Emperor Ai of Han

Reign: 6 BCE – 0
Life: 23 BCE–0

The people and the officials were initially excited about his ascension, as he was viewed by them (as well as Emperor Cheng) to be intelligent, articulate, and capable. In an unpopular act, Emperor Ai had his prime minister Wang Jia (王嘉, unrelated to the Wang clan mentioned above) put to death for criticizing him, an act that made him appear tyrannical. During Emperor Ai's reign, officials became aware of the promises tied to his favoritism, beginning to dress in a highly ornate fashion. Ironically, Dong was noted for his relative simplicity and given progressively higher and higher posts as part of the relationship, eventually becoming the supreme commander of the armed forces by the time of Emperor Ai's death.

During Emperor Ai of Han's reign, Augustus ruled Rome and Emperor Suinin ruled Japan.

Further reading: The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 1 by Denis Twitchett & Michael Loewe

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Emperor Ai of Han

The World During Their Reign

Meanwhile in history

Further Reading

The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 1