Person

Emperor Wu of Han

r. 141–87 BCE · 2nd century BCE · Also known as Emperor Wu

Emperor Wu was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty (r. 141–87 BCE). He abandoned the earlier policy of appeasing the Xiongnu and launched long campaigns that drove them from key grazing lands, expanded Han control into the Gansu corridor and Central Asia, and promoted Confucianism in government. His wars weakened the Xiongnu Empire but strained Han finances.

Emperor Wu of Han
Image: Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 6 profiles

Han DynastyFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, ImpactXiongnu EmpireMilitary, DeclineState of QiImpactYuezhiMilitary, ImpactEastern JinDeclineConfucianismSpread, Summary

Mentioned in 9 state histories

GojoseonKingdom of DayuanWestern JinSouthern QiLiang dynastyNorthern QiWestern Liang (555-587)Northern ZhouChen dynasty

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Emperor Wu of Han. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wu-of-han
MLA
“Emperor Wu of Han.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wu-of-han. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Emperor Wu of Han.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wu-of-han.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Emperor Wu of Han’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wu-of-han (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻