Emperor Ming of Han, ch. 漢明帝, py. hàn míng dì, wg. Han Ming-ti, (28-75) was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty. Chinese personal names follow a number of conventions different from those of Western personal names. ... Liu is a Chinese family name. ... Chinese personal names follow a number of conventions different from those of Western personal names. ... For alternate uses, see Number 43. ... Temple names (Traditional Chinese: 廟號 Simplified Chinese: 庙号 Pinyin: miào hào;), are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Vietnamese (such dynasties as Tran,Anterior Lê and Nguyen Dynasty) and most Korean rulers of the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. ... A posthumous name (Traditional Chinese: 諡號/謚號 Simplified Chinese: 谥号; Pinyin: shì hào; Romaji: shigō/tsuigō; Revised Romanization of Korean: siho) is a honorary name given to royalty in some cultures posthumously, that is, after the persons death. ... A posthumous name (Traditional Chinese: 諡號/謚號 Simplified Chinese: 谥号; Pinyin: shì hào; Romaji: shigō/tsuigō; Revised Romanization of Korean: siho) is a honorary name given to royalty in some cultures posthumously, that is, after the persons death. ... 漢字 hànzì, hanja, kanji… in Traditional Chinese and other languages. ... PY, Py or py may stand for: Pinyin, a system of romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration to roman script) for Mandarin Chinese used in the Peoples Republic of China. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... For other uses, see number 28. ... Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s - 70s - 80s 90s 100s 110s 120s Years: 70 71 72 73 74 - 75 - 76 77 78 79 80 Events Last known cuneiform inscription Accession of Han Zhangdi. ... The emperor or huangdi (皇帝 in pinyin: huang2 di4) of China was the head of government and head of state of China from the Qin dynasty in 221 B.C. until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911. ... Han commanderies and kingdoms AD 2. ...

He was the second son of Emperor Guangwu. It was during Emperor Ming's reign that Buddhism began to spread into China. One night, he is said to have dreamed of a golden men. The next day he told his ministers, and the minister Zhong Hu explained to him that he probably dreamed of Buddha in India. The emperor then sent a delegation of 18 headed by Cai Yin, Qin Jing and Wang Zun to seek Buddhism. They returned from Afghanistan with an image of Gautama Buddha, 42 sutras and two eminent monks. The next year, the emperor ordered the construction of White Horse Temple three li west of the capital Luoyang, to remember the horse that carried back the sutras. It was China's first Buddhist temple. Emperor Ming's brother Liu Ying, the Prince of Chu, became the first well-known Buddhist. Emperor Guangwu (January 15, 5 BC - March 29, 57), born Liu Xiu, was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty, restorer of the dynasty in AD 25 and thus founder of the Later Han or Eastern Han (the restored Han Dynasty). ... A replica of an ancient statue of Gautama Buddha, found from Sarnath, near Varanasi Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. Buddhism gradually spread from India... A stone image of the Buddha. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ... White Horse Temple (Simplified Chinese: 白马寺; Traditional Chinese: 白馬寺; pinyin: ; also White Horse Ministry) was the first Buddhist temple in China, established under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han capital Luoyang in the year 68. ... Li or li may refer to: Lee or Li is a transliteration of several Chinese and Korean family names, see Li (Chinese name) and Lee (Korean name). ... Luoyang (Simplified Chinese: 洛阳; Traditional Chinese: 洛陽; pinyin: ) is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province, Peoples Republic of China. ... Liu Ying (劉英) was a son of Emperor Guangwu of Han, and half-brother of Emperor Ming. ...

Emperor Ming was a hard-working, able administrator of the empire who showed integirty and demanded integrity from his officials. However, a major downside to his personality was his overeagerness to punish. When his brothers Liu Ying the Prince of Chu and Liu Yan the Prince of Huaiyang were accused of plotting against him, he pursued the matters so harshly that several tens of thousands of people were executed as part of the plot, even though the vast majority of those people were in all likelihood innocent. Later in his reign, this tendency was moderated by the influences of his wife, Empress Ma.

Emperor Ming also established the control of the Chinese Empire on the Tarim Basin and eradicated the Xiongnu influence there, through the conquests of his general Ban Chao. Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin. ... A Xiongnu belt buckle. ... Ban Chao (班超, 32-102 CE) was a Chinese general and cavalry commander in charge of the administration of the Western Regions (Central Asia) during the Eastern Han dynasty. ...

The reigns of Emperor Ming and his son Emperor Zhang were typically considered the golden age of the Eastern Han Emperor and known as the Rule of Ming and Zhang.

Family background

Then-Liu Yang was born in 28 to Emperor Guangwu and his first love, Consort Yin Lihua. Emperor Guangwu, then still an official under Emperor Gengshi, had married Yin in 23 and, after he became emperor in 25, had wanted to create her empress, but she declined because she had no sons at that point. Instead, she endorsed Consort Guo Shengtong, who had already had a son (Liu Jiang (劉疆)), and Emperor Guangwu created Consort Guo empress and Prince Jiang crown prince in 26. However, Prince Yang's birth in 28 was still considered a major event. For other uses, see number 28. ... Emperor Guangwu (January 15, 5 BC - March 29, 57), born Liu Xiu, was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty, restorer of the dynasty in AD 25 and thus founder of the Later Han or Eastern Han (the restored Han Dynasty). ... Emperor Gengshi of Han, ch. ... ... Events Han dynasty was restored in China as Liu Xiu proclaimed himself emperor, start of jiangwu era (->56). ... Empress Guo Shengtong (郭聖通) (d. ... A Crown Prince or Crown Princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. ... Events Pontius Pilate is appointed as Prefect of Judaea. ...

As Duke/Prince of Donghai and crown prince

In 39, Emperor Guangwu created all of his sons, other than Crown Prince Jiang, dukes, and Prince Yang was created the Duke of Donghai. He quickly became known for his intelligence even in his young age, and he often made quick judgments of situations that turned out to be correct. Emperor Guangwu became very impressed with him. For alternate uses, see Number 39. ...

By 41, Empress Guo, having lost favor, was constantly complaining about that fact, which angered Emperor Guangwu. In 41, he deposed her and created Duke Yang's mother Consort Yin empress instead. All of the imperial dukes were promoted to princes to accommodate Emperor Guangwu's new title for Empress Guo -- Princess Dowager of Zhongshan (after creating her son Liu Fu (劉輔) the Prince of Zhongshan), and Duke Yang was created the Prince of Donghai. For alternate uses, see Number 41. ...

After Empress Guo was deposed, her son, Crown Prince Jiang, became apprehensive about remaining crown prince, and repeatedly requested to be replaced. Emperor Guangwu was initially hesitant to depose both mother and son, but in 43, he resolved to swap Princes Jiang's and Yang's positions. He created Prince Jiang the Prince of Donghai, and created Prince Yang crown prince. At this time, he also changed Prince Yang's name to Zhuang, perhaps because Yang (which means "sun") is such a commonly used character that the law of naming taboo would cause the people too much trouble. For alternate uses, see Number 43. ... Naming taboo was a taboo of saying or writing names (specifically characters) of the emperors and ancestors in China and neighboring nations in the ancient Chinese cultural sphere. ...

In 51, the woman who would eventually become his empress -- Consort Ma, the youngest daughter of famed general Ma Yuan -- would become a consort of his. She was 12, and he was 23. She would become a favorite of his, but never bore a son. Her niece (the daughter of her older sister), Consort Jia, also a consort of Crown Prince Zhuang, did give birth to a child -- Liu Da (劉炟). At Crown Prince Zhuang's direction, Consort Ma adopted Consort Jia's son as her own. Events Caratacus, British resistance leader, is captured and taken to Rome. ... Ma Yuan (Traditional Chinese: 馬援; pinyin: MÇŽ Yuán) was a Chinese chiangchun who served during the Eastern Han Dynasty. ...

As crown prince, Crown Prince Zhuang would was often requested by Emperor Guangwu to render opinions in important matters. In 51, he was involved in making a major correct decision in Han's relationship with Xiongnu. By that point, Xiongnu had a civil war and divided into two -- with North Xiongnu ruled by Chanyu Punu (蒲奴) and South Xiongnu ruled by Chanyu Bi (比). Han had become allied with South Xiongnu, and in response, Chanyu Punu, also wanting peace with Han, requested a heqin marriage. Prince Zhuang suggested that Emperor Guangwu refuse the proposal, reasoning that North Xiongnu had only made the proposal to alienate South Xiongnu from Han. Emperor Guangwu agreed. Events Caratacus, British resistance leader, is captured and taken to Rome. ... A Xiongnu belt buckle. ... Heqin (Chinese: 龢親 or 和親; pinyin: hě qīn) is a term used in ancient China for a marriage alliance. ...

In 57, Emperor Guangwu died, and Crown Prince Zhuang succeeded to the throne as Emperor Ming. For other uses, see number 57. ...

Early reign

Emperor Ming quickly established himself as a diligent and capable administrator of the empire. He did many things to try to stamp out corrupt officials, often putting them to death if they were discovered.

One thing traditional historians praised him for was his fair treatment of his brothers by the deposed Empress Guo, treating them as if they were also born of his mother Empress Dowager Yin. In 58, when his older brother, Prince Jiang of Donghai (the former crown prince) died, he ordered that the princes and major officials to attend Prince Jiang's funeral -- a highly unusual honor -- at Lucheng (魯城, in modern Jining, Shandong), the capital of Donghai. For other uses, see number 58. ... Jining can be referring to one of the following: Jining (济宁), a city in Shandong, China Jining (集宁), a city (administratively a district) in Inner Mongolia, China This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Shandong (Simplified Chinese: 山东; Traditional Chinese: 山東; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Shan-tung) is a coastal province of eastern Peoples Republic of China. ...

In 59, at the suggestion of his brother Liu Cang (劉蒼) the Prince of Dongping, Emperor Ming instituted a number of Confucian rituals, in which the emperor personally honored the officials who had helped him, to show humility. For other uses, see number 59. ... Confucianism (儒家 Pinyin: rújiā The School of the Scholars), sometimes translated as the School of Literati, is an East Asian ethical, religious and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. ...

In 60, he created his favorite Consort Ma (who was also a favorite of his mother Empress Dowager Yin) empress, and created her adopted son Prince Da crown prince. For other uses, see number 60. ...

The same year, to honor the generals and officials who had assisted his father Emperor Guangwu in reestablishing the Han Dynasty, Emperor Ming, perhaps echoing what Emperor Xuan had done, had the portraits of 28 of them drawn on a palace tower. Later, four more portraits were added. However, Ma Yuan, because he was the father of the empress, did not receive this honor. Emperor Xuan of Han (91 BC–49 BC) was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty from 74 BC to 49 BC. Emperor Xuan was the great grandson of Emperor Wu. ...

During the early part of his reign, North Xiongnu continued to be a constant threat to both Han and her ally South Xiongnu. Emperor Ming engaged in a variety of military and economic tactics to try to maintain peace with North Xiongnu and was largely successful. In 65, he established a permanent border defense force, known as the Duliao Army (度遼營), in charge of protecting the northern boundaries and South Xiongnu, and also to prevent the people of South Xiongnu from defecting to North Xiongnu. For other uses, see number 65. ...

In 66, in what would eventually evolve into the first imperial university in Chinese history, Emperor Ming built a Confucian school at the capital Luoyang, for the children of high officials and marquesses. South Xiongnu nobles' children also attended. For other uses, see number 66. ... Luoyang (Simplified Chinese: 洛阳; Traditional Chinese: 洛陽; pinyin: ) is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province, Peoples Republic of China. ...

Late reign

The Chu and Huaiyang-related mass executions

Emperor Ming was, early in his reign, known for his generosity and affection for his brothers. This, however, apparently caused some of them to engage in behavior that were considered taboo at the time and, ironically, caused them to be severely punished by Emperor Ming, leading also to two major mass executions that blotted Emperor Ming's reign.

The first of these incidents happened in 66-67 and was relatively bloodless. The ambitious Prince Jing of Guanglin wanted to be emperor, and he plotted with people under him to rebel. When he was informed, he confessed, and Emperor Ming initially spared him and permitted him to remain the Prince of Guanglin but stripped his political powers. However, later Prince Jing hired warlocks to curse Emperor Ming. After he was discovered, Emperor Ming initially took no action, but in 67 forced Prince Jing to commit suicide. For other uses, see number 66. ... Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s - 60s - 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s Years: 62 63 64 65 66 - 67 - 68 69 70 71 72 Events Linus succeeds Saint Peter as pope. ...

The next incident would not be so bloodless. In 70, Prince Ying of Chu -- incidentally, the only son of Emperor Guangwu not born of either of his empresses but of Consort Xu -- hired warlocks to create golden turtles and jade cranes, and carved characters calling for unusual blessings on them -- a major taboo at the time. Further, he was discovered to have written revolutionary writings. Emperor Ming did not put him to death, but deposed him from his principality, exiled him, and made him a commoner (but with a small fief of 500 households). In 71, Prince Ying committed suicide in exile. However, the investigation did not end. By Emperor Ming's orders, Prince Ying's associates (but not his family) were harshly tortured and interrogated, and anyone that they named as a coconspirator was arrested and further tortured and interrogated. The interrogators themselves used this opportunity to falsely accuse many others of conspiracy. Tens of thousands of people died, either of torture or execution, during the investigation. Only after Empress Ma's intercession and persuasive petitions by one of the interrogators, Han Lang (寒朗), did the interrogations taper off. Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s - 70s - 80s 90s 100s 110s 120s Years: 65 66 67 68 69 - 70 - 71 72 73 74 75 Events The building of the Colosseum starts (approximate date). ... Liu Ying (劉英) was a son of Emperor Guangwu of Han, and half-brother of Emperor Ming. ... Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s - 70s - 80s 90s 100s 110s 120s Years: 66 67 68 69 70 - 71 - 72 73 74 75 76 Events The Romans establish a fortress at York (Eboracum), as a base for their northern forces. ...

A similar incident happened in 73, when Prince Yan of Huaiyang was informed to have hired warlocks to curse Emperor Ming. Several of Prince Yan's associates were executed, and there were also many others who were executed or exiled after Chu-style interrogations were carried out. Prince Yan himself was not executed, but was demoted from his commandery-level principality to be the Prince of Fulin, with only two counties in his principality. For other uses, see number 73. ...

Campaigns against North Xiongnu and reassertion of suzerainty over Xiyu

In 73, annoyed at North Xiongnu's constant incursions against Han, Emperor Ming commissioned his generals Geng Bing (耿秉) and Dou Gu (竇固) to lead a major expedition against North Xiongnu. They only had minor successes, but it demonstrated to North Xiongnu that Han was now in a position to strike back. For other uses, see number 73. ...

Dou, as part of his campaign, sent his assistant Ban Chao to visit the Xiyu (modern Xinjiang and former Soviet central Asia) kingdom of Shanshan (on the eastern edge of the Taklamakan desert). (Xiyu kingdoms had long submitted to North Xiongnu's authority, and unable to bear the heavy taxes, had often requested that Han step in and reassert suzertainty that had been established during the Western Han Dynasty, starting with Emperor Wu's reign. However, they had been constantly rebuffed by Emperors Guangwu and Ming, who judged Han to be not sufficiently strong to engage in a Xiyu campaign.) Initially, the king of Shanshan was very pleased and welcomed the Han ambassadors as honored guests, but eventually the welcome faded. Ban realized that it must have been that North Xiongnu ambassadors had also arrived. He found out where the North Xiongnu ambassadors were, and, in a night raid, massacred the Xiongnu ambassadors. The king of Shanshan was shocked but somewhat pleased, and submitted to Han suzerainty once again. Ban Chao (班超, 32-102 CE) was a Chinese general and cavalry commander in charge of the administration of the Western Regions (Central Asia) during the Eastern Han dynasty. ... Xinjiang (Chinese: æ–°ç–†; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsin1-chiang1; Postal Pinyin: Sinkiang; literal meaning: New Frontier; Uyghur: (Shinjang)), full name Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Shanshan (鄯善; pinyin: Shànshàn ) is the Chinese name for Loulan, a kingdom that existed roughly from 200BC-1000AD at the north-east of the Taklamakan desert. ... Dust storm in Taklamakan from space, June 25, 2005 The Taklamakan (also Taklimakan) is a desert of Central Asia, in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Emperor Wu of Han (156 BC–March 29, 87 BC), personal name Liu Che, was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty in China, ruling from 141 BC to 87 BC. Emperor Wu is best remembered for the vast territorial expansion that occurred under his reign, as well as the...

Emperor Ming promoted Ban and commissioned him to next visit Yutian (Khotan), then the strongest kingdom in southern Xiyu, which had a strong alliance with North Xiongnu. Guangde (廣德), the King of Yutian, was trusting of his chief warlock, who demanded Ban's horse. Ban agreed to give him the horse, and then, when the warlock arrived to pick up the horse, immediately executed him, and sent his head back to Guangde. Guangde was impressed and submitted to Han's suzertainty. With Yutian having submitted, the Xiyu kingdoms largely all submitted as well. Khotan or Hotan (Uyghur: خوتەن/Hotǝn; Chinese: 和田; pinyin: , formerly: Simplified Chinese: 和阗; Traditional Chinese: 和闐; pinyin: ) is an oasis town and a prefecture in the Taklamakan desert that was part of the southern silk road. ...

In 74, Dou and Geng led a major military expedition against a major remaining ally of North Xiongnu, Cheshi (車師, roughly modern Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang). Cheshi submitted, and at Dou's suggestion, the office of the Protector General of Xiyu (都護) was reinstituted. A North Xiongnu expedition in 75 to recapture Cheshi was repelled by Geng Gong (耿恭), one of the deputiies protector general. For other uses, see number 74. ... 昌吉回族自治州是中国新疆维吾尔族自治区下辖的一个自治州。位于新疆维吾尔族自治区的中部。 行政区划 下辖3县级市，5县。 县级市：昌吉市、阜康市、米泉市 县：呼图壁县、玛纳斯县、奇台县、吉木萨尔县、木垒哈萨克自治县 。 List of Xinjiang County-level divisions Categories: Prefecture-level divisions of Xinjiang | Mainland China geography stubs | Xinjiang ... Xinjiang (Chinese: æ–°ç–†; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Hsin1-chiang1; Postal Pinyin: Sinkiang; literal meaning: New Frontier; Uyghur: (Shinjang)), full name Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s - 70s - 80s 90s 100s 110s 120s Years: 70 71 72 73 74 - 75 - 76 77 78 79 80 Events Last known cuneiform inscription Accession of Han Zhangdi. ...

Death

In 75, Emperor Ming died. His will ordered that no temple be built for him, and that he only be worshipped as part of the worship of his mother Empress Dowager Yin. (This became a systematic reform that the rest of the Eastern Han Dynasty emperors largely followed; they did not have separate temples built for themselves, but instead were worshipped along with Emperor Guangwu. This was a major saving compared to the Western Han system of building a separate temple for each emperor.) His son Crown Prince Da succeeded to the throne as Emperor Zhang. Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s - 70s - 80s 90s 100s 110s 120s Years: 70 71 72 73 74 - 75 - 76 77 78 79 80 Events Last known cuneiform inscription Accession of Han Zhangdi. ...

Era name

• Yongping (永平 py. yŏng píng) 58-75

For other uses, see number 58. ... Centuries: 1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century Decades: 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s - 70s - 80s 90s 100s 110s 120s Years: 70 71 72 73 74 - 75 - 76 77 78 79 80 Events Last known cuneiform inscription Accession of Han Zhangdi. ...

Personal information

• Father
  • Emperor Guangwu of Han (second son of)
• Mother
  • Empress Yin Lihua
• Wife
  • Empress Ma, daughter of military leader Ma Yuan (created 60, d. 79)
• Major Concubines
  • Consort Jia, mother of Emperor Zhang
  • Consort Yin, mother of Prince Chang
  • Consort Yan, a sister of the court official Yan Zhang (閻章)
  • Consort Yan, another sister of Yan Zhang
• Children
  • Liu Da (劉炟), the Crown Prince (created 60), later Emperor Zhang
  • Liu Jian (劉建), Prince Ai of Qiancheng (created 60, d. 61)
  • Liu Xian (劉羨), initially Prince of Guangping (created 60, later Prince of Xiping (created 82), later Prince Jing of Chen (created 88, d. 97)
  • Liu Gong (劉恭), initially Prince of Lingshou (created 66), later Prince of Julu (created 72), later Prince of Jianglin (created 78), later Prince Jing of Pengcheng (created 85, d. 112)
  • LIu Dang (劉黨), initially Prince of Chongxi (created 66), later Prince Jing of Lecheng (created 72, d. 91)
  • LIu Yan (劉衍), Prince Hui of Xiapei (created 66, d. 120)
  • Liu Chang (劉暢), initially Prince of Runan (created 66), later Prince Jie of Liang (created 80, d. 93)
  • Liu Bing (劉昞), initially Prince of Changshan (created 72, later Prince Qing of Huaiyang (created 79, d. 88)
  • Liu Zhang (劉長), Prince Dao of Jiyin (created 72, d. 85)
  • Liu Ji (劉姬), the Princess Huojia (created 59)
  • Liu Nu (劉奴), the Princess Pingyang (created 60)
  • Liu Ying (劉迎), the Princess Longlü (created 60)
  • Liu Ci (劉次), the Princess Pingzhi (created 60)
  • Liu Zhi (劉致), the Princess Qinshui (created 60)
  • Liu Xiaoji (劉小姬), the Princess Pinggao (created 69)
  • LIu Zhong (劉仲), the Princess Junyi (created 74)
  • Liu Hui (劉惠), the Princess Wu'an (created 74)
  • Liu Chen (劉臣), the Princess Luyang (created 75)
  • LIu Xiaoying (劉小迎), the Princess Leping (created 75)
  • LIu Xiaomin (劉小民), the Princess Cheng'an (created 75)