What is history: it is the echo of the past to the future, the reflection of the future on the past. - Hugo
We all know that there have been powerful dynasties in history that have put an end to the division of power and allowed the people to recuperate. Unfortunately, some became short-lived dynasties, which once again triggered scuffles. For example, the Qin Dynasty after Qin Shi Huang unified the Six Kingdoms; the Sui Dynasty established by the Sui Emperor Yang Jian; and of course, the Western Jin Dynasty established by Sima Yan.
We all know that in the last years of the Three Kingdoms, when there were many disturbances, Shu Han could not withstand the powerful offensive of Cao Wei and became the first party to perish in the Three Kingdoms. Cao Cao's dream of "three horses in the same slot" eventually became a reality, and Sima Yi and his two sons Sima Shi and Sima Zhao jointly controlled Cao Wei's military and political power. In 265, Sima Zhao's son Sima Yan replaced Cao Wei and established the Western Jin Dynasty, with the capital at Luoyang. In 280 AD, the Western Jin Dynasty destroyed Sun Wu, ending the three kingdoms.
In the early years of the Western Jin Dynasty, Sima Yan exerted great efforts to govern, and he attached great importance to agricultural production; implemented the nine-pin Zhongzheng system to consolidate the interests of the scholars; opposed luxury and advocated frugality. This series of measures made the Western Jin Dynasty show a thriving and prosperous state, known as the "rule of Taikang". Unfortunately, even if the founder of the country made a good start, the Western Jin Dynasty only briefly survived for 36 years before it was on the road of being destroyed by ethnic minorities.
Many people say that they blame the mentally handicapped emperor, of course, this is from the emotional aspect. Then we analyze from a rational point of view and find that although Sima Zheng, the Emperor of Jinhui, was demented and could not handle government affairs, under the patriarchal system at that time, his succession to the throne was reasonable and legal. Throughout history, we can actually see that each dynasty has a few emperors who should not sit in that position. The fall of a new dynasty is certainly related to the successor, but the influence of various other factors cannot be ignored.
First, it was the founders of the dynasty who laid the foundation for a bad start to the dynasty. Although there was a development of the "rule of Taikang" led by Sima Yan himself before. But it wasn't long before the various warrior families showed their true nature: greedy and extravagant, fishy and fleshy people. However, Sima Yan was indifferent to this, and not long after he was frugal, he became extravagant and lascivious, and also helped his uncle obtain a lot of wealth. Just as the so-called upper liang is not right and the lower liang is crooked, so many Western Jin officials have also become moths in society, not only running rampant in the townships, but also openly engaging in banditry, skillfully plundering, killing people and robbing money. Since then, the pursuit of money, fame and fortune, wine and luxury have become the main tone of the Western Jin Dynasty.
In this way, almost all people are on the road of fame and luxury, and the truly talented literati have no opportunity to realize their ambitions, and can only express their incompetence in the way of "talking about the flow". Drinking, chanting, painting, and sucking stones became the best way for them to liberate themselves.
Secondly, coupled with the fact that the imperial court's official selection system adopted the nine-pin Zhongzheng system, the bureaucratic clan controlled the power of appointment, and it was difficult for the Han men to gain appreciation and recognition by their own efforts. On the other hand, the country will not have outstanding talents to build, and will only step by step towards the abyss of decay.
Third, Jia Nanfeng's chaotic government directly led to a palace coup. Jia Nanfeng was jealous and tyrannical, and became empress after Sima Zheng ascended the throne, controlling the government. After she killed the crown prince Sima Song, she caused great dissatisfaction among the court, and Sima Lun, the King of Zhao, led by Sima Lun, the Prince of Zhao, carried out the "Qing Jun's Side". However, with the release of sima lun's desire for power in his heart, he announced the abolition of the emperor and ascended the throne, but his ascension to the throne as the king of the domain was unjustified, which caused a mutiny among the kings everywhere. As a result, it gradually evolved from internal strife to national unrest.
Fourth, it is closely related to the third reason, that is, Emperor Wu of Jin mistakenly restored the sub-feudal system. The western Jin dynasty's sub-feudal system was also established out of the need to consolidate rule, but unlike the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, these princely states were not independent states; unlike the princes after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, their power was not weakened by the deliberate implementation of the ruler's "Tui En Order". Sima Yan did not absorb the excellent handling methods of the Western Han Dynasty's sub-feudal system, and he believed that the overthrow of Cao Wei was due to the lack of sub-feudalism of their clan children, so he gave the princes the right to fight. After the "Rebellion of the Eight Kings" began, the world was at war for many years. For the sake of profit and the throne, Sima Yan's sons killed each other for 16 years, which greatly weakened the overall strength of the Jin Dynasty, and eventually became unable to resist the invasion of ethnic minorities in the north, and perished in history.
The last reason is that the Western Jin Dynasty mistakenly handled ethnic contradictions, resulting in the "Five Hu Chaos" and eating its own evil consequences. The Wuhu here mainly refers to the ethnic minorities mainly from the five Hu tribes of Xiongnu, Xianbei, Qiang, Qiang, and Hu. In the early years of the Western Jin Dynasty, a large number of Hu people began to migrate to the Central Plains through the Hexi region, but Sima Yan adopted a wrong ethnic policy, and adopted a policy of forcibly suppressing and degrading hatred against the Hu people. This has directly led to the intensification of contradictions between ethnic minorities and Han Chinese. During the "Rebellion of the Eight Kings", many ethnic minorities outside the country also took this opportunity to recuperate, and successively established several regimes, looking at the tiger outside the border pass. Finally, when the Western Jin Dynasty was at its weakest, it went south in one fell swoop, drove straight in, and directly attacked the capital Luoyang, and the Western Jin Dynasty perished.
From this, it can be seen that Sima Yan is actually inextricably linked to the demise of his dynasty. When Emperor Hui of Jin ascended the throne, the Western Jin Dynasty was already in a state of decay and decay, and even if he was not stupid, he might be powerless to return to heaven in the face of his jealous and vicious wife, the decay of the family clan, and the multiple pressures of ethnic minorities. It just so happened that fate did not favor the Jin Dynasty and let an idiot emperor ascend the throne. But the collapse of the state, a vast institution of power, must be the result of a combination of factors.