Born 247 B.Cl; died 195 B.Cl One of the leaders of the popular rebellion of 209-206 B.Cl in China and founder of the Han dynasty.
Liu Pang came from the family of a well-to-do member of a peasant commune and served as a bailiff. In 209 B.Cl he joined the anti-Ch’in uprising headed by Ch’en Sheng. After the latter’s death in 208, Liu Pang became commander of the insurgent forces. Late in 207 he took Hsien-yang, capital of the Ch’in empire. From 206 to 202 he battled Hsiang Yu, the rebel secondincommand, who claimed national leadership. The struggle ended in victory for Liu Pang. In 202 B.Cl, Liu Pang proclaimed himself Emperor Kao-tsu. He made a number of concessions to the agricultural class, lowering taxes and abolishing the harsh laws of the Ch’in dynasty.