The Silk Road derives its name from the lucrative Chinese silk trade, a major reason for the connection of trade routes into an extensive transcontinental network. The German terms Seidenstra?e and S ...
The Western Regions or Xiyu (Hsi-yu; Chinese: 西域; pinyin: Xīyù; Wade–Giles: Hsi1-yü4) was a historical name specified in the Chinese chronicles between the 3rd century BC to 8th century AD that ...
Zhang Qian was born in Chenggu district just east of Hanzhong in the north central province of Shaanxi, China. He entered the capital, Chang'an, today's Xi'an, between 140 BCE and 134 BCE as a Gentlem ...
Lajos Ligeti was the first to suggest that the Xiongnu spoke a Yeniseian language. In the early 1960s Edwin Pulleyblank was the first to expand upon this idea with credible evidence. In 2000, Alexande ...
An early reference to the Xiongnu was by Sima Qian who wrote about the Xiongnu in the Shiji (c.?100 BCE), drawing a distinct line between the settled Huaxia people (Chinese) to the pastoral nomads (X ...
These "era names" are not true "era names" in the sense that the era name system, as instituted by Emperor Jing's son Emperor Wu, had not come into place. Emperor Jing, in accordance to prior imperial ...
In 90 AD, General Dou Xian had encamped at Wuwei. He sent Deputy Cononel Yan Pan with 2000 light cavalry to strike down the final Xiongnu defenses in the Western Regions, capturing Yiwu and receiving ...
During the Warring States period, the Qin, Zhao, and Yan states conquered various nomadic territories inhabited by the Xiongnu and other Hu peoples. They reinforced their new frontiers with elongated ...
Taixue (Tai-hsueh; Chinese: 太學; literally: "Greatest Study or Learning"), or sometimes called the "Imperial Academy", "Imperial School", "Imperial University" or "Imperial Central University", was t ...
The exploration into Xiyu was first started in 139 BC, that Emperor Wu commissioned Zhang Qian to seek out the Kingdom of Yuezhi, which had been expelled by Xiongnu from the modern Gansu region, to en ...
The personal name of Emperor Wu was Liu Che(劉徹). The use of "Han" (漢) in referring to emperor Wu is a reference to the Han dynasty of which he was a part. His family name is "Liu" (劉): the ruling ...
These "era names" are not true "era names", but are retrospective, in the sense that the era-name system, as instituted by Emperor Wen's grandson Emperor Wu, had not yet come into effect. Emperor Wen, ...
Huang-Lao is a portmanteau word, with Huang referring to the Yellow Emperor (黃帝) and Lao to Laozi (老子 "Old Master").The term Huang-Lao first appears in the (109 – 91 BCE) Records of the Grand His ...
After achieving victory over the Dai kingdom, Han Xin and Zhang Er led an army to attack the Zhao kingdom at Jingxing Pass. Zhao Xie (King of Zhao) and his chancellor Chen Yu led a 200,000 strong army ...
Further information: History of the Han dynastyIn 221 BC, the Qin state unified China by conquering the other six major states and established the Qin dynasty. However, the dynasty lasted 16 years onl ...
