Han Wendi
| Emperor Wen of Han 漢文帝 |
|||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The emperor is seated and listens intently to his official Yuan Ang at Shanglin Garden.
|
|||||||||||||
| Emperor of the Han dynasty | |||||||||||||
| Reign | 180–157 BC | ||||||||||||
| Predecessor | Emperor Houshao of Han | ||||||||||||
| Successor | Emperor Jing of Han | ||||||||||||
| Born | 202 BC Chang'an, Han Empire |
||||||||||||
| Died | 157 BC Chang'an, Han Empire |
||||||||||||
| Burial | Baling mausoleum | ||||||||||||
| Spouse | Empress Dou | ||||||||||||
| Issue |
Liu Qi (劉啟), Emperor Jing |
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| House | Liu (劉) | ||||||||||||
| Father | Emperor Gaozu of Han (4th son of) | ||||||||||||
| Mother | Empress Dowager Bo | ||||||||||||
| Full name | |
|---|---|
| Liu Heng (劉恆) | |
| Posthumous name | |
| Xiaowen Huangdi (孝文皇帝) Emperor Wen | |
| Temple name | |
| Taizong (太宗) |
Liu Qi (劉啟), Emperor Jing
Liu Wu (劉武), Prince Xiao of Liang
Liu Can (劉粲), Prince of Dai
Liu Yi (劉易), Prince Huai of Liang
Princess Changping
Emperor Wen of Han (202–157 BC) was the fifth emperor of the Han Dynasty of ancient China. His personal name was Liu Heng.
Liu Heng was a son of Emperor Gao of Han and Consort Bo, later empress dowager. When Emperor Gao suppressed the rebellion of Dai, he made Liu Heng Prince of Dai.
After Empress Dowager Lü's death, the officials eliminated the powerful Lü clan, and deliberately chose the Prince of Dai as the emperor, since his mother, Consort Bo, had no powerful relatives, and her family was known for its humility and thoughtfulness. His reign brought a much needed political stability that laid the groundwork for prosperity under his grandson Emperor Wu. According to historians, Emperor Wen trusted and consulted with ministers on state affairs; under the influence of his Taoist wife, Empress Dou, the emperor also sought to avoid wasteful expenditures.
Historians noted that the tax rates were at a ratio of "1 out of 30" and "1 out of 60", corresponding to 3.33% and 1.67%, respectively. (These rates are not for income taxes, but property taxes, as the only ancient Chinese attempt to levy an income tax would come in the time of Wang Mang.) Warehouses were so full of grain that some of it was left to decay.
In a move of lasting importance in 165 BC, Emperor Wen introduced recruitment to the civil service through examinations. Previously, potential officials never sat for any sort of academic examinations. Their names were sent by local officials to the central government based on reputations and abilities, which were sometimes judged subjectively. He was said by Liu Xiang to have been fond of reading Shen Buhai, using his method, Xing-Ming to control his subordinates and devoting much time to legal cases.
...
Wikipedia