• Home
  • Emperors
  • Inventions
  • Dynasties
  • Provinces
  • Food and Tea
  • Best Chinese History Books
  • About >>
    • About
    • Contact

Learn Chinese History

Where the Middle Kingdom comes alive

Home » Emperors » Emperor Huidi of the Western Han Dynasty: A Biography

Emperor Huidi of the Western Han Dynasty: A Biography

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I MAY GET A SMALL COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHSE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

Article by Heather

emperor huidi western han dynasty

Emperor Huidi was born in 210 BCE. His name at birth was Liu Ying. He was the oldest son of the Western Han dynasty emperor, Gaodi, and Empress Lu Hou, Emperor Gaodi’s wife. Upon his father’s death in 195 BCE, Liu Ying became emperor of the Western Han dynasty. Huidi (Hui-ti) means “Beneficial Emperor”.

Unlike his father Emperor Gaodi, Emperor Huidi was not warlike and did not lead his armies to expand his empire. He was, however, as good as his father towards his people. He continued in his father’s footsteps by repealing more laws that had been enforced since the Qin dynasty.

Take the Free Quiz to Find Out When You'll Be a Millionaire

One important law that he stopped was the law that allowed for the burning of books. By stopping this law, scholars were able to record and save much of the history of the Western Han dynasty and of those dynasties that came before it.

Emperor Huidi believed it was important to remember one’s ancestors and he had many shrines built in honor of his father and placed around his empire.

Huidi does not appear to have been a strong person or an emperor with strong advisors and as such, his mother, the dowager empress Lu Hou controlled him and his government. Although Huidi was the emperor of the Western Han dynasty, Lu Hou had her own ambitions for the empire. She killed many of Huidi’s family members and she and her family lead military campaigns to gain control of more areas.

Emperor Huidi’s wife was Empress Chang and he had several concubines. He had at least one child, a daughter. Huidi’s mother, the dowager empress Lu Hou killed this child, her granddaughter.

Emperor Huidi left no heirs and at his death in 188 BCE, his mother, dowager empress Lu Hou became regent.

You might also like:

  • History of Chinese Emperors – Names, Dynasties and ReignsHistory of Chinese Emperors – Names, Dynasties…
  • Tang Dynasty Emperor TaizongTang Dynasty Emperor Taizong
  • Tang Dynasty: Emperor Xuanzong (Ming Huan)Tang Dynasty: Emperor Xuanzong (Ming Huan)
  • Sui Dynasty Emperors Yangdi and GongdiSui Dynasty Emperors Yangdi and Gongdi

Welcome!

LearnChineseHistory.com is a collection of articles on Chinese history and culture. When readers choose to purchase items through my links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. It helps me pay for my web hosting. Thank you for your support!

Favorite Articles

  • History of the Chinese Compass
  • About Empress Wu Zetian
  • Emperor Wudi - Han Dynasty
  • Qin Dynasty History and Achievements
  • Chinese Province Meanings

Menu

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure

Categories

  • Dynasties
  • Emperors
  • Food and Tea
  • Inventions
  • Provinces

Don’t Miss These…

  • • History of Chinese Fireworks
  • • Later Jin Dynasty: History & Facts
  • • Qin Dynasty Emperor Qin Shihuangdi
  • • Guangdong Pronvince: Facts, Culture & History
  • • Did the Ancient Chinese Invent the Abacus

Affiliate Disclosure

This post may contain affiliate links which means if you choose to make a purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. It helps pay for my web hosting and supports my work. All attempts are made to present the most correct information, but it may not be appropriate for your specific circumstance and information may become outdated.

Paid Endorsement Disclosure

PAID ENDORSEMENT DISCLOSURE: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. I will never endorse any product or service that I do not fully support.

Amazon Disclosure

AMAZON DISCLOSURE: LearnChineseHistory.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon properties including, but not limited to, amazon.com, amazon.ca, amazon.fr, amazon.de, amazon.co.uk, and amazon.it. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Full Disclosure and Privacy Policy

©2012-2023 All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express written permission from this site's owner is strictly prohibited.