The Book of Han (Ch: 漢書, Hanshu) is a classic Chinese historical writing covering the history of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE-9 CE). It is also sometimes called Qian Hanshu (Ch:前漢書, "Book of the Former Han") in order to distinguish it from the Hou Hanshu ("Book of the Later Han"), which covers the Eastern Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty (Traditional Chinese characters: 漢朝, Simplified Chinese characters: 汉朝, pinyin Hàncháo 202 BC - AD 220) followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. ... (Redirected from 206 BCE) Centuries: 4th century BC - 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC Decades: 250s BC 240s BC 230s BC 220s BC 210s BC - 200s BC - 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC Years: 211 BC 210 BC 209 BC 208 BC 207 BC - 206 BC... For other uses, see number 9. ... The Han Dynasty (Traditional Chinese characters: 漢朝, Simplified Chinese characters: 汉朝, pinyin Hàncháo 202 BC - AD 220) followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. ...

The Hanshu was started by Ban Biao (班彪; AD 3-54). Following his death, Ban Biao's son, Ban Gu (班固; AD 32-92), continued working on the book, which grew to 100 chapters and included essays on law, science, geography, and literature. Ban Gu (班固, Wade-Giles Pan Ku) was a 1st century Chinese historian. ... Law (a loanword from Old Norse lag), in politics and jurisprudence, is a set of rules or norms of conduct which mandate, proscribe or permit specified relationships among people and organizations, provide methods for ensuring the impartial treatment of such people, and provide punishments for those who do not follow... What is science? There are different theories of what science is. ... Literature is literally an acquaintance with letters as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary (from the Latin littera meaning an individual written character (letter)). The term has generally come to identify a collection of texts. ...

His sister Ban Zhao (班昭) finished the writing fourteen years after Ban Gu was put in prison, and made the eight chronological charts (百官公卿表) and treatise on astronomy (天文志) that are included with the work. Astronomy (Greek: αστρονομία = άστρον + νόμος, literally, law of the stars) is the science involving the observation and explanation of events occurring beyond the Earth and its atmosphere. ...

Their other brother Ban Chao, a famous Chinese general who conquered western lands as far as the Caspian sea, was probably the key source for the cultural and socio-economic data on the Western Regions contained in the Hanshu. 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. ... Caspian Sea viewed from orbit The Caspian Sea or Mazandaran Sea is a landlocked sea between Asia and Europe (European Russia). ...

The Hanshu set the format for the writings of later Chinese dynasties, and today it is a reference used to study the Han period. It is part of the Four histories canon, together with:

• Shiji (Ch:史記, "Records of the Great Historian") by Sima Qian
• Sanguo Zhi (Ch:三國志, "Records of the Three Kingdoms") by Chen Shou
• Hou Hanshu (Ch: 後漢書, "Book of the Later Han") by Fan Yeh

It is also part of the Twenty-Four Histories canon of Chinese history. The Records of the Grand Historian or the Records of the Grand Historian of China was the magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the mythical Yellow Emperor until his own time. ... Sima Qian (circa 145—90 BC) was a Prefect of the Grand Scribes (太史令) of the Han Dynasty and an astrologer. ... The Sānguó Zhì (Chinese 三國志, or 三國誌), variously translated as Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms, Records of the Three States and Records of the Three Kingdoms was the official and authoritative historical text compiled by Chen Shou during the Chinese Jin Dynasty (265-420) on the period of the Three... Chen Shou (?? - 297 AD) is the author of the San Guo Zhi, an historical account of the Three Kingdoms period of China. ... The Book of Later Han (Chinese: 後漢書; pinyin: ) is a history of the Chinese Empire which was compiled by Fan Yeh (范晔; 398-445), using a number of earlier histories as sources. ... The Twenty-Four Histories is a collection of historical books covering a period of history from 3000 B.C. to the Ming Dynasty in the 17th century. ...

Contributors

• Ban Biao (班彪; 3-54; father)
  • Ban Gu (班固; 32-92; first son)
  • Ban Chao (班超; 32-102; second son)
  • Ban Zhao (班昭; daughter)

For other uses, see number 3. ... For other uses, see number 54. ... Ban Gu (班固, Wade-Giles Pan Ku) was a 1st century Chinese historian. ... For alternate uses, see Number 32. ... For other uses, see number 92. ... 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. ... For alternate uses, see Number 32. ... For other uses, see number 102. ... Ban Zhao ( Chinese: 班昭; pinyin: ) (ca. ...

See also

• Twenty-Four Histories

The Twenty-Four Histories is a collection of historical books covering a period of history from 3000 B.C. to the Ming Dynasty in the 17th century. ...

References

• Hulsewé, A. F. P. and Loewe, M. A. N. 1979. China in Central Asia: The Early Stage 125 BC – AD 23: an annotated translation of chapters 61 and 96 of the History of the Former Han Dynasty. E. J. Brill, Leiden.

External Links

• Pan Chao (Ban Zhao), Woman Historian (http://www.laohats.com/Pan%20Chao.htm)
• The Han Histories (http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/silkroad/texts/hhshu/hou_han_shu.html)

[1] (http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/silkroad/texts/hhshu/hou_han_shu.html)

• Silk Road Seattle (http://depts.washington.edu/uwch/silkroad/) (The Silk Road Seattle website contains many useful resources including a number of full-text historical works, maps, photos, etc.)