Xin Dynasty

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The Xin Dynasty (9-23) was a "dynasty" in ancient China (although contrary to the usual meaning of a dynasty, it had only one emperor). It followed the Western Han Dynasty and preceded the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The sole emperor of the Xin Dynasty, Wang Mang (王莽), was the nephew of Grand Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun, and he became powerful after the death of her step-grandson, Emperor Ai in 1 BC. After several years of cultivating a personality cult, he finally took over as emperor in 8 AD. However, while he was a creative scholar and politician, he was an incompetent ruler, and his capital Chang'an was sieged in 23 AD by peasant rebels. He died in the siege, and the Han Dynasty was restored under the original Liu Family.

References

• Book of Han, vol. 69, parts s:漢書/卷099上, s:漢書/卷099中, s:漢書/卷099下.
• Zizhi Tongjian, vols. s:資治通鑑/卷036, s:資治通鑑/卷037, s:資治通鑑/卷038, s:資治通鑑/卷039.

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