This article is about the Western Han dynasty emperor. For the Later Han emperor, seeLiu Zhiyuan. For the mythological Chinese ruler also known as Emperor Gaozu Zhuanxu, seeZhuanxu. For other uses, seeGaozu.
Liu Bang was among the few dynastic founders to have been born in a peasant family.[6] He initially entered theQin dynasty bureaucracy as a minorlaw enforcement officer in his home town inPei County, within the conqueredstate of Chu. During the political chaos following the death ofQin Shi Huang, who had been thefirst emperor in Chinese history, Liu Bang renounced his civil service position and became a rebel leader, taking up arms against the Qin dynasty. He outmanoeuvred rival rebel leaderXiang Yu to invade theQin heartland and forced the surrender of the Qin rulerZiying in 206 BC.
After the fall of the Qin dynasty, Xiang Yu, as thede facto chief of the rebels, divided the former Qin Empire into theEighteen Kingdoms, with Liu Bang forced to accept control of the poor and remote region of Bashu (present-daySichuan,Chongqing, and southernShaanxi), and assuming the title "King of Han". Within the year, Liu Bang broke out with his army and conquered theThree Qins, starting theChu–Han Contention, a civil war among various forces seeking to inherit the Qin dynasty's former supremacy over China.
In 202 BC, Liu Bang emerged victorious following theBattle of Gaixia, unified most of China under his control, and established the Han dynasty with himself as the emperor. During his reign, Liu Bang reduced taxes andcorvée labour, promotedConfucianism, and suppressed revolts by therulers of vassal states not from his own clan, among many other actions. He also initiated the policy ofheqin, a system ofarranged marriages between nobles, to maintain peace between the Han Empire and theXiongnu following the Han defeat at theBattle of Baideng in 200 BC. He died in 195 BC and was succeeded by his sonLiu Ying.
According to the Han dynasty's imperial mythology, Liu Bang's ancestors were the mythicalEmperor Yao and theYellow Emperor.[7] Many ancient Chinese noble families claimed descent from the Yellow Emperor to justify theirright to rule.[8]
Liu Bang was born during the later years of theWarring States period;[4] his parents are only remembered as "Liu Taigong" and "Liu Ao" (劉媪; 'Old Madam Liu'). His family was from Zhongyang (中陽里) in the state ofChu.[4] According to legend, Liu Bang was conceived after Liu Ao encountered ajiaolong during a rainstorm.[9]
According to records, the young Liu was outspoken, charismatic, generous and forbearing, but showed little interest in education or work[10] and frequently ran into trouble with the law; he was dependent on his brother for subsistence and his father called him a "little rascal". Later, he became good friends withZhang Er (張耳), themagistrate of the nearbyWaihuang County and formerretainer ofLord Xinling. He lived with Zhang Er for several months[11] until the latter went into hiding after theconquest of Chu by Qin.[citation needed]
When Liu returned to Pei County, his close friends at the county office,Xiao He andCao Shen, often covered up his delinquent behaviour and helped him get an appointment as the local sheriff (亭長) of Sishui Village (泗水亭). Liu also forged close relationships with most of the local county bureaucrats, and earned a small reputation in the county. While performingcorvée labour in the Qin capital atXianyang, he witnessedQin Shi Huang undertaking an inspection tour; the royal procession impressed him.[12]
Liu's wife,Lü Zhi, was the daughter of Lü Wen (呂文), a wealthy and influentialgentry fromShanfu County. After moving to Pei County, Lü held a feast for the local elite.Xiao He, who helped to collect gifts from the guests, declared that a seat inside the hall required gifts worth at least a thousand coins. Liu attended the feast without money, and made an offer of ten thousand coins which Xiao He realised was not serious. Nonetheless, Lü had Liu seated beside him based on appearance alone. Lü, further impressed by Liu in conversation, offered his daughter in marriage. Liu and Lü Zhi were married and had two children:Liu Ying anda daughter.[13]
Uprisings of the Qin dynasty. Liu Bang's campaign is shown in purple.Liu Bang, in an illustration by theQing dynasty artist Shangguan Zhou (上官周; 1665–1749)
Liu was responsible for escorting a group ofpenal labourers to the construction site ofQin Shi Huang's mausoleum atMount Li. During the journey, some prisoners escaped; under Qin law, allowing prisoners to escape waspunishable by death. Rather than face punishment, Liu freed the remaining prisoners, some of whom willingly acknowledged him as their leader and joined him on the run from the law. As outlaws, they took over an abandoned stronghold onMount Mangdang. During this time, Liu secretly remained in contact with some old friends in Pei County, including Xiao He and Cao Shen.[citation needed]
According to the legend known as the "Uprising of the Slaying of the White Serpent" (斬白蛇起義), Liu's ascension to rulership was prophesied after he became an outlaw. In the legend, his followers encountered a gigantic white serpent which killed some of them with its poisonous breath. That night, while he was drunk, Liu drew his sword and slew the serpent. The next morning, the outlaws encountered a crying old woman along the road. When they asked her why she was crying, she replied, "My child, theWhite Emperor's son, has been slain by the son of theRed Emperor." After that, she mysteriously disappeared. As this legend spread, Liu's reputation grew among his followers, who became convinced of his destiny.[14]
In 209 BC,Chen Sheng andWu Guang started theDazexiang uprising to overthrow the Qin dynasty. The magistrate of Pei County considered joining the rebellion, and – acting on the advice of Xiao He and Cao Shen – invited Liu and his followers back to the county to support him;Fan Kuai, Liu's brother-in-law, delivered the message to the outlaws at Mount Mangdang. However, the magistrate later changed his mind and rescinded the offer; he also ordered Xiao and Cao to be killed lest they open the gates for Liu, but they escaped and joined Liu. On Xiao's advice, Liu wrote to his fellow commoners in Pei County, calling for them to rise up against the Qin dynasty. Copies of Liu's call to action were then delivered by arrows fired into Pei County over the city walls. The people responded to Liu's call by killing the magistrate and welcoming Liu back to Pei County. Now the leader of Pei County's population, Liu became known as the Duke of Pei (沛公).[15]
In 208 BC, the Qin Empire faced rebellions that sought to restore the formersix states conquered by theQin during itswars of unification. InWu County, a rebel group led byXiang Liang installedXiong Xin as King Huai II (楚懷王) ofChu. Liu led his followers to join that rebel group. After Xiang Liang was killed at the Battle of Dingtao, King Huai II sentXiang Yu – Xiang Liang's nephew – and ministerSong Yi to lead an army to reinforce theZhao rebel group, which was under attack by Qin forces.[citation needed]
Liu Bang was made Marquis of Wu'an (武安侯) and ordered to lead an army to attack theGuanzhong region, the heartland of the Qin dynasty. King Huai II also promised to make whoever entered Guanzhong first the King of Guanzhong. In 207 BC, Liu won the race against Xiang Yu and arrived atXianyang, the capital of the Qin dynasty.Ziying, the last Qin emperor, surrendered to Liu without resistance.[16] Liu's occupation policies were informed byFan Kuai (now his bodyguard) and his strategistZhang Liang. Troops were forbidden from mistreating the population and looting. The harsh Qin laws were abolished; murder, robbery and burglary remained subject to strict punishments. Order was quickly restored in the city, and Liu won the respect of the Guanzhong population. Xiao He ordered the collection of all legal documents in the Qin palace and government facilities for preservation.[citation needed]
Left: Ajade-carved wine cup with relief decorations,Western Han (202 BC – 9 AD) Right: a gilded bronzewine warmer with animalistic relief decorations, 26 BC,Western Han period
Xiang Yu disliked losing the race toGuanzhong. Acting on the advice of his adviserFan Zeng and Cao Wushang (曹無傷), an informer from Liu's camp, Xiang Yu planned to assassinate Liu under the pretext of inviting him to attend a banquet at Swan Goose Gate (鴻門; roughly present-day Hongmenbao Village,Lintong District,Xi'an,Shaanxi). However, during the banquet, Xiang Yu was persuaded by his uncleXiang Bo, who was also a close friend of Liu's adviser Zhang Liang, not to order Liu's assassination. Frustrated by the indecision, Fan Zeng ordered Xiang Yu's cousinXiang Zhuang to pretend to perform asword dance and find a chance to assassinate Liu. Yet, Xiang Bo intervened by joining the dance and blocking Xiang Zhuang every time he thrust his sword towards Liu. Meanwhile, Zhang Liang slipped away and summonedFan Kuai, who arrived at the banquet in full armour and gave a speech chastising Xiang Yu for attempting to assassinate Liu despite the achievements Liu had made in overthrowing the Qin dynasty. Embarrassed by Fan's speech, Xiang Yu ordered the sword dance to stop and rewarded Fan for his bravery. Liu Bang then found a chance to escape Xiang Yu's camp by pretending to go to the latrine, and then led his troops out of Xianyang towards the west. Shortly after that, Xiang Yu led his forces into Xianyang, sacking the former Qin capital and burning theEpang Palace.[citation needed]
After occupying Xianyang, Xiang Yu proclaimed himself "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" and split the former Qin Empire into theEighteen Kingdoms. Although Liu Bang should rightfully become the King ofGuanzhong per King Huai II's earlier promise, Xiang Yu gave the Guanzhong region – divided into three kingdoms collectively known as theThree Qins – to three former Qin generals who had surrendered to him after theBattle of Julu. Liu Bang instead received the remote Bashu region (Sichuan Basin and upperHan River valley) as his kingdom, along with the title "King of Han" (漢王). He awardedZhang Liang some gold and precious stones, which Zhang Liang then used to bribe Xiang Yu's uncleXiang Bo to ask Xiang Yu to grant Liu Bang the territory ofHanzhong as well.[17]
Liu and his men were then escorted across theQinling Mountains by a detachment of Xiang Yu's forces into Hanzhong. Acting on Zhang Liang's advice, Liu destroyed thegallery roads leading into the Bashu region for strategic reasons: hinder future attacks from Xiang Yu, and make Xiang Yu believe that he had no intention of leaving Bashu after settling there.[18]
From 206 to 202 BC, Liu Bang engaged Xiang Yu in a power struggle – historically known as theChu–Han Contention – for supremacy over China, while simultaneously attacking and subjugating the other kingdoms.
Liu Bang's migration toHanzhong was far from pleasant. His followers were mostly from theWu andChu flatland regions so they could not adapt well to the mountainous terrain in Bashu. Moreover, there were many deserters every day. Liu also grew temperamental as he was very unhappy with his own predicament. One night, upon hearing a rumour thatXiao He had abandoned him, Liu almost had a nervous breakdown. When Xiao returned the following morning, Liu confronted him and demanded an explanation. Xiao revealed that he had left in a hurry after learning thatHan Xin had deserted. Among all the deserters, Xiao was convinced that Liu could not afford to lose a talent like Han Xin, so that was why he had chosen to go after Han Xin only, and bring him back. Xiao then introduced Liu to Han Xin, who laid out his strategic plan to conquer the states. Impressed and convinced, Liu formally appointed Han Xin as a general of his army.[19]
Meanwhile, Xiang Yu's overbearing and arbitrary assignment of theEighteen Kingdoms had caused much resentment among the former rebel leaders. Merely four months after Liu left for Bashu, a rebellion broke out in theQi territories in late 206 BC, prompting Xiang Yu to lead his troops to suppress the revolt. On Han Xin's advice, Liu sent his men to pretend to rebuild the gallery roads while secretly dispatching Han Xin with an army to attack theThree Qins via another route throughChencang. Han Xin tookZhang Han, one of the rulers of the Three Qins, by surprise and defeated him in battle. After that, the other two rulers decided to surrender to Liu. By August or September 205 BC, the Three Qins and the Guanzhong region had come under Liu's control.[20]
While Xiang Yu was busy suppressing the rebellion in theQi lands, Liu gathered an army of 560,000 from the Bashu and Guanzhong regions and marched east to attack Western Chu. En route, he encounteredPeng Yue, who joined his cause upon promise of a fiefdom in theWei territories. Liu then ordered Peng Yue to lead his 30,000 men to pacify the surrounding areas, while he led his 560,000 troops into Pengcheng (彭城; present-dayXuzhou,Jiangsu), the Western Chu capital, apparently unopposed. Due to lack of military discipline, Liu's soldiers looted and pillaged Pengcheng after occupying it.
Upon learning of the fall of Pengcheng, Xiang Yu left the bulk of his forces to continue fighting in Qi, while he personally led 30,000 elite troops to retake his capital. He made camp about tenli near present-dayXiao County,Anhui, and attacked Pengcheng at dawn. By noon, Xiang Yu had routed Liu's unprepared forces, driving them towards the nearby Gu and Si rivers, where over 100,000 men drowned or were killed by Chu soldiers. The remaining Han forces fled south to higher ground but were trapped by Chu forces near the Sui River, where another 100,000 men lost their lives and their corpses even blocked the river flow.
Liu escaped Pengcheng with only a dozen horsemen and headed to Pei County to fetch his family. Xiang Yu also sent troops to Pei County to capture Liu's family, but they had all fled earlier. Xiang Yu's men coerced a local into revealing the whereabouts of Liu's family, and managed to capture Liu's parents and Liu's wifeLü Zhi. En route, Liu encountered his and Lü Zhi's children –Princess Yuan andLiu Ying – and picked them up in his carriage, which was driven byXiahou Ying. In his desperation to escape and lighten the load, Liu attempted thrice to push his children out of the carriage and abandon them. However, each time, Xiahou Ying stopped him and saved the children.[21]
After their disastrous defeat at Pengcheng, the strength of the Han forces decreased drastically. Many of the kings who had surrendered to Liu earlier defected to Xiang Yu's side. Moreover, the states ofQi andZhao, which were previously at war with Western Chu, also requested to make peace.[citation needed]
Upon reaching Xiayi (下邑; east of present-dayDangshan County,Anhui), Liu regrouped his forces and prepared for a treat. When he arrived atYu County, he sent an envoy to meetYing Bu, the King ofJiujiang, to seek his support. Ying Bu, who had already been holding a grudge against Xiang Yu over the latter's unfair assignment of theEighteen Kingdoms, agreed to side with Liu. In response to Ying Bu's betrayal, Xiang Yu sentLong Ju with an army to attack Jiujiang.[22]
In 205 BC, Liu designated his sonLiu Ying ascrown prince and stationed him inYueyang. Shortly after, Liu's forces attacked and captured Feiqiu (廢丘; present-dayXingping,Shaanxi);Zhang Han, the King of Yong, committed suicide after his defeat.
In the south, Ying Bu failed to resist Long Ju's attack so he gave up on Jiujiang and went to join Liu. Liu reorganised his forces – incorporating reinforcements from theGuanzhong region – and marched east to attack Xiang Yu again at Jing and Suo counties, both around present-dayXingyang,Henan. The battle was historically known as the Battle of Jingsuo. Liu emerged victorious and drove Xiang Yu's forces eastward out of Xingyang.[citation needed]
In 204 BC, after sustaining losses from Chu attacks on his supply routes toXingyang, Liu's forces began to run short of supplies so Liu requested to make peace with Xiang Yu, agreeing to cede the lands east of Xingyang to Xiang Yu. Initially, Xiang Yu wanted to accept Liu's offer but his adviserFan Zeng urged him to reject it and use the opportunity to attack and destroy Liu. Xiang Yu thus changed his mind, pressed the attack on Xingyang, and besieged Liu inside the city. Liu heededChen Ping's suggestion to use 40,000catties of gold to bribe some of Xiang Yu's men and get them to spread rumours[23] that Fan Zeng had the intention of betraying Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu fell for the ruse and dismissed Fan Zeng.[24]
Later that year, while Xiang Yu was away suppressing a rebellion inQi territories, Liu seized the chance to attack and conquerChenggao, defeating Xiang Yu's forces led byCao Jiu near theSi River. Liu then advanced further east until he reached Guangwu (廣武), trapping Xiang Yu's forces underZhongli Mo in the area.
FollowingHan Xin's victory against the allied forces of Chu and Qi at theBattle of Wei River in the north, the morale of the Chu forces fell and they started running short of supplies months later. Xiang Yu had no choice but to request to make peace with Liu, offering to release Liu's family members whom he had captured earlier and had been holding hostage. Both sides agreed to a ceasefire and to divide China into west and east under the Han and Chu kingdoms along the Hong Canal, which runs through present-dayZhengzhou, Xingyang andZhongmu inHenan; this agreement was also historically known as the Treaty of Hong Canal (鴻溝和約).[25]
In 203 BC, while Xiang Yu was retreating eastwards, Liu, acting onZhang Liang andChen Ping's advice, renounced the peace agreement and prepared to attack Xiang Yu. He also sent messengers to meetHan Xin andPeng Yue, seeking their assistance to launch a coordinated attack on Xiang Yu from three directions. However, Han Xin and Peng Yue failed to mobilise their forces, so Liu ended up being defeated by Xiang Yu at Guling (固陵; south of present-dayTaikang County,Henan). After retreating and reinforcing his defences, Liu sent word to Han Xin and Peng Yue again, promising to award them fiefs and noble titles if they joined him in attacking Xiang Yu. They finally agreed this time.[26]
Three months later in 202 BC, the combined forces of Liu, Han Xin and Peng Yue attacked Xiang Yu from three directions. Running low on supplies, Xiang Yu and his forces found themselves trapped in Gaixia (in present-dayAnhui). There, Han Xin ordered his troops to sing folk songs from the Chu lands to evoke feelings of nostalgia among Xiang Yu's men – who were mostly from Chu – and create the impression that many Chu soldiers had surrendered and joined the opposing side. The morale of Xiang Yu's forces plummeted and many of his soldiers deserted.[27] Xiang Yu attempted to fight his way out but encountered several ambushes along the way. Eventually, he was left with only 28 men when he reached the northern bank of the Wu River (烏江; near present-dayHe County, Anhui), where he made a last stand and managed to slay over a hundred enemy soldiers before committing suicide by slitting his throat.[28]
A portrait of Liu Bang from an 18th-century album of Chinese emperors' portraits.[citation needed]
In 202 BC, Liu became emperor with the support of his subjects even though he had expressed reluctance to take the throne. The dynasty was named "Han", with the imperial capital atLuoyang (later moved toChang'an). Liu Bang also instated his wifeLü Zhi as empress and their sonLiu Ying as crown prince.[citation needed]
The following year, Liu wanted to reward his subjects who had contributed to the founding on the Han Empire, but the process dragged on for a year as they could not agree on how to distribute the rewards. Liu felt thatXiao He had made the greatest contribution, so he made Xiao a marquis and gave him the largest amount of food stores. However, some of his other subjects expressed objections, saying that Xiao should not get the best reward since he had never fought on the frontline during the battles. Nonetheless, Liu countered by saying that Xiao should receive the highest credit as he was responsible for planning their overall strategy in the war against Xiang Yu.[29] Liu then namedCao Shen as the one who had made the greatest contribution in battle, and proceeded to reward him and the others accordingly.
Emperor Gaozu disbanded his armies and allowed the soldiers to return home. He gave an order stating that the people who remained inGuanzhong were exempted from taxes and corvée for 12 years, while those who returned to their respective native territories were exempted for six years and that the central government would provide for them for a year. He also granted freedom to those who had sold themselves into slavery to avoid hunger during the wars. In 195 BC, the emperor issued two decrees: the first officialised the lowering of taxes and corvée; the second set the amount of tribute to be paid by thevassal kings to the imperial court in the 10th month of every year. The land tax on agricultural production was reduced to a rate of 1/15 of crop yield. He also privatised the coinage.[citation needed]
In his early life, Liu disliked reading and scornedConfucianism. After becoming emperor, he still had a disdain for Confucianism until he met the scholarLu Jia, who wrote theXinyu (新語), a 12-volume book espousing the benefits of governing by moral virtue as opposed to using harsh and punitive laws (as theQin dynasty did previously). After completing each volume, Lu Jia read it to the emperor, who was deeply impressed.
Under Liu's reign, Confucianism flourished and gradually replacedLegalism, which had been prominent during the Qin dynasty, as the state ideology. Confucian scholars, including Lu Jia, were recruited to serve in the government. The emperor also reformed the legal system by relaxing some laws inherited from the Qin dynasty and reducing the severity of certain penalties. Sometime in January or February 195 BC, after suppressingYing Bu's rebellion, Liu passed byConfucius's birthplace inShandong, where he held a ceremony to pay tribute to the philosopher.[30]
In his later years, Liu favouredConsort Qi and neglectedLü Zhi. He felt thatLiu Ying, his heir apparent (born to the empress), was too weak to be a ruler, so he had the intention of replacing Liu Ying with another son,Liu Ruyi, who was born to Consort Qi. Feeling worried that her son might lose his status as crown prince, Lü Zhi sought the help ofZhang Liang, who recommended four reclusive wise men, theFour Whiteheads of Mount Shang, to speak up for Liu Ying.
In 195 BC, as Liu's health started worsening, he desired even more to replace Liu Ying with Liu Ruyi. Zhang Liang initially attempted to dissuade the emperor from doing so, but the emperor ignored him so he retired, claiming that he was ill.Shusun Tong andZhou Chang (周昌) also strongly objected to the idea of changing the crown prince. Zhou Chang even said, "I am not good in talking, but I know this is not right. If Your Majesty deposes the Crown Prince, I won't follow your orders any more."[31] As Zhou Chang spoke with a stutter, Liu found it rather amusing and he laughed. After that, much to Liu's surprise, the Four Whiteheads of Mount Shang showed up in his court; they had previously declined to serve in his government when he invited them to. The four men promised to help Liu Ying in the future if he were to remain as crown prince. The emperor was so pleased to see that Liu Ying had their support, so he dismissed the idea of changing his heir apparent.[32]
After the Han dynasty was established, Liu enfeoffed various princes andvassal kings and awarded them each a territory in exchange for their allegiance and assistance in governing the empire. Among them were seven vassal kings who were not related to Liu's clan:Zang Tu, the King of Yan;Han Xin, the King of Hán;Han Xin, the King of Chu;Peng Yue, the King of Liang;Ying Bu, the King of Huainan;Zhang Er, the King of Zhao;Wu Rui, the King of Changsha. As time passed, Liu became increasingly distrustful of the vassal kings, feeling worried that they might turn against him since they had no blood ties with him after all. Han Xin and Peng Yue were falsely accused of treason, and arrested and executed along with their families. Ying Bu and Zang Tu started rebellions but were defeated and killed. Only Wu Rui and Zhang Er were left.[citation needed]
TheXiongnu to the north had posed a threat since the Qin dynasty.Qin Shi Huang had sent the generalMeng Tian to oversee the defences on the Qin Empire's northern border and the construction of theGreat Wall to repel the invaders. Meng Tian had achieved success in deterring the Xiongnu from advancing beyond the border. However, after the Qin dynasty collapsed, the Xiongnu seized the opportunity to move south and raid the border again. In 201 BC, one of the vassal kings, Hán Xin (King of Hán), defected to the Xiongnu leader,Modu. In the following year, Liu personally led an army to attack the Xiongnu but was besieged and trapped by the enemy during theBattle of Baideng.[33] Acting onChen Ping's advice, he bribed Modu's wife with gifts and got her to ask her husband to withdraw his forces. Modu did so. After returning to the capital, Liu Bang, acting on advice fromLiu Jing (劉敬), initiated the policy ofheqin, which involved sending noble ladies to marry the Xiongnu leaders and paying annual tribute to the Xiongnu in exchange for peace between the Han Empire and the Xiongnu.[34]
Changling (長陵), Liu Bang's tomb inXianyang, Shaanxi.
Liu was wounded in battle by a stray arrow while suppressingYing Bu's rebellion and became seriously ill. He remained in his inner chambers for a long time and ordered his guards to deny entry to anyone who wanted to visit him. After several days, Liu's brother-in-lawFan Kuai barged in, followed closely by the emperor's other subjects. They saw the emperor lying in bed, attended to by aeunuch. Fan Kuai said, "How glorious it was when Your Majesty first led us to conquer the empire and how weary we are now. Your subjects are worried when they learn that Your Majesty is ill, but Your Majesty refuses to see us and prefers the company of a eunuch instead. Has Your Majesty forgotten about what happened withZhao Gao?" The emperor laughed and got out of bed to meet his subjects.[36]
Liu's health deteriorated so the empress hired a famous physician to heal him. When Liu enquired about his condition, the physician told him that his illness could be cured. However, the emperor was displeased, scolding the physician, "Isn't it Heaven's will that I managed to conquer this empire despite being of humble origin and armed with nothing but a sword? My life is determined by Heaven. It is useless even ifBian Que were here!" He refused to continue with the treatment and sent the physician away. Before his death, he said thatCao Shen could succeedXiao He as thechancellor after Xiao died, and thatWang Ling (王陵) could succeed Cao Shen. He also said that Wang Ling might be too young to perform his duties soChen Ping could assist Wang, but Chen was also qualified to assume the responsibilities of a chancellor all by himself. He also namedZhou Bo as a possible candidate for the role of Grand Commandant. He died in Changle Palace (長樂宮),Chang'an, on 1 June 195 BC and was succeeded by his sonLiu Ying.[citation needed]
TheSong of the Great Wind is a song composed by Liu Bang in 195 BC when he visited his hometown inPei County after suppressingYing Bu's rebellion. He prepared a banquet and invited all his old friends and townsfolk to join him. After some drinks, Liu Bang played theguqin and sang theSong of the Great Wind (大風歌).[37][38]
大風起兮 雲飛揚 威加海內兮 歸故鄉， 安得猛士兮 守四方！
A great wind came forth the clouds rose on high Now that my might rules all within the seas, I have returned to my old village Where will I find brave men to guard the four corners of my land?
Liu Bang is one of the 32 historical figures who appear as special characters in the video gameRomance of the Three Kingdoms XI byKoei. His life story has also been dramatized in numerous TV series and films (seeChu–Han Contention).
^According to Liu Bang's biography in theBook of Han, he was crowned emperor on thejiawu day of the second month of the fifth year of his reign (including his tenure as King of Han). This corresponds to 28 February 202 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar.
^According to Liu Bang's biography in theBook of Han, he was created King of Han in the second month of the first year of his reign (including his tenure as King of Han). This corresponds to 12 March to 10 April 206 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar.
^abcLi Zude (李祖德) (2012).刘邦祭祖考——兼论春秋战国以来的社会变革.中国史研究 [Journal of Chinese Historical Studies] (in Chinese).34 (3). CNKI:11–58.
^According to Liu Bang's biography in theBook of Han, he died on thejiachen day of the fourth month of the 12th year of his reign (including his tenure as King of Han). This corresponds to 1 June 195 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar.
^平曰："项王为人，恭敬爱人，士之廉节好礼者多归之。至於行功赏爵邑，重之，士亦以此不附。今大王嫚而少礼，士之廉节者不来；然大王能饶人以爵邑，士之顽顿耆利无耻者亦多归汉。诚各去两短，集两长，天下指麾即定矣。然大王资侮人，不能得廉节之士。顾楚有可乱者，彼项王骨鲠之臣亚父、鍾离眛、龙且、周殷之属，不过数人耳。大王能出捐数万斤金，行反间，间其君臣，以疑其心，项王为人意忌信谗，必内相诛。汉因举兵而攻之，破楚必矣。" 汉王以为然，乃出黄金四万斤予平，恣所为，不问出入.Book of Han, vol.40
^Sima Qian;Sima Tan (1959) [90s BCE]. "125: 佞幸列傳 [Those who curried favour]".Records of the Grand Historian史記 (in Chinese). Zhonghua Shuju.非獨女以色媚，而士宦亦有之。昔以色幸者多矣。至漢興，高祖至暴抗也，然籍孺以佞幸；孝惠時有閎孺。此兩人非有材能，徒以婉佞貴幸，與上臥起，公卿皆因關說。It was not only women who could utilize sexual attraction: this was possible for gentlemen and eunuchs as well. There were actually many of them in the past who used sexuality to garner imperial favour. When the Han arose, Gaozu was perfectly fierce and rough, yet a boy named Ji charmed his way into favour. In the time of Emperor Xiaohui there was the Hong boy. These two people did not possess special talent or ability, but with tenderness and seduction came to become valued and favoured, sleeping and waking with their sovereign, such that even the most powerful ministers sought their influence. (Translation after Hinsch). Cited inHinsch, Bret (1990).Passions of the Cut Sleeve. University of California Press. pp. 36–37.ISBN9780520078697. Cited inLouis Crompton,Homosexuality and Civilization (Cambridge, MA and London,Harvard University Press, 2003)ISBN0-674-01197-X
^(先黥布反时，高帝尝病，恶见人，卧禁中，诏户者无得入群臣。群臣绛、灌等莫敢入。十馀日，哙乃排闼直入，大臣随之。上独枕一宦者卧。哙等见上流涕曰："始陛下与臣等起丰沛，定天下，何其壮也！今天下已定，又何惫也！且陛下病甚，大臣震恐，不见臣等计事，顾独与一宦者绝乎？且陛下独不见赵高之事乎？"高帝笑而起。)Book of Han, vol. 41.
