Emperor Guangwu of Han

| s = 汉光武帝 | p = Hàn Guāngwǔ dì | w = Han⁴ Kuang¹-wu³ ti⁴ | mi = | gr = Hann Guangwuu dih | j = Hon⁴ Gwong¹-mou⁵ dai⁶ | y = Hòhn Gwōng-móuh daih | tl = Hàn Kng-bú tè }} Emperor Guangwu of Han (; 15 January 5 BC29 March AD 57), personal name Liu Xiu (), courtesy name Wenshu (), was the founding emperor of the Chinese Eastern Han dynasty. Through the Eastern Han's suppression and conquest of regional warlords, the dynasty's rule over the whole of China proper was consolidated by the time of Emperor Guangwu's death in AD 57. During his reign, Taoism was made the official religion of the Eastern Han, and the Chinese folk religion began to decline.

Liu Xiu was one of the many descendants of the Western Han imperial family. Following the usurpation of the throne by Wang Mang and the ensuing civil war during the disintegration of Wang's Xin dynasty, he emerged as one of several descendants of the fallen dynasty claiming the imperial throne. After assembling forces and proclaiming himself emperor in the face of competitors, he was able to defeat his rivals, destroy the peasant army of the Chimei, known for their disorganization and marauding, and finally reunify China in AD 36.

He established his capital in Luoyang, east of the former capital Chang'an (modern Xi'an), ushering in the Eastern Han (Later Han) dynasty. He implemented some reforms (notably land reform, albeit not very successfully) aimed at correcting some of the structural imbalances responsible for the downfall of the Former/Western Han. His reforms gave a new 200-year lease of life to the Han dynasty.

Emperor Guangwu's campaigns featured many able generals, but he lacked major strategists. That may very well be because he himself appeared to be a brilliant strategist; he often instructed his generals on strategy from afar, and his predictions generally would be accurate. This was often emulated by later emperors who fancied themselves great strategists but who actually lacked Emperor Guangwu's brilliance—usually to disastrous results.

Also unique among emperors in Chinese history was Emperor Guangwu's combination of decisiveness and mercy. He often sought out peaceful means rather than bellicose means of putting areas under his control. He was, in particular, one rare example of a founding emperor of a dynasty who did not kill, out of jealousy or paranoia, any of the generals or officials who contributed to his victories after his rule was secure. Provided by Wikipedia