AHC: Preserve the Han Dynasty

[CandyDragon]

This is for one of my TLs I'm thinking of rebooting. Butterflies would be minimal to China, given that it's Rome-centric, but I want to be able to at least show the rest of the world on the maps.

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, would be to maintain a strong and influential Han Dynasty in China for at least two hundred years longer than its OTL end (220), and longer if possible.

 

[DAv]

There are various ways although the further along it gets, the more tricky it is to avoid making the Han Emperors become puppets to the factions at court. A strong Emperor rather than three weak ones in a row would be what's needed to avoid the worst of the damage.

 

[The Ubbergeek]

There are various ways although the further along it gets, the more tricky it is to avoid making the Han Emperors become puppets to the factions at court. A strong Emperor rather than three weak ones in a row would be what's needed to avoid the worst of the damage.

Actually, is an emperor too strong at times the problems? Some counterweights and limits to the emperor"s power may help the Han or any dynasty maybe,... We may deride bureaucrats in modern days, but those workers of the state and general statemen are important...

 

[DAv]

Actually, is an emperor too strong at times the problems? Some counterweights and limits to the emperor"s power may help the Han or any dynasty maybe,... We may deride bureaucrats in modern days, but those workers of the state and general statemen are important...

The thing is, the position of weak Emperors of the latter Han allowed the Warlords to rise in power as well as their military reforms which really took power away from the court. Having an Emperor able to retain control would prevent the downfall.

 

[The Ubbergeek]

The thing is, the position of weak Emperors of the latter Han allowed the Warlords to rise in power as well as their military reforms which really took power away from the court. Having an Emperor able to retain control would prevent the downfall.

True. But on the reverse, you have the later decay of the Ming by example (albeit there was also by example laxism)...

The emperor is one thing, but the highest mandarins, generals, ministers, delicate balance of power...

 

[John Fredrick Parker]

I once thought this might be possible if Cao Cao had conquered the South and not killed the puppet Han Emperor's girl; granted, these days I'd be skeptical on this being enough, or even possible...

 

[BBadolato]

By the time of Dong Zhou's chancellorship the emperor was powerless, and even was killed before the last emperor took the throne. Your gonna want to make Emperor Ling less dependent on the 10 eunuchs and actually do something about the earthquakes and famines plaguing the country. Less people disgruntled about Han rule less severe or maybe no Yellow Turban Revolt which lead to a complete mess at the capital of Luo Yang later on.