Between the Han and the Tang: The Period

of (Relative) Disunion in Chinese History

By Eman M. Elshaikh

What happens between “golden ages”? Although not considered “golden”,

there was still a lot happening in China between the Han and Tang dynasties.

880L
Between the Han and the Tang: The Period of (Relative)
Disunion in Chinese History - Eman M. Elshaikh

After the fall of the Han dynasty

The Han and Tang dynasties are considered “golden
ages” in China’s history. A dynasty is a period of time
during which rulers from the same family are in control.
The rulers themselves are also known as a dynasty.

The Han dynasty lasted from 206 BCE to 220 CE. The
Tang dynasty stretched from 618 CE to 907 CE. But
what about the roughly 400 years between these two
golden ages? It wasn’t a period with many long-lasting
dynasties. Yet, it was still very important in Chinese
history. Much of what we think of as Chinese culture
first developed during this period.

For hundreds of years after the fall of the Han in 220

CE, China had many different rulers. Most were land-
owning warlords. However, there wasn’t much of a
centralized government. There was no strong central
power to hold the country together and keep order.

Immediately after the fall of the Han, China was split into
the Three Kingdoms (220-280 CE). This arrangement Visit this link to see a timeline of territorial changes during the
lasted for several decades before it fell apart. Three Kingdoms period. During this period, many different factions
controlled China, and these arrangements were very unstable. By
After the Three Kingdoms period, the Jin dynasty (265-
Qiushufang, CC BY-SA 4.0.
420) arose. The Jin dynasty lasted for quite a while.
However, it failed to unite China. After the first couple
of decades, the Jin Empire broke apart and became
unstable. Yet, there were many important achievements
during this period. They include China’s earliest legal
codes and many important construction projects.

A section of the Palace Museum copy of The Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies,
by the famous Jin dynasty painter Gu Kaizhi. Public domain.

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Between the Han and the Tang: The Period of (Relative)
Disunion in Chinese History - Eman M. Elshaikh

The years between the Han and Tang dynasties were full of wars. Indeed, there are many Chinese legends about
the brave warriors of the period. However, life wasn’t always easy for the average person. Millions lost their lives in
war. The lack of a central government made helping the poor and hungry difficult.

At the same time, millions of new arrivals moved into China following the fall of the Han. Most came from territories
to the north of China.

Becoming Chinese
In many cultures, newcomers have been looked down on. Often, they are seen as uncivilized or barbaric. This
was certainly the case with the new arrivals in China. Most of the newcomers settled in the north of China, where
they quickly gained power. China soon seemed as if it had split into two halves, North and South. Some historians
believe it actually did split into two separate dynasties.

The arrival of so many “barbarians” made many people feel the need to define what it meant to be Chinese. Art
became one way to do that. Many traditional Chinese arts from the southern region came to represent “real”
Chinese culture and society. Painting, poetry, and calligraphy featuring beautifully written Chinese characters
were seen as the very height of Chinese culture. Supposedly, civilized Chinese people could produce such art, but
Northern barbarians could not.

“Sunny after Snow” by Wang Xizhi. Wang Xizhi was a celebrated calligrapher, poet, and musician during the Jin dynasty. Public domain.

Over time, however, some of these divisions disappeared. As populations intermarried, newcomers adopted the
Chinese language and Chinese culture. Buddhism also helped to bring people together. Buddhist teachings about
suffering and attachment to the material world appealed to both the rich and the poor. The religion spread among
both the Chinese and the newer arrivals, uniting them both under a common set of beliefs. Buddhism also had a big
influence on Chinese arts, leading to new styles.

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Between the Han and the Tang: The Period of (Relative)
Disunion in Chinese History - Eman M. Elshaikh

Women’s roles also changed during these years, in

part because wars were so common. Many women
took up arms, and were honored for their bravery.
The thirteen-year-old master horsewoman and
archer Xun Guan (born around 303 CE) was one of
these celebrated women warriors. The legendary
warrior Hua Mulan was another.

A new center
Around the 580s, a nobleman named Yang Jian, later
called Wendi, managed to gain control of much of
China. Yang founded the Sui dynasty. The Sui gained
the support of military leaders from the north. This
allowed them to reunite many Chinese territories
under one leader. Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China. These Buddhist sculptures from
the fifth and sixth centuries show the unique Chinese Buddhist
The Sui helped to end mass hunger in China. They aesthetic. By Marcin Białek, CC BY-SA 4.0.
also reintroduced a system of examinations for
government officials, or bureaucrats. The result was
a better-run government. The Sui also began many
large-scale construction projects. One of the biggest
was the building of a vast series of canals that
connected many parts of China.

Unfortunately, these huge construction projects

needed a great deal of labor. Hundreds of thousands
of peasants were forced to do back-breaking work.
For one project, laborers had to dig up gigantic trees
and replant them many miles away. Not surprisingly,
these kinds of demands on the people didn’t make the
Sui leaders very popular. Social unrest soon began
increasing. To make matters worse, the Sui began
many unsuccessful wars.

Sui rule didn’t last very long. In 618, it was replaced

by the new Tang dynasty. Even at its height, the Sui
didn’t control quite as much of China as many other
dynasties did. Yet the Sui dynasty was important.
The bureaucratic examinations and the canal system
paved the way for a stronger state and a wealthier
China. Without the Sui, the triumphs of the Tang
dynasty would not have been possible.

A Qing dynasty painting depicting Hua Mulan. By Taipei, National

Palace Museum, public domain.

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Between the Han and the Tang: The Period of (Relative)
Disunion in Chinese History - Eman M. Elshaikh

Emperor Wendi of Sui, who launched the project of the Grand Canal. Painting by Tang dynasty artist Yan Liben (600–673), public domain.

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Between the Han and the Tang: The Period of (Relative)
Disunion in Chinese History - Eman M. Elshaikh

Sources
Dien, Albert E. Six Dynasties Civilization. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2007.
———.  State and Society in Early Medieval China. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991.
“Issues and Trends in China’s Demographic History.” Asia for Educators. Accessed October 4, 2018. http://afe.easia.
columbia.edu/special/china_1950_population.htm
Ebrey, Patricia, et al. Culture and Power in the Reconstitution of the Chinese Realm, 200–600. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press, 2001.
Stearns, Peter N. World Civilizations: The Global Experience. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007.
Swartz, Wendy, Robert Ford Campany, Yang Lu, and Jessey Jiun-Chyi Choo. Early Medieval China: A Sourcebook.
New York: Columbia University Press, 2014.
Twitchett, Denis Crispin. The Cambridge History of China. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
Wong, Dorothy C. and Gustav Heldt, eds. China and Beyond in the Mediaeval Period: Cultural Crossings and Inter-
regional Connections. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers, 2014.
Wright, Arthur F. The Sui Dynasty. New York: Knopf, 1978.

Eman M. Elshaikh
The author of this article is Eman M. Elshaikh. She is a writer, researcher, and teacher who has taught K-12 and
undergraduates in the United States and in the Middle East. She teaches writing at the University of Chicago, where she also
completed her master’s in social sciences and is currently pursuing her PhD. She was previously a World History Fellow at
Khan Academy, where she worked closely with the College Board to develop curriculum for AP World History.

Image credits
Cover: Zhang Fei on the Long Sloped Bridge Turning Away One Million Wei Troops with a Powerful Stare LACMA
M.84.31.42a-c, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zhang_Fei_on_the_Long_Sloped_
Bridge_Turning_Away_One_Million_Wei_Troops_with_a_Powerful_Stare_LACMA_M.84.31.42a-c.jpg#/media/File:Zhang_Fei_
on_the_Long_Sloped_Bridge_Turning_Away_One_Million_Wei_Troops_with_a_Powerful_Stare_LACMA_M.84.31.42a-c.jpg
Timeline of territorial changes during the Three Kingdoms period. During this period, many different factions controlled China,
and these arrangements were very unstable. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
A section of the Palace Museum copy of The Admonitions of the Instructress to the Court Ladies, by the famous Jin dynasty
painter Gu Kaizhi. Public domain. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu_Kaizhi#/media/File:Admonitions_Scroll_Scene_4_(Song_
copy).jpg
“Sunny after Snow” by Wang Xizhi. Wang Xizhi was a celebrated calligrapher, poet, and musician during the Jin dynasty.
Public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Calligraphy_Model_Sunny_after_Snow_by_Wang_Xizhi.jpg
Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China. These Buddhist sculptures from the fifth and sixth centuries show the unique Chinese
Buddhist aesthetic. By Marcin Białek, CC BY-SA 4.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yungang2.jpg#/media/
File:Yungang2.jpg
A Qing dynasty painting depicting Hua Mulan. By Taipei, National Palace Museum, public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.
org/wiki/Category:Hua_Mulan#/media/File:%E7%95%AB%E9%BA%97%E7%8F%A0%E8%90%83%E7%A7%80_Gathering_
Gems_of_Beauty_(%E6%A2%81%E6%9C%A8%E8%98%AD)_2.jpg
Emperor Wendi of Sui, who launched the project of the Grand Canal. Painting by Tang dynasty artist Yan Liben (600–673),
public domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sui_Yangdi_Tang.jpg#/media/File:Sui_Yangdi_Tang.jpg

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Between the Han and the Tang: The Period of (Relative)
Disunion in Chinese History - Eman M. Elshaikh
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