Changsha Kingdom
The Changsha Kingdom was a kingdom within the Han Empire of China, located in present-day Hunan and some surrounding areas. The kingdom was founded when Emperor Gaozu granted the territory to his follower Wu Rui in 203 or 202 BC, around the same time as the establishment of the Han dynasty. Wu Rui and his descendants held the kingdom for five generations until Wu Zhu died without an heir in 157 BC. In 155 BC, the kingdom was reestablished for a member of the imperial family. However, the creation of this second kingdom coincided with the Rebellion of the Seven States and the subsequent reforms under Emperor Jing, and Changsha under the imperial family saw its autonomy greatly diminished. The kingdom was dissolved during Wang Mang's usurpation (AD 9 – 23), briefly restored after the founding of the Eastern Han, and finally abolished in AD 33 and converted to a commandery under the imperial government.
Changsha Kingdom 長沙國 | |
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| 203/202 BC–AD 33 | |
Kingdoms of the Han dynasty in 195 BC, with Changsha shown in light green, at bottom centre | |
| Status | Kingdom of the Han dynasty |
| Capital | Linxiang (present-day Changsha) |
| Government | Monarchy |
| History | |
• Established | 203/202 BC |
• Extinction of the Wu family line | 157 BC |
• Reestablishment under the Liu family | 155 BC |
• Dissolution under Wang Mang | AD 9 |
• Restoration | AD 26 |
• Disestablished | AD 33 |
| Changsha Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 長沙國 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 长沙国 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | State of Changsha | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Changsha was one of the largest and longest-lasting kingdoms in Han China. Despite being established on the empire's frontier, technology and art flourished in Changsha. Numerous archaeological sites of the kingdom have been discovered and excavated, most notably Mawangdui, the tomb of Changsha's chancellor Li Cang and his family, providing valuable insights into life in the kingdom and Han dynasty in general.