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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
Since ancient times, the behavior of some emperors and queens seems to be filial, but in fact, there may be deeper motives behind them.
Liu Bang named his father the "Emperor Taishang", ostensibly out of respect and filial piety for his father, but is there a more complex political strategy behind this move?
Historically, the title of the emperor is not the only way to show filial piety, is there a deeper political consideration or ruling strategy behind this?
1. The world is one, and Qin Shi Huang created a precedent for "Emperor Taishang".
In 221 B.C., King Yingzheng of Qin unified the six kingdoms and established the first unified centralized empire in Chinese history. This was an epoch-making undertaking that ushered in a new era of China's feudal society for more than 2,000 years.
In order to show his achievements, Ying Zheng created the supreme title of "Emperor". It symbolizes the divine authority of the king, above all else.
At the same time, he posthumously honored his late father, King Xiang of Qin Zhuang, as the "Emperor Taishang" as a sign of respect. This move may seem ordinary, but it has far-reaching significance.
Although the title of "Emperor Taishang" is only one word apart, it contains a deep meaning. "Emperor" highlights the supreme and noble status, and "Taishang" is the meaning of extreme respect. In the social context of that time, "Taishang" was often used to describe the origin of all things in heaven and earth, and had a supreme and sublime connotation.
Qin Shi Huang applied this description to his father, which shows his reverence. But this is not only out of filial piety, but also to highlight their own great achievements.
Qin Shi Huang wanted to show the world that it was on the foundation laid by his father that he had created this unprecedented unified empire.
His father's exploits are the cornerstone of his success. Therefore, respecting his father as the "Emperor" is not only a manifestation of filial piety, but also an affirmation of his father's merits.
The titles of "Emperor" and "Emperor Taishang", which Qin Shi Huang created by himself, are of seminal significance in Chinese history. It ushered in a new political and ethical order that set a model for later dynasties to follow.
It became a political tradition for monarchs to honor their ancestors after they ascended the throne. All this, in the beacon years of the struggle between Chu and Han, was inherited by Liu Bang.
As a leader from a civilian background, Liu Bang had a clear understanding of the Qin Dynasty's system. He saw the rational kernel in it and decided to use it to convince the hearts of the people in the world.
Second, Chu and Han competed, and Liu Bang imitated the Qin system to win
Xiang Yu broke the cauldron and sank the boat, and Liu Banghongmen escaped from danger at the banquet. The battle between Chu and Han is an evenly matched competition. This contest is not only a contest of military strength, but also a game of institutional concepts.
Xiang Yu represented the tendency to restore the rule of the old aristocracy, and advocated the restoration of the feudal system and the division of the world. Liu Bang, on the other hand, represented an emerging power of centralized power, advocating the continuation of the county system of the Qin Dynasty and maintaining the situation of great unification.
In this duel, Liu Bang was able to defeat Xiang Yu in the end and dominate the world, and the reason for this has to mention the word "Cheng Qin".
Liu Bang knew very well that although the Qin Dynasty had fallen, its system was solid and suitable. The county system implemented by the Qin Dynasty broke the old aristocratic division and laid the foundation for centralized power.
The unified currency, weights and measures, and writing are all the more conducive to the long-term peace and stability of the country. Therefore, in the confrontation with Xiang Yu, Liu Bang chose to continue the Qin system. He adopted the laws of the Qin Dynasty, appointed the former ministers of the Qin Dynasty, and maintained the centralized system established by the Qin Dynasty.
This decision enabled him to win the support of more people, especially the support of the former ministers of the Qin Dynasty, and became the key to victory. On the other hand, Xiang Yu represented the interests of the old nobles of the Six Kingdoms and advocated the restoration of the feudal system. In his philosophy, the world should be divided among the vassal states, returning to the situation of "a hundred schools of thought contending" in the Warring States Period.
Although this concept caters to the interests of some old forces, it is no longer appropriate in the face of the trend of the times of great unification. It runs counter to the objective law of social development and is destined to fail to receive widespread support.
In the end, although Xiang Yu was strong, he was defeated by Liu Bang, who followed the trend of history. In 202 BC, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and established the Western Han Dynasty.
Although there were voices of "passing the Qin theory" and criticizing the Qin Dynasty's harsh government as fierce as a tiger, Liu Bang clearly realized that the Qin Dynasty's imperial system was the cornerstone of his political power.
This system represents the supreme central power and is conducive to maintaining the unity and stability of the country. Therefore, he resolutely inherited the Qin system and became the "emperor" himself.
This decision laid a solid institutional foundation for the development of the Western Han Dynasty. However, as an emperor of cloth, Liu Bang's control of imperial power was not stable enough. He needs to further consolidate his rule and resolve various contradictions and challenges.
3. Buyi ascended the throne, and the imperial power in the early Han Dynasty was to be consolidated
Unlike Qin Shi Huang's "Yu Lie of the Sixth Emperor", Liu Bang started from scratch and ascended to the emperor's throne step by step from "cloth clothes". This is the first time in Chinese history that it has created a precedent for Emperor Buyi.
However, the process is also fraught with challenges and difficulties. Liu Bang's grip on imperial power was not stable enough, as can be seen from his attitude towards the title of "emperor".
When the princes wrote to him to ask him to be honored as emperor, Liu Bang did not gladly accept it, but refused three times. He said: "The widow has a false name, and he does not dare to take on a big job." The reason behind it is Liu Bang's lack of confidence in his imperial status.
After all, he is a "cloth emperor", there is no hereditary legitimacy, everything needs to be done from scratch. He clearly realized that his imperial power was still fragile and needed to be constantly consolidated and strengthened.
At this time, although Liu Bang was already the king of a country, he still followed the "family father-son ceremony" in his relationship with his father-in-law. In traditional Chinese family ethics, the father has the supreme position, and the children must serve respectfully, which is a matter of course.
Liu Bangzun respected his father, and although he was the emperor, he still served respectfully as a "son of man". This kind of blood ethics is slightly inconsistent with the concept of the supremacy of imperial power.
As the "Son of Heaven", the emperor should be above everything else and should not be subject to any constraints and restrictions. But in the face of family ethics, the imperial power had to make some compromises and concessions.
Liu Bang felt this contradiction and needed to find a way to strike a balance between honoring his father and consolidating imperial power. This requires learning from the practice of Qin Shi Huang and honoring his father as the "Emperor Taishang".
On the one hand, this can highlight one's filial piety and win the hearts of the people; On the other hand, it can also resolve the potential conflict between imperial power and human ethics and clear the way for the consolidation of imperial power. After careful consideration, Liu Bang finally made up his mind and took this move.
Fourth, filial piety comes first, Liu Bang issued an edict to respect his father as the "Emperor Taishang"
In 195 BC, Liu Bang issued an edict to respect his father Taigong as "Emperor Taishang". This move caused a huge response at the time. Taigong was born into a commoner and had no outstanding achievements, but he was suddenly revered as the "Emperor Taishang", which seemed incredible to many.
However, in Liu Bang's view, this is a well-planned political chess game. On the surface, this is the embodiment of human filial piety, but in fact, there are deeper political considerations.
First of all, this highlights Liu Bang's filial piety. In Confucian ethics, "filial piety" is crucial. It is not only a family virtue, but also a political ethic. "Filial piety" is the foundation of "loyalty", and only by achieving "filial piety" can we achieve "loyalty".
Liu Bang respected his father as the "Emperor Taishang", and sublimated this kind of filial piety between father and son to the level of governing the country, and put on a layer of humanity for his imperial power. This undoubtedly adds to the legitimacy of its rule.
In the eyes of the people, a filial emperor must also be a benevolent emperor. This will help win the hearts and minds of the people and consolidate the regime.
Secondly, this is also a clever move by Liu Bang to consolidate the imperial power. While respecting his father as the "Emperor", Liu Bang is actually redefining his relationship with his father.
In this way, he changed his relationship with his father from "family father and son" to "monarch and minister". In this new relationship, although the Taigong is the "Emperor Taishang", he does not actually participate in state affairs and does not interfere in court affairs.
He only enjoys a position of exaltation and does not have actual power. This is a good way to resolve the potential conflict between imperial power and human ethics. The emperor's power was no longer constrained by his father, who had no chance of endangering the imperial power.
In the end, it also showed the world the idea of the supremacy of imperial power. The respect of the emperor, only the "Emperor Taishang" can be compared. Liu Bang invisibly elevated his status by respecting his father as the "Emperor Taishang".
This means that even the emperor's father can only succumb to the position of "Emperor Taishang", but cannot override the imperial power. This further demonstrates the uniqueness and supremacy of imperial power. Under the influence of this philosophy, the imperial power was consolidated and strengthened as never before.
Fifth, inheriting the past and opening up the future, the "Emperor Taishang" created a new imperial order
After Liu Bang, the emperors of the Western Han Dynasty repeatedly posthumously honored his grandfather as the "Emperor Taishang", which became a political tradition. Behind this, there is not only the praise of the merits of the ancestors, but also the consideration of consolidating the imperial power with the help of the "Emperor Taishang".
Each posthumous veneration has its own specific political intentions and historical backgrounds, reflecting the subtle interaction between imperial power and ethics. After Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, he posthumously honored Liu Bang as the "Emperor Gao", tracing the legitimacy of imperial power back to the founding monarch.
This move highlighted the legitimacy of the Liu dynasty and strengthened the authority of the imperial power. At the same time, it also expresses Emperor Wen's reverence for the merits of his ancestors and demonstrates his filial piety. Against the backdrop of this filial piety, Emperor Wen's rule became even more benevolent and won the hearts of the people.
Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty honored his father, Emperor Wen, as the "Emperor Taishang", which further strengthened the legitimacy of the hereditary imperial power. In traditional Confucian ethics, the monarchy is granted by heaven and passed down from generation to generation.
Emperor Jing's respect for his father as the "Emperor Taishang" is actually declaring to the world that his throne is legally inherited from his father and has natural legitimacy. This legitimacy cannot be questioned or shaken by anyone.
At the same time, this also shows that in the process of inheritance, the imperial power has not been weakened, but has been continuously consolidated and strengthened. It is worth noting that although the "Emperor Taishang" is respected, he does not participate in political affairs. This is a good solution to the contradiction between the uniqueness of imperial power and the Confucian ethics of respect and order.
In Confucian ethics, the father has supremacy, and children must serve respectfully. However, under the imperial system, the emperor must have supreme power and cannot be subject to any constraints. The "Emperor Taishang" system skillfully solves this contradiction.
The emperor respects his closest relatives as the "Emperor Taishang", which not only fulfills the filial piety of humanity, but also does not damage the imperial power in the slightest. The "Emperor Taishang" enjoyed a lofty status, but did not interfere in the affairs of the court and did not threaten the imperial power. This kind of system design can be described as killing two birds with one stone.
Throughout the Western Han Dynasty, the establishment of the "Emperor Taishang" system created a new imperial order. It skillfully combines "filial piety" with "imperial power", and finds a balance between the absoluteness of autocratic imperial power and the tension of traditional ethics.
This provided a model for later dynasties to learn from. Both Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty and Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty once followed this practice and respected his father as the "Emperor Taishang" in order to demonstrate filial piety and consolidate imperial power.
It can be said that the "Emperor Taishang" system has become an important part of ancient Chinese imperial power politics and has played an important role in the consolidation and strengthening of imperial power.
epilogue
Liu Bang respects his father as the "Emperor Taishang", which seems ordinary, but in fact it has a deep meaning. This measure is not only the embodiment of filial piety, but also a weapon for the consolidation of imperial power. It resolved the contradiction between imperial power and human ethics and created a new political and ethical order.
As a result, the Western Han Dynasty realized the transformation from "family under heaven" to "dynasty under heaven", opening a new chapter in Chinese history of autocratic imperial power.
And all of this can be traced back to the precedent of Qin Shi Huang's creation of the "Emperor Taishang", as well as the inheritance and development of Liu Bang. The evolution of the "Emperor Taishang" system reflects the wisdom of generations of emperors in the prudent trade-off between power and ethics, which is worth pondering.