The Han Dynasty ruled China from 206 BC to 220 AD, making it the second longest dynasty in Chinese history. It followed the Qin Dynasty and rejected the harsh legalist style of rule favored by the Qin. The Han Dynasty established Confucianism, saw great economic prosperity and population growth, invented paper and the seismograph, and contributed to the growth of Daoism and the establishment of the Silk Road for trade between China and the West.