Who was the first emperor of the Han dynasty?

Liu Bang was the first emperor of the Han dynasty. He ruled as Emperor Gaozu after defeating Xiang Yu in the Chu–Han Contention and establishing Han control in 202 BC.

Liu Bang began life in a relatively humble family in Pei County and served as a minor Qin official. During the rebellions that followed Qin Shi Huang’s death, he became a rebel leader. He entered the Qin heartland before Xiang Yu and accepted the surrender of Ziying, the last Qin ruler, but Xiang Yu initially prevented him from taking the throne.

The decisive struggle between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu ended with Liu’s victory at the Battle of Gaixia in 202 BC. He then founded the Western Han dynasty, first ruling from Luoyang before moving the capital to Chang’an. His reign combined lighter taxation and reduced forced labor with efforts to consolidate imperial authority.

A common mix-up is Qin Shi Huang, who was China’s first emperor overall, not the first Han emperor. Han Wudi was a much later Han ruler, while Zhang Qian was an explorer and diplomat.