| Many important inventions and contributions were made during the four hundred year rule of the Han dynasty, after which the Han people (the major ethnic group in China today) are named. In fact, one of China's most famous historians, Sima Qian, lived during the Han dynsaty. Artistic, literary, and intellectual activity flourished during this period and many technological advances were made as well. The civil service system was initiated during the Han dynasty and paper, porcelain, and the seismograph were all invented during this remakrable era. It is no wonder that the Han dynsaty of China is often referred to as the golden age of arts and technology in Chinese history. |