Emperor Wen of Han

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  • Reign: 180-157 BCE

Emperor Wen was a ruler of the Western Han Dynasty from 180 to 157 BCE.

His reign saw the rebellion of his brother, Liu Chang (c. 199-174 BCE), also known as King Li. Liu Chang rebelled against the emperor several times, beginning with simply going above his station and using a carriage restricted to the emperor's own use; however, Emperor Wen loved his younger brother and was hesitant to punish him, despite repeated infractions. Finally, at the urging of his ministers, including Jia Yi, the emperor ordered his brother sent into exile; on the journey to the south, however, Liu Chang refused to eat or drink anything, and thus died. Saddened by the death of his brother, Emperor Wen enfeoffed Liu Chang's son, Liu An, king of Huainan, with a large territory formerly part of the State of Chu.

References

  • Conrad Schirokauer, et al, A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations, Fourth Edition, Cengage Learning (2012), 53.