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Emperor Wu of Han

Emperor Wu of Han
漢武帝.jpg
Emperor of the Western Han dynasty
Reign 9 March 141 BC – 29 March 87 BC
Predecessor Emperor Jing
Successor Emperor Zhao
Born Chang'an, Han Empire
Died 29 March 87 BC (aged 69)
Chang'an, Han Empire
Burial Maoling, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, China
Empress Empress Chen Jiao (陳嬌)
Empress Wei Zifu (衛子夫)
Issue Princess Wei the Eldest (衛長公主)
Princess Zhuyi (諸邑公主)
Princess Shiyi (石邑公主)
Liu Ju, Crown Prince Li (戾太子劉據)
Liu Bo, Prince Ai of Changyi (昌邑哀王劉髆)
Liu Hong, Prince Huai of Qi (齊懷王劉閎)
Liu Dan, Prince La of Yan (燕刺王劉旦)
Liu Xu, Prince Li of Guangling (廣陵厲王劉胥)
Liu Fuling, Emperor Zhao (昭帝劉弗陵)
Full name
Family name: Liu (劉)
Given name: Che (徹)
Courtesy name: Tong (通)
Era dates
Jiànyuán 建元 (140 BC – 135 BC)
Yuánguāng 元光 (134 BC – 129 BC)
Yuánshuò 元朔(128 BC – 123 BC)
Yuánshòu 元狩 (122 BC – 117 BC)
Yuándĭng 元鼎 (116 BC – 111 BC)
Yuánfēng 元封 (110 BC – 105 BC)
Tàichū 太初 (104 BC – 101 BC)
Tiānhàn 天漢 (100 BC – 97 BC)
Tàishĭ 太始 (96 BC – 93 BC)
Zhēnghé 征和 (92 BC – 89 BC)
Hòuyuán 後元 (88 BC – 87 BC)
Posthumous name
Short: Emperor Wu (武帝) "martial"
Full: Xiao Wu Huangdi (孝武皇帝) "filial and martial"
Temple name
Shizong (世宗)
Dynasty Western Han
Father Emperor Jing of Han
Mother Empress Wang Zhi (王娡)
Full name
Family name: Liu (劉)
Given name: Che (徹)
Courtesy name: Tong (通)
Era dates
Jiànyuán 建元 (140 BC – 135 BC)
Yuánguāng 元光 (134 BC – 129 BC)
Yuánshuò 元朔(128 BC – 123 BC)
Yuánshòu 元狩 (122 BC – 117 BC)
Yuándĭng 元鼎 (116 BC – 111 BC)
Yuánfēng 元封 (110 BC – 105 BC)
Tàichū 太初 (104 BC – 101 BC)
Tiānhàn 天漢 (100 BC – 97 BC)
Tàishĭ 太始 (96 BC – 93 BC)
Zhēnghé 征和 (92 BC – 89 BC)
Hòuyuán 後元 (88 BC – 87 BC)
Posthumous name
Short: Emperor Wu (武帝) "martial"
Full: Xiao Wu Huangdi (孝武皇帝) "filial and martial"
Temple name
Shizong (世宗)
Emperor Wu of Han
Traditional Chinese 漢武帝
Simplified Chinese 汉武帝
Literal meaning "The Martial Emperor of Han"
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese 劉徹
Simplified Chinese 刘彻
Literal meaning (personal name)

Emperor Wu of Han (30 June 156 BC – 29 March 87 BC), born Liu Che, courtesy name Tong, was the seventh emperor of the Han dynasty of China, ruling from 141–87 BC. His reign lasted 54 years — a record not broken until the reign of the Kangxi Emperor more than 1,800 years later. His reign resulted in vast territorial expansion, development of a strong and centralized state resulting from his governmental re-organization, including his promotion of Confucian doctrines. In the field of historical social and cultural studies, Emperor Wu is known for his religious innovations and patronage of the poetic and musical arts, including development of the imperial Music Bureau into a prestigious entity. It was also during his reign that cultural contact with western Eurasia was greatly increased, directly or indirectly. Many new crops and other items were introduced to China during his reign.

As a military campaigner, Emperor Wu led Han China through its greatest expansion — at its height, the Empire's borders spanned from modern Kyrgyzstan in the west, to Korea in the east, and to northern Vietnam in the south. Emperor Wu successfully repelled the nomadic Xiongnu from systematically raiding northern China, and dispatched his envoy Zhang Qian in 139 BC to seek an alliance with the Yuezhi of Kangju (Sogdia, modern Uzbekistan). This resulted in further missions to Central Asia. Although historical records do not describe him to be aware of Buddhism, emphasizing rather his interest in shamanism, the cultural exchanges that occurred as a consequence of these embassies suggest that he received Buddhist statues from Central Asia, as depicted in the murals found in the Mogao Caves.


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