liu xiu was one of the many descendants of the han imperial family. following the usurpation of the han throne by wang mang and the ensuing civil war during the disintegration of wang's short-lived 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.