the grandson of the late ruler of the former
State of Chu as the King of Chu. Mi Xin was only a illiterate shepherd
boy. Xiang Yu used the puppet King of Chu to attract the patriotic
remnants of the former State of Chu. Thousands of men heard his call and
joined his army.

Altogether the newly formed army was about eight thousand strong. From
the region of Dong Jiang (東江 in present day Wu county 吳縣 Jiangsu
province 江蘇省) they marched Northwest and occupied a large terroritory
in the Qin Empire.

Liu Bang (劉邦), an ordinary peasant, joined the Qin army as an ordinary
soldier. He rose to the rank of an officer in charge of a town called Si
Shang (泗上) in Jiangsu province. One day, Liu Bang was ordered to escort
a group of conscripted workers to march North to help build the tomb for
the First Emperor. En route to the tomb site, many conscripted workers
ran away, leaving very few workers to escort. He thought that by the time
he reached the North all of them would have run away, and the Qin
Authority would punish him. If he could not reach the destination on time
he would also be punished for insubordination. Since he would most
probably be punished one way or another, he decided to rebel against the
Qin Authority. So, Liu Bang established a base in the bush and became a
bandit. Many country folk joined him. Most of his followers were rough
plebeians. With his followers he joined Xiang Yu's army.

Hoping to destroy the Qin Authority as quickly as possible, the King of
Chu encouraged every one to march West to Xian Yang (咸陽, in present day
Shaanxi province 陜西省), the capital of the Qin. The King of Chu also
proclaimed that whoever captured the Qin capital first would become the
ruler of that region.

It was a free for all. Liu Bang went to the Qin capital and swiftly
captured it before any of the other groups, whilst at the same time
inflicting no damage to the capital.

Xiang Yu, while marching westward towards Xian Yang, received news that
his uncle Xiang Liang was wounded in the battle with the Qin army at Ji
Yang (濟陽 in Shandong province 山東省), dying soon after. Xiang Yu turned
North to meet the Qin army which was commanded by Zhang Han (章邯) who was
the general in charge of building the Great Wall.

With victory in sight the Qin general Zhang Han pushed Northward in order
to destroyed the Kingdom of Zhao (趙國), another rebellious State formed
recently by the royal remnants of the former State of Zhao. The Qin army
surrounded Ju Lu (鉅鹿) the main city near the Zhao capital of Han Dan
(邯鄲). Xiang Yu ordered general Bu Ying (布英) to relieve the siege, an
effort which was unsuccessful.

Xiang Yu decided that he should personally lead the rescue expedition.
After crossing the Zhang He River (漳河) he gave the following orders:
(1) All the boats were to be scutted and sunk in the river,
(2) All the cooking vessels to be destroyed,
(3) All the houses along the river banks to be burned.
He told his troops that they were going to a battle of no return (破斧沈舟).
They were either going to win or die. Each soldier was only allowed to have
three days worth of provisions.

They fought battle after battle with the Qin army. After the nineth battle
Xiang Yu finally defeated them. Thus Xiang Yu's march to Xian Yang was
delayed.

On hearing that Xiang Yu was approaching the capital, Liu Bang, taking all
the treasures that he could find from the Qin's treasury and led his troops
to Ba Shang (霸上) near the river of Ba Shang (灞上) north from Xian Yang,
in order to avoid a collision with oncoming Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu eventually arrived at the capital. He was very angry as he
missed the fame for being the first to capture the Qin capital. He was
further infuriated by the news that all the treasure was taken away by Liu
Bang. He ordered his troops to kill all the royal members of the Qin
Court. Even the infant ruler of Qin, Ying Zi Ying (嬴子嬰), the baby son
of the Second Emperor, could not escape the butchering by the victors.
Xiang Yu also ordered all the buildings in the capital, including the
palaces, especially the biggest palace A Fang Gong (阿房宮) to be set
ablaze. The capital was razed to the ground and thus marked the end of Qin
dynasty, after in existence of only fifteen years.

After the destruction of the Qin capital, Xiang Yu ordered his troops to
prepare to attack Liu Bang. Knowing that Xiang Yu was furious and planned
to attack him, Liu Bang brought the treasure back to the capital and asked
Xiang Yu for forgiveness. Xiang Yu forgave him. After the transfer was
completed, Xiang Yu intended to take all the treasures back to the East,
his home base.

A few months later, after the situation had quietened down, a brilliant
officer of Xiang Yu advised him to settle down there and use Xian Yang as
the capital. He told Xiang Yu that the area had many unique advantages.
The only way that it could be accessed was through the narrow strip of
land between the hills and the Yellow River. Under these conditions it was
very esay to defend that region and he could sally forth at will from
there to wage war on any eastern rivals.

Xiang Yu ignored his advice. He wanted to go back to the East where his
home base was. He further emphasised that he wanted to go home in triumph
to show his hometown folks of his success. Not doing so to him was like
"to dress up with silk gowns to walk in the dark and where no one can see
me well dressed (富貴不歸故鄉﹐如衣繡夜行﹐ 誰知之者)". This officer was
annoyed and started telling other officers that Xiang Yu was like a: "just
freshly bathed monkey wearing a crown (沐猴而冠), which does not look like
human being at all but an animal. No wonder people are saying that Chu
people are like monkeys wearing hats. Once they take off their hats they
reveal their true identity, the monkeys".

Somehow Xiang Yu heard about the comment by this officer. He went berzerk,
ordering the arrest and execution of the officer for rumour mongering.

In 206BC Xiang Yu returned to the East. He established his capital in Peng
Cheng (彭城 present day Tong Shan city 銅山市 in Jiangsu province). Xiang
Yu installed the King of Chu as Emperor Yi( 義帝) and entitled himself the
West King of Chu (西楚王). He also rewarded titles of Kings and Dukes to
eighteen of other generals who had helped him to destroy the Qin Empire.
He posted them as rulers to different parts of the country. Liu Bang was
"honoured" as King Han (漢王), and was delegated to rule the wild-west Han
Zhong (漢中 present Nan Zheng county 南鄭縣 in Shaanxi province).

Getting sick of the puppet Emperor Yi, in 205BC Xiang Yu murdered him.
Liu Bang was furious and he called upon all the other Kings and Dukes to
revolt against Xiang Yu and avenge the death of Emperor Yi. A civil war
had begun, that lasted five years. The war mainly consisted of battles
between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu.

At the beginning of the civil war Xiang Yu was winning. Xiang Yu was a
brilliant military strategist. Liu Bang lost many battles to Xiang Yu. It
seemed that Xiang Yu was going to crush his rival who was no match with
him (as far as military tactics were concerned). However, Liu Bang had
under his command many good military commanders.

With his rude manners, arrogance and lack of political vision, the tide
turned against Xiang Yu. In the end he lost the war to Liu Bang.

In 202BC Xiang Yu was surrounded by Liu Bang's army at Gai Xia (垓下
present day Ling Bi county 靈壁縣 in Anhui province 安徽省). Xiang Yu was
very sad and near that that was end of him soon. At night he heard Liu
Bang's troops singing and he thought that they might have occupied all the
land of Chu "Si Mian Chu Ge 四面楚歌".

The next morning, while he was having breakfast with his wife Yu Mei Ren
(虞美人) Xiang Yu sang the song he composed:

力拔山兮氣蓋世 (力氣能拔起高山),
時不利兮騅不逝 (可是﹐ 天時不利於我﹐連烏騅馬也難再奔馳)!
騅不逝兮可奈何 (烏騅難再奔馳﹐怎麼辦呢)?
虞兮虞兮奈若何 (虞啊! 虞啊! 我要怎麼安排你)?

This was really the attitude of a hero Ying Xiong Qi Duan (英雄氣短)
and the sadness of a hero Ying Xiong Mo Lu (英雄末路).

That evening, Xiang Yu congregated eight hundred of the best horsemen and
broke through the seige. Liu Bang ordered five thousand cavalry to chase
Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu had only about one hundred riders left when he arrived
at Wu Jiang (烏江 present day Wu Jiang River in He county 和縣 in Anhui
province). Liu Bang's cavalry were on his heel. Xiang Yu continued to
fight. Finally he had only two riders left with him. Xiang Yu dimissed
them and told them to go their own way. There was a boat waiting to take
him across the river. The boat man was a headman of a village. He
requested Xiang Yu to get into the boat. But Xiang Yu refused and said
him,

"I started the revolution with eight thousand men from Dong Jiang (東江).
There is not a single man with me now. They all died in the battle
fields fighting for me. I am ashamed to face the Dong Jiang folks".

The boat man replied:

"Dong Jiang is not a little place. There are several hundred thousand people
living here. You still can be our King. You still can stage a comeback
Juan Tu Zhong Lai (捲土重來) ".

Xiang Yu responded:

"No thank you. I am too ashamed to go back to face the parents of his
dead comrades".

After saying this he took out his sword cut his own throat. The year was
202BC. Shortly after his death Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty
(漢朝) and was crowned as Emperor Gao Zu (高祖).

In October 196BC, Liu Bang led a punitive force to crush his rebellious
General Ying Bu (英布), who was the military governor of Huai Nan (淮南
present day in the bordering region of the provinces of Hubei 湖北省,
Jiangsu 江蘇省﹐ and Anhui (安徽省). During the battle, Liu Bang was
wounded by an arrow in the right shouder. Enentually the rebellion led
Ying Bu was crushed. Ying Bu, with about fifty of his followers left, fled
across the River of Huai (淮河) to Wu (吳 in present day Jiangsu province).
Wu Rui (吳芮), the governor of Wu was away hunting in a mountain. Wu
Cheng (吳成), the nephew of Wu Rui, received Ying Bu and his entuorage
and put them up in an official residence. That night, Ying Bu was murdered
by Wu Cheng who presented Ying Bu's head to Liu Bang.

On returning to the capital Changan (長安 present day Xian city 西安市 in
Shaanxi province 陜西省), Liu Bang detoured to his hometown Pei Xian (沛縣
in present day Jiangsu province). All the residents turned out to welcome
the favourite son, the Emperor. That evening they had a big celebration.
In the middle of the feast Liu Bang stood up and sang:

大風起兮雲飛揚﹐
威加海內兮歸故鄉﹐
安得猛士兮守四方!

Liu Bang danced while he sang because he was so happy.
劉邦隨即翩翩起舞﹐情緒格外激動﹐以至熱淚不能自禁。
他對故鄉的眷戀之情﹐與鞏固帝業的迫切心情﹐
眽眽地交織在一起。

Liu Bang stayed for more than ten days in his hometown. In November, he
returned to Changan through Lu (魯 present day Qu Fu county 曲阜縣 in
Shandong province 山東省). While in Lu Liu Bang went to pray to Kong Zi
(孔子 Confucious) in his grave. Soon after he had returned to the capital,
Liu Bang died. The month was April and the year 195BC.

From Shi Ji by Si-Ma Qian (史記司-馬遷)
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 2001

nnmm Monday, September 24, 2001 at 23:59:44 (PDT)

Did Jesus Christ ever travel to Tibet?

There was a Chinese documentary( made in China production )which had featured a temple in Tibet Johkang Temple hope my spelling is correct, and one of the monks briefed the reporter and showed the reporter the inner hall of the temple which 108 lifelike statutes of various arhats in different poses , the reporter was shown a caucasian statute and mentioned in unequivocal terms that this person was Jesus and that Jesus had studied in the temple and had mastered the teachings of Buddha and later went back to propagate the teachings in Israel.He had travelled by means of the silk route , many erudite scholars had commented on many uncanny parallel similarities in the parables & sayings adage between Jesus & Buddha , and the truth is ubiquitous comments?
Chinese Guy Monday, September 24, 2001 at 22:11:45 (PDT)

Hello, a Korean
It is defenitely necessary to keep proud of themselves. I think you can say that again.
If Korean pelple have the dignity and confidence enough to even ignore Japanese culture, you should make more efforts to have every countries know what Korea is all about and flow Korean culture into their countries, exeeding Japan so that you can feel Korea beat Japan.
Tak Monday, September 17, 2001 at 17:04:17 (PDT)

If you people can witness any 12 historical events from the past, what would it be?

---tell mines later!
nnmm Wednesday, September 05, 2001 at 00:29:26 (PDT)

Thanks all for the info. Now, I know the brothers may not have originally been called Mamik and Konak in their original Chinese language, but it had always been their military title!

Harut Wednesday, September 05, 2001 at 00:27:29 (PDT)

Hello Harut,

200 AD, China is ruled by the Han Dynasty . . . um mmm but not sure about the details.

Sorry, not sure, someone help this guy out! Tuesday, September 04, 2001 at 07:48:08 (PDT)

Disgusted Chinese,

For them, the truth hurts. History, we have no say. But, future we can build for the better. Remember, on this Internet, we are really like ambassadors to our own Chinese heritage and group. When we speak ill of others, we are speaking ill for an entire group. That is what those "ambassadors" of other nations and cultures are doing.
Chinese Guy Tuesday, September 04, 2001 at 00:29:19 (PDT)

Barev, Harut.

Now, I know we have long lost brothers on the old silk road!

Chinese history never mentioned a nation of Armenia, but I guess it was part of Iran back then?

The name "Mamgon" may have connotations with "Mangun" an often used military title during the Han Dynasty literally meaning "people's army."

Chenbakur, I think the "bakur" in Farsi (Iranian language) meant "bag-pour, or son of gods." It might have been used as a transliteration of the Chinese title for its emperors (tianji,---"son of heaven").

In 200 A.D.s, there were indeed rebellions and uprisings going on in China (near the end of the Han Dynasty). The "Yellow Turban" Revolt being the most famous of them. These wars caused many people to migrate out of China. Most went south (modern day southern China), while others went to Korea, Japan, Vietnam and of course Central Asia and the Middle East.

We Chinese are proud to have a connection with Armenians too. I like Armenians, as they also share a long mercantile, sojourning commonalities with Chinese.
aabb Monday, September 03, 2001 at 16:32:51 (PDT)

Barev.

That is an Armenian term for "hi." If any of you are unaware, Armenia is located in the former Soviet Union straddled between Iran and Turkey. Yes, we have had a sad history. But, we are also proud to be the first people to embrace Christianity in this world.

I would like to inquire, for those of you who know Chinese history, can you guys find out if there were any aristocrats or military figures around the 200 ADs who rebelled against the state and fled west to Iran?

Our history mentions the origins of one of our lordly families (Mamigonians) whose ancestors supposedly came from a land called "Chenastan" and whose king go by the title of "Chenbakur." Now, around 200 ADs, 2 Chinese brothers, Mamik and Konak had rebelled against the Chinese king (Chenbakur) and lost the civil war. So, they fled west and sought the refuge of the Parthian king in Iran. The emperor of China sought these fugitives from Iran and warned of war against the Parthians if it wasn't honored. The king of Iran, not wanting to offend the Chinese king and at the same time honoring his promise to the 2 rebel brothers made an agreement with the Chinese king (Chenbakur) that they will be sent to one of his western provinces (Armenia) where they will be exiled and unable to return to their Chinese homeland. The Chinese king made peace with the Parthians and agreed to the deal. So, the king of Iran ordered the 2 fugitive brothers and their rebel army to flee west and resettle themselves in Armenia where the Parthian king's brother was a junior king ruling there. There, the Parthian king of Armenia, King Trdat met the 2 Chinese brothers and settled them in a region of Armenia near the modern Turkish and Georgian borders. (At that time, Turks have not yet arrived in Middle East and Turkey was still Armenian populated).

There, in Armenia, the 2 Chinese brothers, Mamik and Konak resettled and multiplied to start a great clan which eventually in the 5th cent. AD themselves won the Armenian crown and military power. This was the story of our Mamigonian (or Mamikonyan) family.

Anyways, do any of you know what "Mamigon" means in Chinese? All Armenian family names have Armenian or Iranic root stems, but this family name does not. And, what does the "Chenbakur" title of Chinese emperors mean?

I am proud we Armenians have a connection with Chinese. Thank you.
Harut Saturday, September 01, 2001 at 21:38:30 (PDT)

Koguryo was ended by the Chinese sword. Its king and numerous slaves were deported to China (just as Paekje kingdom was also). So many Korean women were in China at that time that modern Beijing people look more Korean than Han Chinese.
Red Turban invasion Friday, August 31, 2001 at 19:43:55 (PDT)

Koreans and Vietnamese like to pretend that they have always kicked China's ass in history, when in fact, they were always on the defensive. Korea used to be a Chinese colony for hundreds of years, while Vietnam was a Chinese province for a 1000 years. Yes, you guys fought for your independence, but you didn't kick our ass because we fought in your home territory. If Korea or Vietnam were on the offensive against China, it'd be a different story. But face it, that's never gonna happen.
Disgusted Chinese Friday, August 31, 2001 at 18:29:27 (PDT)

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