Khan Academy: Introduction to the Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty is one of the great dynasties in Chinese history, encompassing nearly four hundred years of expansion and consolidation which coincided with the period of the Roman republic and empire in the West. The period is usually broken down into three stages: Western Han 206 B.C.E.--9 C.E., Wang Mang (also called Xin dynasty or Wang interregnum) 9-23 C.E. and Eastern Han 25-220 C.E.