19. Liu He was so hated, that he was only Emperor of China for 27 days, dethroned and then died at the young age of 33.
Born into wealth and royalty, Liu He had everything going for him. And, indeed, his future looked bright when, in 74 BC, his uncle, the Emperor and ruler of the Han Dynasty died without an heir. Senior minister Huo Guang installed Liu He as the new Emperor. However, his was not to be a long and glorious reign. Quite the opposite, in fact. Liu’s fall was hard, swift and humiliating.
In all, Liu He reigned for just 27 days. And it’s actually surprising that he lasted this long. From the start, he offended influential figures in the royal court. For starters, it was believed that Liu did not correctly observe the period of mourning for his uncle. Indeed, instead of showing respect for the recently-deceased Emperor, Liu spent the first few days of his reign partying day and night. Despite his advisors cautioning him to show some restraint, Liu carried on with his playboy ways and, after some parties, would appoint friends or favored relatives to government positions, regardless of how qualified they were.
After a few weeks, senior ministers had had enough. They went to the Empress Dowager Shagguan and asked her to depose her wayward nephew. Citing his “licentious and arrogant behavior,” she readily agreed. What’s more, she calculated that Liu had committed a massive 1,127 different offenses during his 27 days on the throne. Liu was forced out of power and made the Marquis of a small, inconsequential province. He died there, humiliated and alone in 59 BC, aged just 33. In recent years, however, his reputation has been restored somewhat as archaeologists have come to regard his tomb as a veritable treasure trove of valuable historic objects and artifacts.