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Cai Lun
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JuanCai Lun (c. 62–121 CE) was a eunuch official of the Eastern Han dynasty and is traditionally credited with the invention of papermaking. His courtesy name was Jingzhong, and he was born in Guiyang (modern-day Leiyang, Hunan).
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The Partisan Prohibitions: the Fall of the Han Scholar-Gentry [Eastern Han]
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JuanA Brief Thaw: The Rise of the “Three Gentlemen” After years of eunuch tyranny, Emperor Huan of Han, wary of student unrest following earlier protests, made a tactical concession. He appointed three men deeply admired by the Imperial Academy scholars:
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The Five Eunuch Marquises: How Palace Slaves Became Masters of the Han Empire [Eastern Han]
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JuanThe Rise of the “Five Marquises” With the Liang clan destroyed in 159 CE, Emperor Huan of Han finally held real power. But instead of reforming the state, he focused on consolidating his own authority – by rewarding the very men who helped him: the eunuchs.
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How a teenage emperor and five eunuchs toppled the “Bullying General”? [Eastern Han]
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JuanA Boy Emperor’s Fatal Words In 146 CE, eight-year-old Emperor Zhi of Han – bright but naive – watched as Liang Ji, his regent and uncle by marriage, ruled with unchecked arrogance. Liang Ji treated ministers like servants and issued decrees without consulting the throne.
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“Wolves Block the Road”: Corruption, Rebellion, and the Fall of Integrity [Eastern Han]
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JuanA Sudden Death and a Stolen Throne In 125 CE, Emperor An of Han fell gravely ill while on a pleasure tour. He died en route – “a fool to the end,” as later historians would say. His wife, Empress Yan, burst into tears, but her brother Yan Xian and eunuchs Jiang Jing and…
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“Heaven Knows, Earth Knows”: Integrity and Downfall in the Court [Eastern Han]
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JuanThe Last Mission Beyond the Western Regions After more than thirty years governing the Western Regions, Ban Chao – now in his late sixties – dreamed of reaching Da Qin, the fabled Roman Empire. In a final diplomatic thrust, he dispatched his trusted subordinate Gan Ying as envoy, bearing gifts and goodwill.