215. 高祖興

Kao1 tsu3 hsing1 

Kao tsu rise 

Then Kao Tsu arose, 

Kao see line 89. 

Tsu see line 89. [Kao tsu is a "temple name," often bestowed after death upon the first Emperor of a dynasty (line 239). The Emperor here in question was 劉邦 Liu Pang, a quondam beadle, who in B.C. 202, after a successful revolution, mounted the throne as first Emperor of the Han dynasty.] 

Hsing is composed of 臼 chiu a mortar with 同 t'ung (line 106) inserted, the lower portion being originally a pair of hands holding up the mortar (cf. line 87). It means by extension to prosper. [Eitel wrongly translates "Kao Tsu, being victorious. "] 

216. 漢業建

Han4 yeh4 chien4

Han patrimony establish 

and the House of Han was established. 

Han see line 214. 

Yeh was originally composed of 巾 chin a napkin below an obsolete radical meaning luxuriant vegetation, and meant a toothed board for a stand of bells. It is now classed under radical 木 mu wood, and means property, trade, calling, etc. 

Chien is composed of 廴 yin to progress as radical, and 聿 (line 114), here a contraction of 律 lü statutes. It originally meant to fix the laws of a State. 

217. 至孝平

Chih4 hsiao4 p'ing2

When we come to the reign of Hsiao P'ing, 

Arrive hsiao p'ing 

Chih see line 94. 

Hsiao see line 35. 

P'ing see line 130. [Hsiao P'ing is here the dynastic title of the Emperor who came to the throne in A.D. 1.] 

218. 王莽篡

Wang2 mang3 ts'uan4

Wang mang usurp

Wang Mang usurped the throne. 

Wang see line 190. 

Mang is composed of 犬 ch'üan a dog (line 78) lying down in the middle of 艸 ts'ao vegetation, doubled, under which radical it is now classed. It means jungle, and also rude, coarse, but is here merely part of the name of a famous usurper who occupied the throne between A.D. 9—23. 

Ts'uan is composed of 算 suan to calculate as phonetic, and 厶 ssu an obsolete word meaning private, selfish, as radical. It is defined as to rebel and seize, which sense is fairly deducible from the component parts.