The Age of Division was the period between the Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. During the Age of Division, many different emperors ran many different parts of China, and most did not play well with others. Wars were common.  Still, it was during this age that many inventions first appeared, important inventions like the invention of gunpowder and of tea. There was no middle class during the Age of Division. If you were a peasant, you were extremely poor. If you were a noble, you were extremely rich.  A great example of the extravagance that some emperors enjoyed can easily be shown by the outrageous lifestyle of Hu the Tiger. This emperor lived during the "Age of Division".   Hu the Tiger was so fat that it took 20 men to carry his litter to the royal hunt. He had a revolving couch built, so men could spin it around, to allow him to shoot in any direction. Hu the Tiger had an all girl orchestra with 500 members. He had battalions of female soldiers who wore sable furs and gold rings and carried bows and arrows painted yellow. He had a bathhouse, air-conditioned with a creative system of running water.    Quick "Age of Division" History Note Age of Division 200-600 CE A bunch of dynasties    Hu the Tiger (who reminds me of Jaba the Hut in Star Wars!) Invention of gunpowder (at the end of this period, which helped to end it!)   Tea! (Confucius probably never tasted tea, and it really didn't become popular until T'ang times, but this era is when it first started to be enjoyed.) Return to Ancient China Index