Knowra Book of Han Book of Han The Book of Han is a Chinese dynastic history of the Western Han dynasty, compiled principally by Ban Gu and completed by Ban Zhao in the first century CE.
Twenty-Four Histories : A traditional collection of official histories covering Chinese dynasties from antiquity through the Ming. The Book of Han became the model for histories later gathered into this canon.
Ban Gu : A first-century Chinese historian and poet who compiled most of the Book of Han. He developed the work and wrote much of its narrative before his death in custody.
Annals of the Book of Han : Chronological accounts of Western Han emperors that form the opening section of the Book of Han. They provide the imperial timeline against which the book’s other sections can be read.
Wang Mang : A Han official who founded the short-lived Xin dynasty and ruled China from 9 to 23 CE. The book’s account of his rise and rule illuminates the Western Han’s final political crisis.
Book of the Later Han : A Chinese dynastic history of the Eastern Han, compiled by Fan Ye in the fifth century. It applies the dynastic-history model to the period after the Western Han.
Shiji : A history of China from legendary antiquity to the early Han, written by Sima Qian. Ban Gu followed Sima Qian’s historical form while narrowing its focus to one dynasty.
Ban Zhao : A first-century Chinese historian and scholar who completed the Book of Han after Ban Gu’s death. She finished the compilation and contributed to its textual and scholarly tradition.
Treatises of the Book of Han : Topical essays in the Book of Han on institutions, geography, economy, ritual, and other subjects. They explain systems and long-term themes that the chronological annals cannot cover alone.
Xiongnu : A confederation of nomadic peoples that challenged and negotiated with Han China across the northern frontier. The book documents Han diplomacy, warfare, and relations with this major rival.
Records of the Three Kingdoms : A third-century Chinese history of the Wei, Shu, and Wu states, written by Chen Shou. Its compact treatment of a divided age differs from the Book of Han’s account of a unified dynasty.
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