Liu Bang becomes Emperor Han Gaozu
On this date in 202 B.C.E., Liu Bang was named emperor of the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.) following the defeat of his chief rival, Xiang Yu. Previously Liu had used the title “King of the Han,” but after consolidating control over all the territory of the fallen Qin dynasty (221 B.C.E.-206 B.C.E.), his vassels decided to give their leader a little title bump: Emperor Han Gaozu. Not bad considering Liu had been born to a peasant family, worked for a time at a postal relay station, and then rose to prominence in the rebellion against Qin rule. I believe he was one of only two commoners* to found a major dynasty in the Imperial Period, and he was certainly the only former postal worker to do so. (Be nice to the mailman, I’m just saying…)
Bai Juyi birthday
Today is the birthday of the Tang Dynasty poet, official, and scholar Bai Juyi (772-846). A member of the prestigious Hanlin Academy, Bai was also the author of over 2,800 poems including “The Pipa Player”《琵琶行》and “The Song of Eternal Sorrow”《长恨歌》which told the tragic story of Yang Guifei, the famous consort of the Xuanzong Emperor.