The fact that the 劉邦 Liu Bang and the other founders of the Han dynasty were not of high birth is well known. Due to this fact, there has been in the study of Chinese history in Japan active pursuit of the initial character of the human relations of the founders of Han dynasty in hopes of making a large contribution to clarifying the social structure of the Qin-Han period. However, the core of human relations of the Han dynasty was not in fact a matter of transferring the human relations formed in their homeland, nor was the expansion of Liu Bang's power simply an extension of the human relations formed in the homeland. In explaining Liu Bang's acquisition of power, another principle must be considered. The key to this explanation is jue (ranks). In the biographical sources of the warriors who participated in the rebel army led by Liu Bang against the Qin empire (those who were later honored retainers of the Han dynasty) it is recorded that they obtained ranks on the basis of their military exploits. And the scholarly consensus has been that throughout the period of rebellion against the Qin, Liu Bang himself followed the 楚 Chu system and bestowed ranks on his followers based on the Chu system. However, in this study, I offer a different view, arguing that after Liu Bang submitted to Chu, the ranks bestowed on Liu Bang and the warriors who followed him were confirmed by the King of Chu. In other words, during the period of the revolt against the Qin, the links between Liu Bang and the warriors who followed him was not a relationship based on the conferral of benefits represented by ranks, but should be considered instead to have been based on relationships of internal military allegiances. Then the question becomes when was Liu Bang capable of bestowing rewards on the warriors who were his retainers? At least in the case of bestowing ranks, this occurred only after the fall of the Qin and Liu Bang's elevation to the status of King of Han. However this was ultimately still under a Chu-centered system. When Liu Bang escaped from the hegemony of the Chu, he struggled to establish an order centered around himself. As a result the Chu system of ranks was revised into one modeled on that of the Qin. And it has been thought that the revision of the system took place only once. However, using the imperial edict issued immediately after Liu Bang's accession to the throne as key evidence, one should conclude that revisions of the ranks must have occurred twice, once prior to and once again after his accession. The first reform occurred when Liu Bang declared the establishment of a state independent of Chu. However, it was also possible for the other kings who allied themselves with Liu Bang King of Han to bestow ranks on warriors subordinate to them. Due to the second revision of the rank system, the systematic superiority of the Han dynasty over that of other states was secured. As can be seen in the above, the principal factor that made the establishment of the Han dynasty possible was the changes that were made over time to the initial form of human relations when Liu Bang first rose in revolt. Moreover those changes mimicked existing political structures and conceptions of order. In addition, the existence of ranks awarded in return for military achievements were symbolic of the political order of the time.