Liu Zhuang 劉莊, Emperor Ming of Han

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Ming_of_Han

Emperor Ming of Han From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Han Mingdi (漢明帝) Birth and Death: 28 AD - 75 AD Family name: Liu (劉) Given name: Yang (陽), then Zhuang (莊) Father: Emperor Guangwu of Han (2nd son of) Mother: Empress Yin Lihua Wives: Empress Ma Crown Prince: Da, Crown Prince Children: Da, Crown Prince Jian, Prince Ai of Qiancheng Xian, Prince Jing of Chen Gong, Prince Jing of Pengcheng Dang, Prince Jing of Lecheng Yan, Prince Hui of Xiapei Chang, Prince Jie of Liang Bing, Prince Qing of Huaiyang Zhang, Prince Dao of Jiyin Ji (劉姬), the Princess Huojia Nu (劉奴), the Princess Pingyang Ying (劉迎), the Princess Longlü Ci (劉次), the Princess Pingzhi Zhi (劉致), the Princess Qinshui Xiaoji (劉小姬), the Princess Pinggao Zhong (劉仲), the Princess Junyi Hui (劉惠), the Princess Wu'an Chen (劉臣), the Princess Luyang Xiaoying (劉小迎), the Princess Leping Xiaomin (劉小民), the Princess Cheng'an Dates of reign: 58 AD-75 AD Dynasty: Later/ Eastern Han Era name: Yŏngpíng (永平) 57 AD – 75 AD Temple name: Xíanzōng (顯宗) Posthumous name: Emperor Ming (明) "understanding" Posthumous name: Xiaoming (孝明) "filial and understanding" Emperor Ming of Han, (simplified Chinese: 汉明帝; traditional Chinese: 漢明帝; pinyin: hàn míng dì; Wade-Giles: Han Ming-ti), (28–75) was second emperor of the Chinese Eastern Han Dynasty.

He was the second son of Emperor Guangwu. It was during Emperor Ming's reign that Buddhism began to spread into China. One night, he is said to have dreamed of a golden man or golden men. The next day he told his ministers, and the minister Zhong Hu explained to him that he probably dreamed of Buddha in India. The emperor then sent a delegation of 18 headed by Cai Yin, Qin Jing and Wang Zun to seek Buddhism. They returned from India with an image of Gautama Buddha, the Sutra of Forty-two Chapters and two eminent monks. The next year, the emperor ordered the construction of White Horse Temple three li west of the capital Luoyang, to remember the horse that carried back the sutras. It was probably China's earliest Buddhist temple.

Emperor Ming was a hard-working, able administrator of the empire who showed integrity and demanded integrity from his officials.

Emperor Ming also established the control of the Chinese Empire on the Tarim Basin and eradicated the Xiongnu influence there, through the conquests of his general Ban Chao. The reigns of Emperor Ming and his son Emperor Zhang were typically considered the golden age of the Eastern Han Emperor and known as the Rule of Ming and Zhang.