10. China's Han Dynasty - The First Empire in Flames
WATCH WITH VIDEO: • 10. The Han Dynasty - ...
A city in ruins. A dynasty in tatters. An empire in ashes...
This episode, we look at the remarkable story of the first empire of ancient China, the Han dynasty. With ancient Chinese poetry, songs and folk music, we look back at the first empire's rise, its remarkable technological advances, and its first, tentative attempts to make contact with the empires of the west. Finally, we look at all the reasons behind the first age of Imperial China's final, dramatic fall.
Support Fall of Civilizations on Patreon: / fallofcivilizations_po...
Credits:
Sound engineering by Thomas Ntinas
Voice Actors:
Claire Hynes
Jake Barrett-Mills
Shem Jacobs
Alex Peattie
Music by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: incompetech.com/
Title theme: Home At Last by John Bartmann. johnbartmann.com/
This was a good podcast, Han's down.
lol. that pun was _empirically_ bad. xD
@@Triton1051 yes, it is, I agree...
😑 ... I'm only upset because I laughed as hard as I did
Yes.
Hahahaha!!! Nice one.
Definitely the best history podcast around; I've been binge listening to you for days. The Aztecs episode was especially brilliant and well researched. Cheers, Paul!
Thanks James, I really appreciate it!
@@FallofCivilizations The Aztec one is an epic. I've never felt so engaged by a piece of academia before.
@@BigglesAboutTown I have to say those mesoamerican ancient group's deities and religions are a bit over-taught in comparison to the pagan's deities and religions, just saying.
A history documentary huh, I wonder how comprehensive it will be? FOC: "180 million years ago..." Oh my.
😂
How about last episode? FoC: Let me tell you about the fall of the Aztecs Me: Cool FoC: It all started with this dinosaur and an asteroid Me: Is this going to be on the test?
@@FallofCivilizations 0000000l0l0l0l
Dear.
Dear. Dear.
Binging this series, the time and effort that must go into making these is incredible for an independent creator. Great work and can’t wait to listen to the next one!
Thank you Jason, much appreciated!
@@FallofCivilizations thank your parents for us too! TY for this wonderful series.
Fall of Civilizations hrh rnrh
This podcast has every quality that makes me love and appreciate history. I have subscribed and rung the bell. Thank you to everyone who worked on this podcast.
Thank you, much appreciated!
You are an incredible narrator, thank you for your work. You speak slow and clear enough for me to and process the info. Wish this channel luck as deep as the ocean !!!
"They buttoned their coats on the left" Truly barbaric behaviour
Dressing in the suiting of drawing the bow with the right hand, back then archery was not practised by Chinese nobilities for half a millennia, dressing in suiting of the horsearchery tradition was indeed held as barbaric.
Women's coats button on the left. Is it a coincidence? Was it a jab/joke? Or is it one now?
@@givemeurhats do more research before questioning, I never heard in any period of ancient China was there a predominant culture of women to set the button on the left.
Left handed people disagree.
@@armyofninjas9055 left hands in, say, ancient Greece, will break the hoplite formation. Do know that even in ww2 majority of automatic rifles will causally spit the hot shellcase on left hand guys's face. Before modern times warfare tactic and equipment in a organized army is indeed a strange place to search for diversity and convenient.
I love this channel, the care and attention to detail with editing on each podcast is second to none. Stumbled upon by chance not too long ago and have binging each podcast enthusiastically. Keep up the good work. Looking forward to more in the future.
Thank you! Really glad you've been enjoying
It’s truly a wonderful channel isn’t it, highly recommended.
@@FallofCivilizations uu078u8u
6y I. The h
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Your voice comforts me when I’m anxious and can’t sleep. And I love history. Thank you.
Glooorious.
Not just you! I'd love it ṭoo!🥰
This channel is incredible! I just stumbled upon it by chance (lloking for meaningful history and being very much disappointed by the "great" channels"), I think I found a treasure trove here. I am listening to the Songhai episode now but this will be the next one. Thank you SO MUCH!!!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Hope you enjoy the rest too.
I really like it. It is detailed. I don't know a lot about Chinese History. I live in the US and the public school system here used to teach US history for some odd reason. After I graduated high school I read a lot of history, but never read much about Chinese history before around 1700. EDIT: History Channel, Discovery Channel, etcetera are all garbage. All the shows are only a summary of the same events over and over. Normandy Invasion, Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg, Revolutionary War, Sir Francis Drake, The Lusitania, Aliens Built the Pyramids, William the Conqueror, Caligula... and a lot of the information is incorrect.
I agree, I strive to learn as much history as possible and KZhead often seems lacking until I found this channel a few days ago. Has taught me so much that I didn't know
@@BrettonFerguson I live in the US & most of this info. I already knew, granted I was a constant reader. I can no longer read , except for short periods . It was still interesting to listen other reason of failings of civilization & some new info. that wasn't in books. Ty on for the podcasts.
you want real history lesson,?, viper & dttv.?.vids on sumer..then,the rest of history & religion,becomes easy.
Podcast: This is about the Han Dynasty. Me: Rad. Podcast: but first, I need to explain Wilson Supercontinent Cycles to put China in context. Me:
This is exactly why I love this podcast
I am a storyteller my brother-in-law is a journalist, we often laugh about how we have to fill-in with something interesting or the story might be too short. He even calls it filler in his articles.
Or he is storytelling like Michener, an author who also told historically not so accurate, but detailed history’s.
Yeah that was an epic opening
@@matthewmimmack1076 What is not so historically accurate?
"They're barbarous. Their coats button... on the LEFT SIDE." ~audible gasp~
🤣🤣🤣
Those Han Dynasty scholar who wrote this clearly had a witty sense of humor LOL
Girls, then?
I listen to so many history podcasts but this is different. It's immersive with authentic music, the poetry, the voice overs, and that beautiful voice guiding you through time. To be honest, I listen to these with my eyes covered so the story plays out like a projector playing in my mind. I've listened to all of them at least twice. This one is especially important because what is old is new. It's not just ancient geopolitical stories. This one should help explain a lot of today's happenings.
What a wonderful series of podcasts this has been, beats anything on tv by a country mile. Thank you Paul and the rest of the people involved, it is much appreciated.
Thank you Barry, very kind of you!
I normally don't listen to podcasts but I fell upon this and hadn't noticed it was a podcast and ended up listening and playing solitaire:) So now I have subscribed because you have a great way of telling history and you don't have to sit and watch the same scenes again and again and having things repeated as docs often do. Thank you for all your work!!
Fantastic work. I binged the whole series in the last two days. You deserve a BBC show for this. You have an eloquent style that demonstrates enthusiasm and reverence for the periods covered that rivals popular documentarian/historians like Mary Beard and Bettany Hughes. Well done. I'd suggest some other civilizations (Assyria, Minoa, American Indians, Great Zimbabwe, Lydia, Celts, Goths, Merv, Etruscans -- just off the top of my head) but you probably already have a backlog of suggestions to sift through.
Thank you, that's very kind of you! These are some great suggestions - certainly some I plan to do, and I'll look into the others!
Even tho there are a few months between uploads, it always such a pleasure when the podcast drops. I fully appriciate how you take ur time and create fantastic content that is not only entertaining but well researched and educational. Thanks for all the hard work
Been waiting for this. These are fantastic. Thank you so much for your time and effort.
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
@@FallofCivilizations Absolutely love your podcast! Glad I found them on Spotify. Any idea why episodes 3 and 7 are not on Spotify? It's like they just disappeared!
@@SaltyMaltyMo Yes I'm having trouble getting to the bottom of that! They are available on other platforms, and hopefully I can resolve this soon.
Agreed
If I weren't barely above the poverty line and handicapped, I would literally give you all the money, sir. This channel, your content, and podcast are probably the best discovery I've made on the internet in several years. Keep up the hard work and stoke that passion well, my friend. Good things will come.
Mangoes....
😊Uuoi😊i 23:40 ii😊 23:40 😊ooiii😊😊 i😊z
I'm 😅i😊ii
Thanks Paul for another great podcast. It's not given to many to narrate history in an informative and interesting way but you have the gift. Keep up the good work and I look forward to many more to come.
Every time I think this podcast can’t get any better... you do it again! Really appreciate all your hard work!
Wow that was incredible! I would love so many more civilisations, the Carolingians, the Mauria, the Byzantine, perhaps even the Ottomans? I hope you'll keep doing this for ever
Thank you! These are some great suggestions - certainly some are on the list for the future.
@@FallofCivilizations Look forward to an episode on Carthage!
@@FallofCivilizations Please do *the fall of excessively greedy corporations*
@@whothefoxcares That would be a tricky one. Multinationals have been around for a while now, but can we really speak of a corporate culture that early? The rise and fall of the Dutch VOC and WIC, for instance, would be interesting, but I think it would be doing a disservice to actual civilizations to lump them in there. I'm with Larry, would love to see an episode on Carthage.
I would really like a podcast on Bactria...
Thank you so much for all the effort you put into these every time!
Thank you, I really appreciate the kind words!
This is probably the most well produced scripted podcast I listen to. Excellent work don't stop.
Thank you, very kind of you!
Honestly one of my top 5 history channels along with kings and generals, history time, fire of learning and the histrocrat. Every time you upload I can't wait for the next
Thank you! That's very kind of you to say
I already know so much about this specific time period but I can't stop listening and watching every bit I can on it. Such a magnificent, wonderful, mythical period in history.
You are one of my favourite podcasts. I wish the episodes were more frequent but I also appreciate all the work you put into them, I’m sure it’s incredibly time consuming. I am captivated but each episode.
Bro, I just came across your channel, while looking for a thorough history channel to listen to while falling asleep. Your content, pacing, tone of voice are spot on. New subscriber well earned!
Thank you! Really glad you're enjoying
Listening about entire civilizations setting ablaze always makes my day!
my guilty pleasure is apocalyptic movies.
Everything on these podcasts are absolutely beautiful! Well done!
I can probably say that this is the most reliable content on any podcast right now. You have continued to improve as well imo. Remarkable job!
Thank you, very kind of you!
as the author says,,history is part guesswork. Educated guesswork but guesswork.
Another superb episode! Brilliant work! And, all those hours of playing Romance of the Three Kingdoms on SNES paid off as I was able to keep all the names straight in the last portion... It was great to hear about Lu Bu killing Dong Zhou and the detail about the candle burning for days burning off of the fat of Dong Zhou's stomach...
Thank you, glad you enjoyed! Yes there are so many colorful details to choose from.
By far the best history channel out there in this area. The voice, the rhythm of the speech fits perfectly with well edited topics. Keep up the great work!
Thank you, really glad you think so!
Yes. It's excellent. If you ever want more visually. One of similar quality exists called "History Time" and "Voices of the Past" (same producers). HT summarizes history. Voices of the Past provides readings from primary sources. The reader is also British, a bias I favor. Lol. Somehow, it sounds so scholarly.
Wow I never expected the guy who finally brought down this empire to be somebody I myself, as a child, beheaded in a Nintendo game. I think he was the first major boss enemy! Cao Cao lasts much longer, though... in the game at least. That Romance of the Three Kingdoms story has certainly traveled far!
Which version of Dynasty Warriors did you first play?
@@devilravenninja9597 I have never played that series in any form! I was referring to Destiny of an Emperor for the NES. (Something like this could also have happened with the first four Romance of the Three Kingdoms games, which were ported to NES or SNES during the appropriate time period, but I never tried any of those for some reason - I stuck to Koei's Genghis Khan games instead.)
Once again outstanding content. I listen to far to much KZhead. But these really stand out and this is now up there with my favourite channels. Genuinely top notch podcast.
Finally, a new video..been waiting for a new one for so long..thanks
Thank you! Hope it's worth the wait.
@@FallofCivilizations 😉sure it is..
Amazing content! One of the best Historians on youtube by far!
So glad to see the notification for your current installment. If you dont have a historical grant, it's a crime against humanity.
Thank you! I'm supported purely on patreon subscribers at the moment.
I can listen to this over and over (and have!... well fairly big chunks if not all of it... yet). The detail is so razor sharp that I just can't take it all in and have to replay it over. A more fascinating, comprehensive and yes, enjoyable introduction to Chinese history I cannot imagine, as before I played this, I knew next to nothing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you for this amazing content. I was searching for a comprehensive content in one place. 👍💯
You are remarkable. We are so lucky to be gifted such incredible content. Thank you for sharing these wonderful episodes. They are brilliant and much appreciated.
Thank you Kristina, that's very kind of you!
best history podcast out there. Listened and watched numerous times. Great for bedtime stories, especially when there's VO actors involved
These all have been extremely well done and have certainly expanded my view of world history. Very well written and elegantly produced
Fall of Civilizations Podcast? Finally, a podcast specific to my interests!
A small clarification, Qin Shi Huang means the founding (shi) emperor (Huang) of the qin (qin) dynasty, rather than the name. His actual name was Ying Zheng and he was a captive in the kingdom of Zhao before becoming king of the qin, which later unified China.
Yeah, it's kind of similar to how Gaius Octavius later became known as Caesar Augustus. It wasn't his birth name, and from a historical perspective, it wouldn't necessarily be accurate to refer to him as "Augustus" when referencing the time period before he assumed that title.
Bonus knowledge!! Thank you.
Thank you for the upload. Saw this in the morning, but had to go to work. Been looking forward to giving you a listen all day.
My pleasure! Hope you enjoy.
A mind boggling and engaging retelling of pertinent historical information previously unknown to many, including myself. Thank you!
I just found this series and I'm mesmerized. Magical. I'm binge-watching the entire thing. I'd love to hear your take on the Indus River Valley civilization. And I do hope you're taking notes on what's happening right here in the USA right now. Cheers.
Loved the episode. Thank you for the good work. I just wished you would've gone into more details when discussing the reforms of the Qin, especially those of Shang Yang, such as the utilisation of collective punishments for military units and civilian households, establishments of twenty ranks of nobility that enable soldiers to climb the social hierarchy through the slaying of foes in battle, and the control of food prices through the restriction of trade on agriculture produces. When discussing ancient historical reforms people often merely touches it briefly without going into details, making it difficult for the audience to truly understand how they impacted the society and were the society bettered compared to its past and other societies around it. Although I am not an expert in history myself, there are a few inaccuracies in the video which I've noticed. Some was probably due to the simplification of history to make this easier for those less knowledgeable to consume. Nonetheless, I've like to clarify below for those that wishes to know more. 1. Toward the end of the Warring States period the two most important states were Qin (秦) and Chu(楚), not Han(韩). 2. Qin Shi Huang(秦始皇) was not the name of the first emperor of Qin, that was his title, meaning The First Emperor of Qin. His actual personal name was Yin Zhen (嬴政). 3. Qin Shi Huang did almost none of the reforms himself. The most important reforms were largely implemented by the six Qin kings that came before him. The reason for Qin Shi Huang's successful wars was due to the hard works done by his ancestors. 4. The first state to deploy large quantity of cavalry in warfare was the state of Zhao, not Qin. 5. Qin Shi Huang killed scholars that politically against him, not for them unable to provide him with medicine of immortality. He also kept copies of the books which he burned in the imperial library. the library was later burned by the rebel Xiang Yu (项羽). 6. The first emperor of Han (汉) comes from the state of Chu (楚), not the state of Han (韩). The Chinese character for the dynasty of Han (汉) and the Chinese character for the state of Han (韩) are different and unrelated. The Han (汉) dynasty was named after the the commandery of Hanzhong (汉中), where Liu bang (刘邦), the founder of Han (汉) dynasty, first established his capital after the overthrown of Qin (秦), being enthroned as a king by his hegemonic overlord, the king of the newly revived kingdom of Chu. The commandery itself was named after the Han River (汉江). The name Hanzhong (汉中) literally means 'The Middle of Han (River)'.
Talking about the reforms of Qin would require talking about the Warring States period which produced Qin. This would inevitably lead to talking about the Spring and Autumn period. This video could be easily 100 hours long lol.
One of the best history podcasts on the web. Thank you
Bravo! Love the intro, the voice, the pace, and the content! Top work.
Thank you, really glad you enjoyed!
Another superb episode. I could listen to that voice all day. That was 3 hours and flew by. Just ordered your book too. Here's hoping for more content soon.
Nearly 3 hours of complete bliss.....thank you 😍
As someone who has lived in China for 11 years I greatly appreciate this work. Profoundly helpful in piecing together today’s China. It has brought many things together for me. Again, extremely grateful, thanks.
Thank you for this series, it's incredible! Really has kept me engaged during lockdown.
Thank you, glad I could help!
thank you! amazingly done in every aspect!
Best history channel I've seen on yt so far, keep it up!
I cannot wait until you drop a new podcast, I’ve listened to all 10 now.
What an fantastic episode! I especially loved the bits in Mandarin, that added so much atmosphere!
I keep listening to your podcasts over ons over. Superb!
Always enjoy your podcasts! Thank you for your efforts!
Love your work and eagerly wait each new episode. Would love to hear what you come up with for the Tartarian Empire.
A true Knight. Thank you for putting together these podcasts. Very enjoyable. I actually smiled and said “Sweet” when I saw this come up today!
Thank you, very kind of you!
Great episode! Very informative. You always do a great job.
Thank you! Glad you thought so.
Thank you for these podcasts... More please!
Superb! Travelling from Glasgow back to London, extensive podcasts are a must! Thank you for your perfect timing, and captivating stories.
My pleasure! Glad I could make the journeys pass quicker.
Be glad you don't have to commute across the state of Texas, 1310 km.
@@frankkolton1780 It was 10 hours or so through snow and rain, so much to see out of the windows. I do hope to drive across Texas, when the world's whole again. All the best , and be well
HURREY!!! Been waiting for the next one - really look forward to I'm sure repeated listenings!
Really hope you enjoy!
The story about the rivalry between eunuchs and dowagers was perfect
I love these series. Such effort and detail. Fantastic!
Thank you, very kind!
This channel has such great content .
Your channel and podcast are simply fantastic! Thank you for your hard work!
Thank you! Really glad you're enjoying
What an excellent series. I've listened to four episodes so far and I think you have done a fantastic job. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it!
As a video game nerd who grew up playing grand strategy games by koei that took place after the yellow turban rebellion(or during but that is boring start date) it was nice to hear the history without the fluff. I read the book about the three kingdoms by Lou guhzhong( probably got the name wrong it has been awhile) and while based in history it is steeped in mysticism kinda like an American tall tale. Great job on this. I loved it.
Great video brother these is an awesome podcast.
Fantastic series of podcasts! Tons of information. Easy to understand language. Thanks👍🏻😊 Can you make a podcast about the huns? I think there is a lot to tell about them, as well.
This channel is great! I keep recommending it. Will you do an episode on the Indus Valley civilisation?
Thank u so much for your incredible effort
Not going to lie. I spend a lot of time on YT. This is currently my favourite channel.
A new subscriber. Love the Later Han dynasty mostly because of the games that are based on it. Learned alot as you got into great detail. Expanding on the three kingdoms and the fall of the Jin dynasty I would love to see it.
I just love this series. The description of the crash of continents was evocative.
The Chinese early inventions are mindblowing
You might like the books "China: Land of Discovery and Invention"and "The Genius of China: 3000 Years of Science, Discovery and Invention", both by Robert Temple.
@@hreodbeorhtcheesewright4889 I *will* enjoy these, thank you
Very excited to delve in. Always greatfull for such quality content ^-^.
Very kind of you! Hope you enjoy.
I have heard tails of how impossible it was for the common people to become part of the Han government as the tests you had to take required an understanding of language and ceremony that only the richest could afford to dedicate enough time and money to pass. The only commoner I remember getting in had to politely tell a dying emperor he could not save him because he was not fit to serve as he had been turned down so many times. The emperor waved the test and he helped as the tail went. How was it Lu Bu came to his place? Perhaps I missed it but I can't go back without discarding this lol
Can you do all of China’s imperial dynasty in the coming episode? Personally I think the end of Song is very tragic, on par with the Aztecs. Han wasn’t that bad since all the cultural lineage gets inherited and passed down.
Beautifully read and arranged. Thank you.
Great Podcasts!
Amazing. So difficult to find Chinese History literature in English, this is a great substitute. Looking forward to a part 2 of sorts :)
Very good job, thank you a lot. I enjoyed this a lot.
There is some amazing content coming out on this channel!!!
Thank you, glad you're enjoying!
The Han Dynasty was not a continuation of the Han Kingdom from the Warring States. The two most important Warring States kingdoms were probably the Qin and Chu. Chu was conquered by Qin but then led a rebellion that destroyed the Qin Dynasty. Chu was then reestablished as the Kingdom of Western Chu, and fought the newly formed kingdom of Han in the War of 18 Kingdoms/Chu-Han contention. It was this new Han Kingdom that created the Han Dynasty. Liu Bang was also not born in the Warring States kingdom of Han, but in the Warring States kingdom of Chu.
In Chinese characters the Han kingdom of the Warring States period and the Han dynasty are written differently. The former 韓， the latter 漢。After the Qin was toppled Liu Bang was made the Lord of Hanzhong (漢中) (in today's Shaanxi Province bordering Sichuan Province). From there with the help of the legendary general Hanxin (韓信) he set out to reunite China. Taking the first character of Hanzhong, he named his new empire Han.
Your work is amazing.
A great prelude to watching the 3 kingdoms show
I don’t, “comment, like, and subscribe.” Except when one of your videos come out. Thank you for what you do!
Love all of these. Thank you
Great show! Loved it! Peace!
Wonderful Channel and wonderful news to hear
Ottoman empire history is rich, it would be a good podcast
yesterday i just finised with ALL episodes!(listening them for two weeks)and today Han China?! as we say here- Ester day is already:)))
Really hope you enjoy!
@@FallofCivilizations oh yeah this is the brain candy alright, good on ya!
Great podcast/documentary.
Brilliant work. Thank you.