The Decline of the Western Han and the Rise of the Wang Clan

The year 49 BCE marked a turning point in Han dynasty history when Emperor Xuan died at just 43 years old. His successor, Emperor Yuan, inherited an empire already showing signs of decline. The new emperor’s marriage to Wang Zhengjun, daughter of a minor official named Wang Jin, would set in motion events that would ultimately lead to the dynasty’s collapse. Their son Liu Ao ascended as Emperor Cheng in 33 BCE, beginning the Wang family’s dramatic rise to power.

Emperor Cheng’s reign saw unprecedented nepotism as he elevated his maternal uncles to positions of extraordinary power. In 27 BCE, he famously enfeoffed five Wang brothers as marquises in a single day – an act that filled the court with Wang family members. This created a powerful matrilineal network that would dominate Han politics for decades. Among these influential relatives, one branch seemed destined for obscurity – that of Wang Man, who died young before receiving any titles. Yet it was from this seemingly insignificant line that Wang Mang, the future usurper, would emerge.

Wang Mang’s Calculated Ascent to Power

Unlike his privileged cousins who grew up in luxury, Wang Mang experienced hardship early in life. Orphaned and responsible for his widowed mother and sister-in-law, he cultivated an image of Confucian virtue through diligent study and filial piety. His big break came in 22 BCE when he nursed his powerful uncle Wang Feng through illness for over a month. Touched by this devotion, the dying Wang Feng secured Wang Mang his first government position as a court gentleman.

Wang Mang’s rise exemplifies calculated political maneuvering. He strategically positioned himself as the virtuous outsider in a corrupt court. When his uncle Wang Shang offered to share his lands, Wang Mang’s refusal enhanced his reputation for selflessness. By 16 BCE, Emperor Cheng had promoted him to Imperial Household Grandee and enfeoffed him as Marquis of Xindu. His appointment as Grand Marshal in 8 BCE at age 38 placed him at the pinnacle of Han government.

The Art of Political Theater

As Grand Marshal, Wang Mang perfected the performance of humility. He distributed his salary to scholars and commoners, creating a vast network of obligation. When his mother fell ill, his wife’s deliberately plain attire contrasted sharply with the lavish garments of visiting noblewomen – a carefully staged display of austerity that burnished his image. Such theatrics extended to state affairs. After southern tribes presented rare white pheasants in 1 CE (an omen recalling the legendary Duke of Zhou), Wang Mang’s supporters began comparing him to this paragon of virtuous regents.

The years 1-5 CE saw Wang Mang consolidate power through a combination of genuine reform and political spectacle. During a devastating famine in 2 CE, he donated vast tracts of land and millions of cash for relief efforts – a move that compelled 230 officials to follow suit. His educational reforms expanded the Imperial Academy, attracting thousands of scholars. By 4 CE, his daughter became empress to the child Emperor Ping, further tightening his grip on power.

The Path to Usurpation

The year 5 CE marked Wang Mang’s decisive turn toward outright usurpation. After Emperor Ping’s suspicious death (almost certainly by poisoning), Wang Mang selected the two-year-old Liu Ying as successor while assuming the title “Acting Emperor.” When omens appeared – including a well containing a stone inscribed “Proclaim Wang Mang emperor” – he used them to justify his claim to the Mandate of Heaven.

The final act played out in 9 CE when Wang Mang demanded the imperial seal from the Grand Empress Dowager Wang. Her furious refusal – “You are unworthy beasts who have betrayed the Han!” – ended with the jade seal being thrown and chipped, a powerful symbol of the dynasty’s violent end. On January 10, 9 CE, Wang Mang proclaimed the Xin (“New”) Dynasty, demoting young Liu Ying to the Duke of Ding’an.

Legacy of a Failed Reformer

Wang Mang’s reign (9-23 CE) represents one of history’s most ambitious yet disastrous attempts at social engineering. His sweeping reforms – including land nationalization, abolition of slavery, and currency overhaul – collapsed under their own impracticality. The economic chaos and widespread famine that followed triggered the Red Eyebrows and Lulin rebellions, culminating in his brutal death and the Han restoration under Emperor Guangwu in 25 CE.

Historians remain divided on Wang Mang. Traditional Confucian scholars vilify him as the archetypal usurper, while modern reappraisals recognize his genuine reformist impulses. His rise demonstrates how virtue signaling and strategic philanthropy could undermine dynastic legitimacy, while his fall illustrates the dangers of radical reform divorced from political reality. The Wang Mang interregnum stands as a cautionary tale about the limits of power and the resilience of dynastic tradition in Chinese history.