Emperor Huan of Han (simplified: 汉桓帝, traditional: 漢桓帝, pinyin: Hàn Huán Dì), personal name Liu Zhi (刘志, 劉志, Liú Zhì), was the eleventh emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty, reigning from 146 to 168 CE. His reign is remembered for the growing dominance of palace eunuchs and the first of the Partisan Prohibitions (党锢之祸), which barred scholar-officials from office and deepened the corruption that would eventually destroy the dynasty.
Biography
Accession
Liu Zhi was a great-grandson of Emperor Zhang of Han through a minor branch of the imperial Liu clan. In 146 CE, he was selected as heir by the powerful general Liang Ji (梁冀) after the previous emperor died young. Liu Zhi was enthroned as Emperor Huan at the age of fourteen.
Reign and eunuch dominance
Emperor Huan’s early reign was dominated by the regent Liang Ji, whose family controlled the court. In 159 CE, Emperor Huan finally acted against Liang Ji, surrounding his estate with troops and forcing him to commit suicide. The Liang clan was exterminated, and Emperor Huan assumed personal rule.
However, rather than restoring scholar-official governance, Emperor Huan relied heavily on the eunuchs who had helped him overthrow Liang Ji. He enfeoffed more than twenty eunuchs as marquises — an unprecedented move that outraged the scholar-official class.
Partisan Prohibitions
In 166 CE, a group of scholar-officials and students protested against eunuch corruption. Emperor Huan responded by ordering the arrest of the protesters and barring them and their associates from holding office. This became known as the first Partisan Prohibition (党锢之祸). Many talented officials were removed from government, further weakening the dynasty’s administration.
Death and succession
Emperor Huan died on 25 January 168 CE without a male heir. The empress dowager and her father Dou Wu selected Liu Hong, a twelve-year-old from a minor branch of the imperial clan, to succeed him as Emperor Ling of Han.