China, imperial: 3. 220–c.580

Abstract After the fall of the Han dynasty in 220ce, the Chinese world started a period of political fragmentation which lasted until the Sui dynasty unified the territory in 589. This period was characterized by two main transformations. On the one hand, there was an overhaul of the ruling elites: they came to be identified with a limited number of eminent families (shizu) who controlled the imperial power. On the other hand, new populations entered into the social and institutional landscape of the empire, and some of them even established their rule on large parts of the former Han territory. These populations brought new customs, doctrines, and forms of rulership that left a deep mark in imperial institutions. Without understanding the radical transformations that took place between the Han and the Sui dynasties, it would be impossible to grasp the political, social, and intellectual landscape of later times in Chinese imperial history.