On July 17, 180 BC, Liu Heng, the son of Liu Bang, ascended the throne in Chang'an and became the third emperor of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wen of Han. This event marked the return of the Han dynasty to the rule of the Liu family after the dictatorship of the Empress Lü and the political turmoil of the Lü family's relatives.
Emperor Wen of Han
Liu Heng was the son of Liu Bang and Bo Ji, the ancestors of the Han Dynasty, and was named acting king in his early years, ruling the Daidi on the northern border. After the death of Han Gaozu, Empress Lü took control of the government and supported the members of the Lü family to enter high positions, which led to resentment in the court. After the death of Empress Lü, the dictatorship of Lü's relatives aroused strong dissatisfaction and resistance from the ministers of the court and the Liu clan.
But sitting (Song Dynasty work)
After the death of Empress Lü, important officials such as Zhou Bo and Chen Ping joined forces with the Liu clan to quickly eradicate the Lü clan and restore the Liu family's control over the government. In the process, they chose Liu Heng, the acting king, as the new emperor, because he was far away from Chang'an, his political power was weak, and he had a good reputation.
After Liu Heng ascended the throne, the era name was "Emperor Wen", and during his reign, he implemented the policy of governing the country with virtue and lightly dispensing with small endowments, focusing on recuperation, reducing punishment, and alleviating social contradictions. He abolished some harsh policies, such as "corporal punishment", and advocated "rule by inaction", so that the people could recuperate and recuperate, and the social economy gradually recovered and developed.
The rule of Wenjing in the Western Han Dynasty
During the reign of Emperor Wen, the central government reduced local intervention and encouraged local autonomy. At the same time, the burden on the people was reduced by reducing taxes and reducing the amount of servitude, and agricultural production was able to recover quickly. Emperor Wen also vigorously advocated frugality, took the lead in implementing thrift, and opposed extravagance. He was strict with officials and attached great importance to the selection and appointment of talents, which promoted the improvement of the country's governance.
The rule of Wenjing in the Western Han Dynasty
Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and his son Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty jointly created the "Reign of Wenjing", which was regarded by later generations as a model of governance. The rule of Wenjing not only restored and strengthened the national strength of the Western Han Dynasty, but also laid a solid foundation for the later prosperity of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, he was able to further develop the economy, expand the territory, and consolidate the centralization of power on the basis of the rule of Wenjing, making the Han Dynasty one of the most powerful empires in the world at that time.
The rule of Wenjing in the Western Han Dynasty
The success of Wenjing's rule lies not only in the wise governance of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, but also in their ability to learn from the lessons of their predecessors, prudently administer their policies, and pay attention to social stability and economic development. The governance concepts and policies of this period had a profound impact on the governance model of Chinese feudal society.
The rule of Wenjing in the Western Han Dynasty
Emperor Liu Heng of the Han Dynasty was praised as "Renjun" by later historians, and his governing philosophy and policies were regarded as a model of governing the country and the country. During the period of Emperor Wen, political clarity, social stability, and economic development laid the foundation for the later prosperous era. His lenient policy and philosophy of statecraft not only enabled the Han Dynasty to quickly recover from civil strife and turmoil, but also provided valuable experience and reference for later rulers.
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