Emperor Wu of Han | |||||||||||||||||
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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 |
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Burial | Maoling, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, China | ||||||||||||||||
Empress |
Empress Chen Jiao (陳嬌) Empress Wei Zifu (衛子夫) |
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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) |
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Dynasty | Western Han | ||||||||||||||||
Father | Emperor Jing of Han | ||||||||||||||||
Mother | Empress Wang Zhi (王娡) |
Full name | |
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Family name: Liu (劉) Given name: Che (徹) Courtesy name: Tong (通) |
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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) |
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Posthumous name | |
Short: Emperor Wu (武帝) "martial" Full: Xiao Wu Huangdi (孝武皇帝) "filial and martial" |
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Temple name | |
Shizong (世宗) |
Emperor Wu of Han | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 漢武帝 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Simplified Chinese | 汉武帝 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | "The Martial Emperor of Han" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 劉徹 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 刘彻 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | (personal name) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Transcriptions | |
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Standard Mandarin | |
Hanyu Pinyin | Hàn Wǔdì |
Gwoyeu Romatzyh | Hann Wuudih |
Wade–Giles | Han4 Wu3-ti4 |
IPA | [xân ù.tî] |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Yale Romanization | Hon Móuh-dai |
Jyutping | Hon3 Mou5-dai3 |
Southern Min | |
Hokkien POJ | Hàn Bú-tè |
Middle Chinese | |
Middle Chinese | xàn mjú tèj |
Transcriptions | |
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Standard Mandarin | |
Hanyu Pinyin | Liú Chè |
Gwoyeu Romatzyh | Liou Cheh |
Wade–Giles | Liu2 Ch'ê4 |
IPA | [li̯ǒu̯ ʈʂʰɤ̂] |
Yue: Cantonese | |
Yale Romanization | Làuh Chit |
Jyutping | Lau4 Cit3 |
Southern Min | |
Hokkien POJ | Lâu Thiat |
Middle Chinese | |
Middle Chinese | ljuw ʈʰjet |
Old Chinese | |
Baxter-Sagart | *mə-ru tʰret |
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.