Introduction
Twelve
emperors were in the throne from 25-220 AD, starting from Guang
Wu Di (Liu Xiu r. 25-58 AD), and
ending with Xian Di (190-220 AD).
The opening years of the Eastern Han Dynasty were a period of establishing
relative stability through the 40 plus years between 25 and 88 when
emperors Guang Wu (Liu Xiu), Ming Di and Zhang Di ruled.
Then it fell prey to a process of weakening and decentralization
of power. With the help of court eunuchs, subsequent emperors were
able to get rid of these incompetents, but only at the cost of granting
equally great influence to the eunuchs. On several occasions, the
throne was inherited by infants, whose mothers often filled government
posts with unqualified members of their own family. Factionalism
and incompetence weakened the imperial government. Great landholding
families in the provinces challenged the tax-collection authority
of the central government and acquired a kind of tax-exempt status.
As a result, the government was again torn by factionalism. Between
168 and 170 warfare erupted between the eunuchs and the bureaucrats,
who felt that the eunuchs had usurped their rightful position of
influence in government. By 184 two great rebellions had also broken
out. For two decades the Yellow Turbans, as one of the sects was
called, ravaged Shandong and adjacent areas, and not until 215was
the great Han general Cao Cao able to pacify the other group.
In 220 AD saw the abdication of the last of the Han emperors and
beginning of some 400 years of turmoil.