The Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Han Dynasty was ruled by the family known as the Liu clan who had peasant origins. The reign of the Han Dynasty, lasting over 401 years, is commonly considered within China to be one of the greatest periods in the history of China. Today, the ethnic majority of China still refer to themselves as the "Han people".
During the Han Dynasty, China officially became a Confucian state, agriculture, handicrafts and commerce flourished, and the population reached over 56 million people. During the Han Dynasty, paper was invented. The idea of Acupunture, and even the world's first instrument used to track earthquakes was invented during this time. Meanwhile, the empire extended its political, cultural influence, and territory over much of Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam, and Central Asia before it finally collapsed under a combination of domestic and external pressures. The empire expanded westward to the Tarim Basin, with military expeditions as far west as the Caspian Sea, making possible a relatively safe and secure caravan and mercantile traffic across Central Asia. The paths of caravan traffic came to be known as the "Silk Road" because the route was used to export Chinese silk.
During the Han Dynasty, China officially became a Confucian state, agriculture, handicrafts and commerce flourished, and the population reached over 56 million people. During the Han Dynasty, paper was invented. The idea of Acupunture, and even the world's first instrument used to track earthquakes was invented during this time. Meanwhile, the empire extended its political, cultural influence, and territory over much of Korea, Mongolia, Vietnam, and Central Asia before it finally collapsed under a combination of domestic and external pressures. The empire expanded westward to the Tarim Basin, with military expeditions as far west as the Caspian Sea, making possible a relatively safe and secure caravan and mercantile traffic across Central Asia. The paths of caravan traffic came to be known as the "Silk Road" because the route was used to export Chinese silk.