Although the central government was never as powerful as that of the Qin Dynasty, at the height of the Empire, the Han controlled much of the Silk Road. and its wealth. Throughout its long life the Dynasty was wracked by revolts, divided into Eastern and Western Dynasties and hobbled by a government that relied more on it governors for support than the power of the emperor.
The Han were known for the high quality of their art such as this Rhinoceros carving.
Probably the greatest discovery of the Han was the creation of fine quality cloth paper.
The blast furnace was another important invention of the Han and was used in state run "factories" to produce huge quantities of iron for the tools and weapons of the empire.
Rather than the life size soldiers of the Qin tomb, the Han used smaller scale warriors to protect the spirits of the dead emperors. These tombs provide us with much information on the wealth, knowledge and power of the Han at their height before their inevitable fall and destruction.
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