Han Dynasty The Han Dynasty fell around AD 220 when the last emperor stepped down. When he did this, he lost the Mandate of Heaven , which was the philosophical belief that the gods had given him power to rule. The emperor may have lost power from the gods, but many aspects of the Han culture remained after its fall. One was an artistic form of writing called . It remained a highly valued form of Chinese art. People also kept their beliefs in , which they used as a guide for important life decisions.