This article is about the specific polity Han Dynasty and therefore only includes events related to its territory and not to its possessions or colonies. If you are interested in the possession, this is the link to the article about the nation which includes all possessions as well as all the different incarnations of the nation.
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Was an imperial dynasty of China established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao). The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty. This period of Chinese history ended in 220 with the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu (a period known as the Three Kingdoms).
Establishment
January 205 BC: After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, military leader Xiang Yu divided China into Eighteen Kingdoms. Among these, the Han Dynasty was established in Sichuan, Chongqing, and southern Shaanxi.
April 205 BC: Sima Xin (King of Sai), Dong Yi (King of Di) and Shen Yang (King of Henan) surrendered to Liu Bang.
April 205 BC: Zheng Chang (King of Hán) refused to submit to Liu Bang and was defeated by Han Xin in battle.
May 205 BC: In the fourth month of 205 BC, Xiang Yu defeated Tian Rong at Chengyang.
October 205 BC: In the ninth month, Wei Bao personally led an attack on Han Xin but lost the battle and was captured. When he offered to surrender, Liu Bang accepted his surrender and appointed him as a general.
Chronology
Interactive Chronologies with maps are available in the section Changes Navigation
Was an insurrection in the Qin Empire that lead to its demise.
Was a war between the two most powerful successors of the Qin Dynasty, Western Chu and Han, won by the latter which was able to reunite China.
January 204 BC: In -205, Liu Bang, a prominent military leader of the Han Dynasty, sent an envoy to meet with Ying Bu, the King of Jiujiang. Ying Bu agreed to support Liu Bang and rebelled against Western Chu, ultimately leading to the territory of Jiujiang falling under the control of the Han Dynasty.
January 204 BC: When Xiang Yu received news that Liu Bang had occupied Pengcheng, he led 30,000 troops to retake Pengcheng. Liu Bang was caught off guard and his army suffered heavy casualties and his family members were captured by Chu forces. After the battle, Han lost its territorial gains in Chu and the support of its allies.
January 204 BC: Liu Bang was the founder and first emperor of the Han Dynasty in China. The Chu-Han Contention was a power struggle between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu of the Chu Kingdom for control of China after the fall of the Qin Dynasty. Liu Bang emerged victorious and established the Han Dynasty in -205.
January 204 BC: Liu Bang was the founder and first emperor of the Han Dynasty in China. The Chu-Han Contention was a power struggle between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu of the Chu state following the collapse of the Qin Dynasty. Liu Bang emerged victorious and established the Han Dynasty in -205 in Yong.
January 204 BC: Liu Bang was the founder and first emperor of the Han Dynasty in China. The Chu-Han Contention was a power struggle between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu of the Chu state for control of China after the fall of the Qin Dynasty. Liu Bang emerged victorious and established the Han Dynasty in -205.
January 204 BC: In the eighth month, Chu's capital, Pengcheng, fell to a coalition force led by Liu Bang.
January 203 BC: The Battle of Wei River was fought in 204 BC between the Han and a combined force of Qi and Western Chu. The result ended with Han Xin conquering the Qi kingdom.
January 203 BC: Xiang Yu defeats Peng Yue, and conquers Xingyang.
January 203 BC: In 204 BC, the Yan kingdom surrendered to Han Xin.
January 203 BC: Peng Yue defeats Chu forces at Xiapi.
January 203 BC: Xiang Yu defeats Peng Yue, conquers Xingyang.
January 203 BC: During the Chu-Han Contention, Liu Bang, the founder of the Han dynasty, broke out of the siege at Chenggao and escaped to Zhao. This event marked a crucial moment in his struggle against Xiang Yu of Western Chu for control of China.
January 203 BC: Battle of Si River: Han forces conquer Chenggao.
January 201 BC: Following many battles and changing alliances, the Hàn kingdom defeated Chu and subdued all other kingdoms.
Was a series of military battles fought between the Han Empire and the nomadic Xiongnu confederation.
January 127 BC: In 128 BC, General Wei Qing, a prominent military leader of the Han Dynasty, led 30,000 men to battle against the Xiongnu tribes in the regions north of Yanmen. The Han Dynasty emerged victorious, expanding their territory and solidifying their power in the region.
February 127 BC: In -127 BC, following the victory at Yanmen, General Wei Qing of the Han Dynasty expanded the territory by conquering regions north of Yanmen from the Xiongnu Confederation. This military success solidified Wei Qing's reputation as a skilled military leader.
January 126 BC: In 127 BC the Xiongnu invaded Liaoxi, killing its governor.
January 126 BC: General Wei Qing captured the Ordos Desert region from the Xiongnu in 127 BC.
December 126 BC: In the autumn of 126 BC, the Xiongnu raided Dai.
January 125 BC: In -126, General Wei Qing of the Han Dynasty led 30,000 men into Mongolia, defeating the Xiongnu forces of the Tuqi King. They captured 15,000 men and 10 tribal chiefs in the battle.
January 125 BC: End of Xiongnu raid in Dai.
January 125 BC: In 126 BC, the Xiongnu Confederation, led by the powerful leader Modu Chanyu, dispatched three separate forces of 30,000 soldiers each to launch raids on the territories of Dai, Dinxiang, and Shang. This military campaign was part of the Xiongnu's expansionist efforts in the region.
February 125 BC: General Wei Qing advanced from Gaoque into Mongolia with 30,000 men and inflicted defeat to the Xiongnu forces of the Tuqi King and captured 15,000 men along with 10 tribal chiefs.
February 125 BC: In 126 BC, the Xiongnu, a nomadic confederation from Central Asia, sent three forces of 30,000 troops each to raid the territories of Dai, Dinxiang, and Shang. The Han Dynasty, led by Emperor Wu, eventually defeated the Xiongnu and expanded their territory.
January 123 BC: The Han court, led by Emperor Wu of Han, sent expeditions into Mongolia in 124 BC with over 100,000 troops. This was part of their efforts to expand their territory and establish control over the region, ultimately leading to the incorporation of Mongolia into the Han Dynasty.
February 123 BC: The Han court, led by Emperor Wu of Han, sent expeditions into Mongolia in 124 BC to confront the Xiongnu Confederation. The Xiongnu were a powerful nomadic group that posed a threat to Han territory in northern China. The Han military campaigns aimed to assert control over the region and protect their borders.
January 122 BC: During the spring of 123 BC, General Wei Qing, a prominent military leader of the Han Dynasty, led an army to Mongolia to launch an offensive against the Xiongnu, a nomadic confederation that posed a threat to the Han Dynasty's northern borders.
February 122 BC: During the spring of 123 BC, General Wei Qing, a prominent military leader of the Han Dynasty, led an army to Mongolia to launch an offensive against the Xiongnu Confederation, a powerful nomadic empire that posed a threat to Han China's northern borders.
January 120 BC: Chinese general Huo Qubing expelled the Xiongnu from the Qilian Mountains in 121 BC.
January 118 BC: In 119 BC the Han attacked the heart of Xiongnu territory.
January 118 BC: The Battle of Mobei in 119 BC was a military conflict between the Han Dynasty of China and the Xiongnu nomadic empire. The Han forces, led by General Wei Qing and his nephew Huo Qubing, invaded the northern regions of the Gobi Desert in present-day Orkhon Valley.
February 118 BC: The Battle of Mobei in 119 BC was a significant military conflict between the Han Dynasty of China and the Xiongnu Confederation in the northern regions of the Gobi Desert. The Han forces were led by Emperor Wu of Han, while the Xiongnu were under the leadership of their chanyu, Laoshang.
January 110 BC: In 111 BC, the Han Dynasty, led by Emperor Wu, successfully defended the Hexi Corridor from a large invasion force consisting of Qiang and Xiongnu warriors. This victory helped maintain Han control over the strategic corridor and prevented incursions into Chinese territory.
February 110 BC: In -110 BC, the Han Dynasty successfully defended the Hexi Corridor from a large Qiang-Xiongnu allied force. This victory was a significant achievement for the Han Dynasty, led by Emperor Wu, in maintaining control over the strategic corridor in northwest China.
January 100 BC: The Han empire, under the rule of Emperor Wu, expanded its territory by bringing the states of Loulan, Jushi, Luntai, Dayuan, and Kangju into tributary submission between 108 and 101 BC. This expansion helped solidify Han Dynasty's power and influence in the region.
January 71 BC: In 72 BC, the joint forces of the Wusun and Han invaded the territory of the Luli King of the Right. Around 40,000 Xiongnu people and many of their livestock were captured before their city was sacked after the battle.
February 71 BC: In 72 BC, the joint forces of the Wusun and Han invaded the territory of the Luli King of the Right. Around 40,000 Xiongnu people and many of their livestock were captured before their city was sacked after the battle.
January 59 BC: From roughly 115 to 60 BC, Han forces fought the Xiongnu over control of the oasis city-states in the Tarim Basin. Han was eventually victorious and established the Protectorate of the Western Regions in 60 BC.
January 59 BC: In or about 60 BC, the Han—ruled at the time by Emperor Xuan—defeated Xiongnu forces at the Battle of Jushi, during the Han-Xiongnu War. Afterwards the main part of the Jushi lands was divided into two states.
January 35 BC: After Zhizhi Chanyu (r. 56-36 BC) had inflicted serious losses against his rival Huhanye Chanyu (r. 58-31 BC), Huhanye and his supporters debated whether to request military protection and become a Han vassal. In 53 BC, Huhanye decided to do so and surrendered to the reign of the Han empire. The Han forces besieged and defeated the forces of Zhizhi Chanyu, and afterwards beheaded him.
February 35 BC: After Zhizhi Chanyu (r. 56-36 BC) had inflicted serious losses against his rival Huhanye Chanyu (r. 58-31 BC), Huhanye and his supporters debated whether to request military protection and become a Han vassal. In 53 BC, Huhanye decided to do so and surrendered to the reign of the Han empire. The Han forces besieged and defeated the forces of Zhizhi Chanyu, and afterwards beheaded him.
January 26: During the winter 10 to 11 AD, Han official Wang Mang amassed 300,000 troops along the northern frontier, which forced the Xiongnu to launch a large-scale attack in the Tarim Basin.
February 26: The Xiongnu forces left the Tarim Basin after a raid against Han official Wang Mang.
January 49: Eight tribes of the Ordos region rebelled under their leader Khukhenye (also known as Pi) against Pu-nu of Southern Xiongnu and submitted to the Emperor of China.
January 51: The Han took control of the Southern Xiongnu under Bi.
January 64: China lost control over the Tarim Basin, which was conquered by the Northern Xiongnu in AD 63.
January 64: Xiongnu's occupation of the Hexi Corridor in Gansu.
January 74: The Han campaigns were military expeditions led by the Han dynasty of China against the Xiongnu nomadic empire. The Northern Xiongnu, led by Chanyu, retreated to Dzungaria, a region in Central Asia, after facing defeat in 73 AD.
3.1.Han invasion of the Xiongnu
Xiongnu invaded what is now Shanxi province, where they defeated the Han forces at Baideng in 200 BC.
January 199 BC: Xiongnu invaded what is now Shanxi province, where they defeated the Han forces at Baideng in 200 BC.
February 199 BC: Xiongnu invaded what is now Shanxi province, where they defeated the Han forces at Baideng in 200 BC.
3.2.Battle of Yiwulu
In 73 AD, Han General Dou Gu and his army departed from Jiuquan and advanced towards the Northern Xiongnu, defeating the Northern Xiongnu and pursuing them as far as Lake Barkol.
January 74: In 73 AD, General Dou Gu and his army departed from Jiuquan and advanced towards the Northern Xiongnu, defeating the Northern Xiongnu and pursuing them as far as Lake Barkol before establishing a garrison at Hami.
3.3.Destruction of the Xiongnu state
In 89 AD, General Dou Xian led a Han expedition against the Northern Xiongnu. The Han victory in the campaign resulted in the destruction of the Xiongnu state.
July 89: In 89 AD, General Dou Xian, a prominent military leader of the Han Dynasty, led an expedition against the Northern Xiongnu in Kumul/Hami (Xinjiang). The successful campaign resulted in the destruction of the Xiongnu state, solidifying Han control in the region.
Were a series of three Han military campaigns dispatched against the Minyue state.
January 110 BC: Dongyue annexed by the Han Empire.
4.1.First Intervention (Han campaigns against Minyue)
Han military campaign in response to Minyue's invasion of Eastern Ou.
January 137 BC: In 138 BC, Han naval force led by Zhuang Zhu departed from Shaoxing towards Minyue. The Minyue, led by King Zouman, surrendered before Han troops arrived, leading to their withdrawal from Eastern Ou.
4.2.Second Han campaign against Minyue
Han military campaign to intervene in a war between Minyue and Nanyue.
January 134 BC: An army led by the generals Wang Hui and Han Anguo was ordered to invade Minyue. Panicked at news of an invasion, the younger brother of the Minyue king Zou Ying, Zou Yushan, conspired with the royal court to depose Ying. Yushan killed his brother with a spear, decapitated the corpse, and sent the head to Wang. The Han forces withdrew soon after. After the assassination, Minyue was succeeded by a state divided into a dual monarchy composed of the kingdom of Minyue, controlled by a Han proxy ruler, and the kingdom of Dongyue, ruled by Zou Yushan.
Was a military conflict between the Han Empire and the Nanyue kingdom in modern Guangdong, Guangxi, and Northern Vietnam.
January 110 BC: The Han forces launched a punitive campaign against Nanyue and conquered it in 111 BC.
Was a series of military campaigns and expeditions by the Chinese Han dynasty against the Kingdom of Dian in modern Yunnan.
January 108 BC: Dian was placed under Han rule in 109 BC, after Emperor Han Wudi dispatched an army against the kingdom as the empire expanded southward.
The Han conquest of Gojoseon was a campaign launched by Emperor Wu of Han China against Wiman Joseon between 109 and 108 BCE.
January 107 BC: In 108 BC, the Han dynasty of China invaded and conquered Wiman Joseon.
January 190 BC: The realm of Dong'ou was given to Zou Yao by Emperor Gaozu of Han in 192 BC.
January 110 BC: Under Han Emperor Wu it became 111 BC. incorporated into the prefecture of Zangke (牂柯郡).
January 110 BC: Territorial change based on available maps.
January 100 BC: By 100 BC, the Dayuan were defeated by the Han dynasty in the Han-Dayuan war.
January 76 BC: Chinese dynasties took direct control of the kingdom some time after 77 BC, and it was later known in Chinese as Shanshan.
January 2: Goguryeo developed from a league of various Yemaek tribes to an early state and rapidly expanded its power.
January 9: The Xin Dynasty was short-lived Chinese dynasty established by the Han dynasty consort kin Wang Mang, who usurped the throne of Emperor Ping of Han.
October 23: After Wang's death, the Han monarch was restored by Liu Xiu, a distant descendant of Emperor Jing of Han, therefore the Xin dynasty is often considered an interregnum period of the Han dynasty, dividing it into the Western Han (or "Former Han") and the Eastern Han (or "Later Han").
January 31: During the widespread rebellion against Wang Mang, the state of Goguryeo, led by King Taejo, took advantage of the chaos to raid Han's Korean commanderies. It wasn't until AD 30 that the Han Dynasty was able to regain control over the region.
January 31: Kujula Kadphises unites Yuezhi tribes into a confederation .
January 41: Vietnamese resistance to Han rule culminated in the rebellion of the Trưng Sisters, who expelled the Han in 40 AD and briefly ruled Vietnam.
January 44: The Trung Sisters were defeated by the returning Han Chinese army in 43 AD.
January 57: In 56, Xian, the king of Yarkent, conquered Khotan. He appointed Yulin as the king of Ligui and made his brother, Weishi, the new king of Khotan. This expansion of Xian's territory solidified his power and influence in the region.
January 79: Ban Chao, a Chinese General, subdues the Khotan Kingdom.
January 92: Han Dynasty general Ban Chao, with the aid of the Kushan Empire, was able to subdue the regions of Kashgar and Sogdiana.
January 94: After the downfall of the Xiongnu, the Xianbei replaced them with a loose confederacy from AD 93.
January 101: Kushan emperor Vima Kadphises (c. 95 - c. 127) conquers territories in Bactria.
January 106: Khotan regained its independence.
January 112: The Kingdom of Kucha was an ancient Buddhist kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin.
January 128: Shule becomes a tributary of the Eastern Han.
January 156: Around 155, the northern Xiongnu were "crushed and subjugated" by the Xianbei.
January 167: The Xianbei chief, known by the Chinese as Tanshihuai, advanced upon and defeated the Wusun people of the Ili region by 166. Under Tanshihuai, the Xianbei extended their territory from the Ussuri to the Caspian Sea.
January 220: Towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, Liu Bei, a warlord and distant relative of the Han imperial clan, rallied the support of many capable followers. Liu Bei conquered parts of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan) in 208, took over Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) from the warlord Liu Zhang between 212 and 214 and wrestled control of Hanzhong from his rival Cao Cao in 219. Afterwards, Liu Bei proclaimed himself King of Hanzhong.
December 220: Emperor Xian of Han was forced to abdicate by Cao Pi who established the state of Cao Wei with himself as the new emperor. This event marked the formal end of the Han dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms period in China.
Disestablishment
January 220: Towards the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, Liu Bei, a warlord and distant relative of the Han imperial clan, rallied the support of many capable followers. Liu Bei conquered parts of Jing Province (covering present-day Hubei and Hunan) in 208, took over Yi Province (covering present-day Sichuan and Chongqing) from the warlord Liu Zhang between 212 and 214 and wrestled control of Hanzhong from his rival Cao Cao in 219. Afterwards, Liu Bei proclaimed himself King of Hanzhong.
December 220: Emperor Xian of Han was forced to abdicate by Cao Pi who established the state of Cao Wei with himself as the new emperor. This event marked the formal end of the Han dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms period in China.
Han Dynasty
