13．Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty(Part Two)

Emperor Wu earned his title Wu because he was a military campaigner and led China to its greatest expansion. The empire he established was the greatest in the world at that time, even bigger than Roman Empire(罗马帝国). His campaigns determined a large part of Chinese boundaries. Emperor Wu also successfully repelled the nomadic Xiongnu who always raided people living in northern China. This expansion greatly increased Han's cultural contact with the western world. Thus, many new things were introduced to China during Emperor Wu's reign.

When Emperor Wu came to the throne, the Han Dynasty was quite rich. But his wars were very costly and the finance was badly strained. So he tried to get money in many ways. For example, people who broke the law could avoid punishments by paying cash or goods. And salt, iron, and liquor were all taxed. No mater whether you regard him as a good emperor or not, Emperor Wu's reign and his policies were of great importance in Chinese history.