公元23年腐败的王莽政权在赤眉、绿林民变下终于灭亡。绿林军拥立汉宗室刘玄作皇帝，恢复汉的国号，年号更始。25年赤眉军立刘盆子为帝，随后击败了绿林军。其后，原本服从更始帝的汉朝宗室刘秀在鄗县（今河北高邑东南）之南即皇帝位，灭刘盆子，是为光武帝，沿用汉的国号，以这一年为建武元年，定都洛阳，史称东汉。即位后，于37年终于消灭赤眉、隗嚣、公孙述等割据势力，实现全国统一。汉光武帝废除王莽时的弊政，社会安定，加强中央集权，对外戚严加限制，史称光武中兴。
汉明帝和汉章帝在位期间，东汉进入全盛时期，号为“明章之治”。期间，于章和二年（公元88年）十月，车骑将军窦宪领军出塞，击破北匈奴，登燕然山，令班固作铭，刻石颂功，从此基本扫除了数百年来匈奴对汉朝北方边境的威胁。佛教在这时也传入中国。但是，在章帝后期，外戚窦氏日益跋扈，为东汉的衰落埋下伏笔。
88年，年仅31岁的汉章帝突然驾崩。年仅十岁的太子刘肇即位，是为汉和帝。但是实际上都是窦太后操纵朝政，国家政治日益腐败。窦氏的跋扈引发和帝的不满，不久，年仅14岁的和帝就抓捕外戚窦宪，外戚势力开始衰弱。但是之后和帝信用宦官，从此东汉的政治沦为外戚和宦官两股势力的争斗。不过，和帝仍然在政事上非常勤奋，不失为英明之主。元兴元年（105年）冬12月，年仅廿七岁的和帝病逝。出生仅百日的少子刘隆即位，是为殇帝。汉殇帝仅在位8个月就驾崩了。接替即位的是清河王刘庆之子汉安帝刘祜。他即位早期由太后邓绥临朝理政。邓太后勤俭节约，任用贤良，同时对自己家族的势力有所限制，却也对宦官势力纵容。建光元年（121年），邓太后逝世，安帝亲政，将邓氏家族诛杀殆尽。安帝依赖外戚宋氏和阎氏以及宦官的力量。听信奸臣，肆意无忌。朝政昏庸不堪。东汉快速衰败下去。延光四年三月，汉安帝在南巡途中死在叶城。外戚阎氏秘不发丧，拥立汉章帝之孙济北王刘寿之子刘懿，史称汉前少帝，但其在位仅200余日就病死。少帝死后，阎氏家族密谋再立傀儡，但被中常侍孙程击破，阎氏家族被诛杀。孙程迎立济阴王刘保，是为汉顺帝。在顺帝执政早期，宦官势力膨胀，却引发社会各界的反弹。阳嘉元年（132年），贵人梁妠立为皇后，从此梁氏外戚势力开始崛起，梁妠的兄弟梁冀被任命为大将军。汉安二年（143年）八月，顺帝病死，太子刘炳即位，是为冲帝，即位是年仅2岁，由梁太后临朝执政。永嘉元年（145年）正月初六，汉冲帝驾崩，年仅三岁。正月廿五日，梁冀拥立刘缵即位，是为汉质帝。质帝非常聪颖，称梁冀为“跋扈将军”，因此质帝不久就被杀害，年仅八岁。
本初元年闰六月初七日，大将军梁冀拥立汉章帝之孙刘志即位，是为汉桓帝。桓帝年少，因此继续由梁太后临朝执政。桓帝即位之初，梁冀势力几无边界，他残害忠良，公饱私囊，无恶不作。桓帝对他暗中也颇为不满，延熹二年八月初十，桓帝派兵士包围梁宅，梁冀与妻子双双自杀，梁氏外戚势力土崩瓦解。宦官成为新的权力中心。单超、徐璜、具瑗、左悺、唐衡五人被封为县侯；单超食邑两万户，后又封为车骑将军，其他四人各一万户，世称五侯。五侯贪婪放纵，终致在延熹九年引发第一次党锢之祸。永康元年十二月廿八日，汉桓帝驾崩。桓帝没有留下子嗣，由河间王刘开的曾孙刘宏继位，是为汉灵帝。灵帝即位之初，就引发以窦太后、窦武为首的外戚势力和以曹节、王甫为首的宦官势力的激烈权力斗争。永康元年九月初七，宦官发动政变，外戚势力被削弱。宦官则在永康二年（164年）制造第二次党锢之祸。而灵帝本人骄奢淫逸，为填补财政公开卖官职，朝政腐败到了极点。终致在西元184年爆发了由张角所带领的黄巾之乱。虽然不久便平定了此场叛乱，但是汉朝政府经此一役已国力大减。且中央政府为了顺利平叛，又将军政权力下放给各地州官。各地豪强大族从此开始慢慢拥兵自重，加以其原本已具有强大的经济实力，最终演变成东汉末年袁绍、袁术、曹操、孙坚、董卓等众豪强军阀割据一方、群雄逐鹿的局面。汉灵帝死后，董卓掌权，废后汉少帝刘辩为弘农王，改立汉献帝刘协。董卓被吕布诛杀后，军阀割据完全表面化，出现了把持中央的曹操；位于河北的袁绍；位于淮南的袁术；位于江东的孙权；位于荆州的刘表；位于益州的刘璋等势力。其中曹操“挟天子以令诸侯”，以汉朝丞相的名义讨伐各路军阀，在官渡之战中消灭了最大的敌人袁绍军的主力，但同时架空汉室权力，全权代理皇帝处理朝政，汉朝皇帝此时已经是空有名分而无实际了。曹操虽然想以汉朝丞相的名义企图招安但却引起各路诸侯的反抗，认为他是奸臣，不得已曹操只能逼迫汉献帝下诏名正言顺地讨伐各路军阀。前期曹操虽连战得胜却在赤壁之战中被孙刘联军击败，仓皇北逃。三分之势逐渐形成。曹操死后，其子曹丕继承曹操爵位，并于220年曹丕逼迫献帝让位，改国号魏，自称魏文帝，东汉灭亡，汉朝国祚告终，中国进入分裂的三国争霸时代。
In 23 AD, the corrupt Wang Mang regimefinally collapsed under the Red Eyebrow and Green Forest popular revolt. TheGreen Forest Army made Liu Xuan emperor of the Han clan, and restored the titleof the Han Dynasty. In 25, the Red Eyebrows established Liu Bonzi as emperorand subsequently defeated the Green Forest Army. Since then, the originalsubject to DE novo emperor of han dynasty imperial clan Liu Xiu in Hao county(now hebei zhonghan southeast) south of the emperor, liu basin, is forGuangWuDi, use of name of han, in this year for the first year of kenwood, itscapital of luoyang, the history of the eastern han dynasty. In 37 years, hewiped out the separatist forces of Chimei, Kui Xiao and Gongsun Shu, andrealized national reunification. Emperor Guangwu abolished the malpractice ofWang Mang, made the society stable, strengthened the centralization of power,and imposed strict restrictions on relatives.
During the reign of Emperor Mingdi andEmperor Zhang of Han Dynasty, the Eastern Han Dynasty entered its heyday, whichwas called "the rule of Ming Zhang". During the period, in October ofthe second year of Zhanghe (AD 88), the chariot and riding general Dou Xian ledthe siege, defeated the northern Xiongnu, climbed the Yanran Mountain, and hadBan Gu inscribed and carved stones to praise his achievements. From then on,the threat posed by Xiongnu to the northern border of Han Dynasty for hundredsof years was basically eliminated. Buddhism was also introduced into China atthis time. However, in the later period of Zhang Emperor, Dou family becameincreasingly domineering, which foreshadowed the decline of the Eastern HanDynasty.
In 88, Emperor Zhang died suddenly at theage of 31. The ten-year-old crown prince Liu Zhao ascended the throne asEmperor He of Han. But in fact, it was Empress Dowager Dou who controlled thegovernment, and the state politics became increasingly corrupt. Dou'sdomineering aroused Emperor He's dissatisfaction. Soon, when He was only 14years old, He arrested his relative Dou Xian, and the power of his relativesbegan to weaken. But then Emperor He trusted the eunuchs, and from then on thepolitics of the Eastern Han Dynasty was reduced to a struggle between thekinsmen and the eunuchs. However, Emperor He was still very diligent inpolitical affairs and a wise master. In December of the first year of Yuan Xing(105), Emperor He died of illness at the age of only 27. Born only 100 days,the youngest son Liu Long ascended the throne, is the Shang emperor. EmperorShang died after only eight months on the throne. He was succeeded by Liu Hu,son of Qinghe King Liu Qing. He ascended the throne early by the EmpressDowager Deng Sui in the administration. Empress Dowager Deng was thrifty,appointed virtuous, and limited the power of his family, but also connived atthe power of eunuchs. In the first year of Jianguang (121), Empress DowagerDeng died and Emperor An took power, killing the Deng family. He relied on thepower of his relatives, the Song and Yan families, and the eunuchs. Listen tothe treacherous minister, wanton no bogey. The government was inept. TheEastern Han Dynasty declined rapidly. In March of the fourth year of Yanguang,Emperor An died in Yecheng during his southern tour. Yan, a relative of the HanDynasty, secretly did not mourn, and named Liu Yi, the son of Liu Shou, thegrandson of Emperor Zhang of the Han Dynasty, as Emperor Shao before the HanDynasty. However, he died of illness after only 200 days on the throne. Afterthe death of Emperor Shao, the Yan family plotted to set up another puppet, butwas defeated by Sun Cheng, a Chinese assistant, and the Yan family was killed.Sun Cheng set up Liu Bao, king of Jiyin, as Emperor Shun of Han Dynasty. In theearly years of Emperor Shun's reign, the power of eunuchs expanded, buttriggered a backlash from all sectors of society. In the first year of Yang Jia(132), the vena vena Liang was appointed empress, and the vena vena familybegan to rise, and the vena vena's brother Liang Ji was appointed as a general.In August, the second year of Han 'an (143), Emperor Shun died of illness,crown prince Liu Bing ascended the throne, was Emperor Chong, ascended thethrone at the age of two, by the Empress Dowager Liang came to power. On thesixth day of the first month of the first year of Yongjia (145), Emperor Chong diedat the age of three. On the 25th day of the first month, Liang Ji named Liu Zhuas Emperor of the Han Dynasty. Zhi Di was very clever and called Liang Ji a"domineering general", so he was soon killed at the age of eight.
In the first year of June 7, General Liang
Ji proclaimed Liu Zhi, grandson of Emperor Zhang of Han Dynasty, as Emperor
Huan of Han Dynasty. Emperor Huan was young, so Empress Dowager Liang continued
to rule. At the beginning of Emperor Huan's reign, the power of Liang Ji was
almost boundless. He killed the faithful and good, and filled the pockets of
the public. Emperor Huan was also secretly dissatisfied with him. On the 10th
day of August in the second year of Yanxi, Emperor Huan sent soldiers to
surround Liang's house. Liang Ji and his wife both committed suicide, and
Liang's family forces were disintegrated. Eunuchs became the new centers of
power. I-uf, Xu Huang, have been reflected, left 悺,Tang Heng five blocked for county hou; Shan Chao ate up to 20,000 households,and later he was named Cheqi General, and the other four had 10,000 householdseach. In the ninth year of Yanxi's reign, the avarice and indulgence caused thefirst occlusion of the Party. On December 28, the first year of Yongkang,Emperor Huan died. Emperor Huan left no children and was succeeded by Liu Hong,great-grandson of King Liu Kai of Hejian, as Emperor Ling of Han. At thebeginning of Emperor Ling's accession to the throne, there was a fierce powerstruggle between the allied forces led by Empress Dowager Dou and Dou Wu andthe eunuchs led by Cao Jie and Wang Fu. On September 7, the first year ofYongkang, eunuchs staged a coup, and the power of the consorts was weakened. Inthe second year of Yongkang (164), eunuchs made the second occlusion. The LingEmperor himself was extravagant and extravagant, and the government was corruptto the extreme in order to fill the financial positions. The Yellow TurbanRebellion led by Zhang Jiao broke out in 184 AD. Although the rebellion wassoon put down, the Han government was greatly weakened by the war. In order tosmooth the rebellion, the central government devolved military and politicalpower to the state officials. From then on, the powerful and powerful familiesin the Eastern Han Dynasty began to support their troops and respectthemselves, and their already strong economic strength eventually evolved intoa situation where many powerful warlords such as Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Cao Cao,Sun Jian, Dong Zhuo and so on divided one side and fought against each other inthe late Eastern Han Dynasty. After the death of Emperor Ling of the HanDynasty, Dong Zhuo came to power, deposed the later emperor Liu Bian as theKing of Hongnong, and replaced him with Emperor Liu Xie. After Dong Zhuo waskilled by Lu Bu, the warlord division was completely superficial, and Cao Caoappeared to control the central government. Yuanshao in Hebei Province; YuanShu in Huainan; Sun Quan in Jiangdong; Liu Biao in Jingzhou; Liu Zhang andother forces in Yizhou. Among them, Cao Cao "coerced the son of Heaven tomake vassals", in the name of the prime minister of the Han Dynasty tofight against the warlords, in the battle of Guan Du destroyed the main forceof the biggest enemy Yuan Shao army, but at the same time, the power of the HanDynasty, acting solely for the emperor to deal with the government, the Hanemperor at this time has been empty title and no actual. Although Cao Cao triedto make peace in the name of the prime minister of the Han Dynasty, but causedthe resistance of various vassals, who thought he was a treacherous minister.Cao Cao could only force Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty to issue an imperialdecree to fight against the warlords justly. Cao Cao was defeated by the alliedforces of Sun and Liu in the Battle of Red Cliff and fled north in a panic. Thethird potential is forming. After the death of Cao Cao, his son Cao PIsucceeded to the title of Cao Cao. In 220, Cao PI forced Emperor Xian to giveup his throne and renamed himself Emperor Wen of Wei. The Eastern Han Dynastycollapsed and the collapse of the Han Dynasty ended, and China entered the eraof three Kingdoms.
