Han dynasty vs Tang dynasty
At their height the two were about the same size: the Han dynasty about 6.0 million km² in 50 BCE, the Tang dynasty about 5.4 million km² in 669 CE. The Han dynasty lasted about 421 years (202 BCE to 220 CE), the Tang dynasty about 289 (618 CE to 907 CE). They never existed at the same time: the Tang dynasty began 398 years after the Han dynasty ended.
| Han dynasty | Tang dynasty | |
|---|---|---|
| Began | 202 BCE | 618 CE |
| Ended | 220 CE | 907 CE |
| Lasted | about 421 years | about 289 years |
| Largest extent | about 6.0 million km² (50 BCE) | about 5.4 million km² (669 CE) |
| Share of the world’s land | 4% | 3.6% |
| Capital | Chang’an, later Luoyang | Chang’an |
Han dynasty
China’s second imperial dynasty ruled for four centuries, with a break from 9 to 23 CE. It opened the Silk Road, and the Han Chinese are named after it.
Began 202 BCE: Liu Bang founds the dynasty. Ended 220 CE: the last Han emperor abdicates.
On the history map: World map in 200 BCE, World map in 1 BCE, World map in 200 CE
Tang dynasty
A golden age of Chinese culture and poetry. At its height the Tang ruled from Korea to Central Asia, and Chang’an was among the largest cities in the world.
Began 618 CE: Li Yuan founds the dynasty. Ended 907 CE: the last Tang emperor is deposed.
On the history map: World map in 700 CE, World map in 800 CE, World map in 900 CE
More comparisons
- Roman Empire vs Mongol Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 24 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Han dynasty — about 5.0 million km² vs about 6.0 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Byzantine Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 2.7 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Ottoman Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 5.2 million km²
- Roman Empire vs Achaemenid Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 5.5 million km²
- Roman Empire vs British Empire — about 5.0 million km² vs about 36 million km²
- Mongol Empire vs British Empire — about 24 million km² vs about 36 million km²
- Mongol Empire vs Russian Empire — about 24 million km² vs about 23 million km²
- Ottoman Empire vs Byzantine Empire — about 5.2 million km² vs about 2.7 million km²
- Ottoman Empire vs Mughal Empire — about 5.2 million km² vs about 4.0 million km²
- Ottoman Empire vs Russian Empire — about 5.2 million km² vs about 23 million km²
- Achaemenid Empire vs Macedonian Empire — about 5.5 million km² vs about 5.2 million km²
- Tang dynasty vs Abbasid Caliphate — about 5.4 million km² vs about 11 million km²
- Umayyad Caliphate vs Abbasid Caliphate — about 11 million km² vs about 11 million km²
- British Empire vs Spanish Empire — about 36 million km² vs about 14 million km²
- Spanish Empire vs Inca Empire — about 14 million km² vs about 2.0 million km²
Compare empires · The interactive history atlas
Largest extents are the widely cited estimates by Rein Taagepera and others, as listed in Wikipedia’s List of largest empires. Dates are the conventional ones; several are debated. Shares are of the world’s land area, about 148.9 million km².