preface
The Qin and Han dynasties were an important period in Chinese history, and the inheritance and development of its imperial crown uniform system also has certain historical significance.
Studies have shown that the inheritance and development of the imperial crown uniform system in the Qin and Han dynasties was influenced by successive systems on the one hand, and closely related to many factors such as socio-economic, political and cultural factors at that time.
This paper analyzes and discusses in detail the historical origin, basic form, development and evolution of the imperial crown uniform system in the Qin and Han dynasties, aiming to explore the origin and influence of its inheritance and development.
The historical origin of the imperial crown uniform system in the Qin and Han dynasties
The historical origins of the imperial crown uniform system can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty and the Shang and Zhou Dynasties in ancient China, during which the costume of the Son of Heaven was different from that of the people, and its crown clothing and other systems were called "crown clothing".
The emperors of the Zhou Dynasty wore colorful dresses to assert their authority, which were divided into two parts.
The upper body wears robe sleeves, and the lower body wears long trousers. At the same time, the emperors of the Zhou Dynasty also wore jade seals and jade belts to show their majesty.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, the king of the Jin State Jin Jing Gong combined the upper and lower parts of the dress into one, called "crown", according to historical records, the color of the crown dress made by the Duke of Jin Jing was red, embellished with gold silk, after that, the dress of the Zhou Dynasty gradually evolved into "crown clothing" and became the dress for the coronation of the emperor.
The crown costumes of the Shang Dynasty Tianzi mainly included ceremonial crowns, leather bens, golden wen crowns, etc., and these crown uniforms were continued in later feudal dynasties.
By the time of the Qin and Han dynasties, the shape of the imperial crown uniform underwent a series of changes and developments. During the Qin Shi Huang period, the shape of the crown uniform has been relatively standardized, and its crown uniform and other systems have been further improved.
During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han, the shape of the crown uniform was further refined, becoming "Nine Crowns", "Eight Crowns" and so on. Emperor Wudi of Han also prescribed the "six products of crown service", that is, the hierarchy of crown clothing, which was widely used in subsequent feudal dynasties.
With the passage of time, the shape of the crown uniform gradually changed, and the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty further standardized the shape of the crown uniform, stipulating the color, size, details and other aspects of the crown uniform.
Author's opinion:
In order to ensure the solemnity of the imperial crown uniform, the Han Dynasty further carried forward the majesty of the crown costume and added some new decorative elements, such as helmet crowns, flower lings and so on.
The basic form of the imperial crown uniform system during the Qin and Han dynasties
In the Qin Dynasty, the emperor's costumes took on the style of Shangwu, and the crown clothes also used metal utensils as the main ornament. The Jade Belt Crown of the First Emperor of Qin, the Crown of Boshan and so on are representative Qin Dynasty crown uniforms.
The jade belt crown of the First Emperor of Qin was made of gold and decorated with gold hooks, amber and other items, while the jade belt was made of green jade with silk and leather trims, showing dignity and majesty.
The Boshan crown, on the other hand, is made of iron, decorated with jade hairpins and hooks, and has a strong military atmosphere.
With the demise of the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty, while inheriting the culture of the Qin Dynasty, also carried out reforms and development in the imperial crown clothing system, and in the early Han Dynasty, the imperial clothing was no longer dominated by metal utensils, but used precious materials such as silk and precious stones as the main ornaments.
The imperial crown costumes of the early Han Dynasty mainly included sacrificial costumes, imperial costumes, Xingxing costumes, banquet costumes, etc., among which sacrificial costumes were ceremonial costumes used to sacrifice heaven and earth and ancestors.
Imperial clothing is used for daily pilgrimage meetings and marches, Xingxing clothing is used for touring the world, and banquet clothing is used for banquet guests.
In the early Han Dynasty, the emperor's sacrificial clothes showed a relatively simple style, without too many ornaments, mainly plain silk.
The dynasty costume and the yukifu pay more attention to the gorgeousness and details of the costume, such as the dynasty dress is decorated with jewelry, gemstones and other ornaments, and the yukifu is embroidered with gold and silver thread.
In addition, the imperial crown clothing of the early Han Dynasty also included collar crowns, neck crowns, side crowns, square crowns, hairpin crowns and other shapes.
In short, the imperial crown uniform system of the Qin and Han dynasties showed diversified and evolving characteristics, and also reflected the political, cultural and social developments and changes of the time.
The costumes of emperors during the Qin and Han dynasties also had some special signs and symbols, for example, the crown of the emperor's head was usually decorated with the "Pearl of the Son of Heaven" and the "Phoenix Pattern", which meant the honor and authority of the Son of Heaven.
During the period of Emperor Wudi of Han, in order to highlight his achievements in opening a new era, special costumes of "Danyang purple robe, green shirt and zhai robe, and golden zhang jade festival" were specially added, representing the embodiment of the emperor's control and authority over the country.
In addition, the costumes of emperors are also influenced by the background of the era and regional culture.
For example, during the Qin Shi Huang period, it was influenced by the Central Plains culture, and the decorative elements on his crown clothes were mainly derived from the Central Plains cultural traditions.
During the Western Han Dynasty, due to frequent exchanges with the Western Regions, the imperial costumes gradually integrated the cultural elements of the Western Regions.
Author's opinion:
The inheritance and development of the imperial crown uniform system in the Qin and Han dynasties was influenced not only by historical traditions, but also by the era and regional culture.
With the passage of time and the development of society, the shape of the imperial crown uniform has gradually evolved and changed, but the authority and dignity of its representatives have remained unchanged.
The inheritance of the imperial crown uniform system during the Qin and Han dynasties
The inheritance of the imperial crown uniform system in the Qin and Han dynasties mainly includes two aspects: one is to inherit the tradition from the pre-Qin period, and the other is to strengthen the symbolic meaning of imperial power after unifying the world.
First of all, the imperial crown uniform system of the Qin and Han periods largely inherited the traditions of the pre-Qin period, in which the monarchs of various countries had their own clothing forms, for example, the crown uniform of the Son of Heaven in the Spring and Autumn period of the Jin State had the characteristics of "square five-colored fur and feather-crown".
After the Qin Dynasty unified the world, in order to consolidate the centralization of power, a series of measures were adopted, including the implementation of a unified crown system to demonstrate the authority and authority of the unified world.
Qin Shi Huang's crown dress system stipulated that the emperor's clothing must use two colors, yellow and green, and specified specific decorative details and wearing methods.
On the basis of inheriting the Qin Dynasty system, the Han Dynasty also added some new elements, such as the addition of jewelry decorations on the crown of the emperor's head, and the addition of special clothing during the Han Wudi period.
Secondly, the inheritance of the imperial crown uniform system in the Qin and Han dynasties also reflected the strengthening of the symbolism of imperial power, and before the Qin Dynasty, the dress system of monarchs in various countries was often relatively simple and had no obvious symbolic meaning.
While implementing a unified crown uniform system, Qin Shi Huang also regarded himself as the supreme between heaven and earth, and regarded the yellow crown uniform he wore as a symbol of the Son of Heaven.
The Han Dynasty developed on the basis of the Qin Dynasty, placing more emphasis on the honored status of the emperor, for example, during the period of Emperor Wudi of Han, in order to express his control over the country and the embodiment of authority, special costumes of "Danyang purple robe, green shirt and zhai robe, golden chapter jade festival" were added, which further strengthened the symbolic meaning of imperial power.
Author's opinion:
The inheritance of the imperial crown uniform system in the Qin and Han dynasties not only reflects the influence of historical traditions, but also reflects the strengthening of the symbolic meaning of imperial power.
This change and evolution of the crown uniform system not only reflects political and cultural changes, but also shows the symbol of imperial authority.
The development of the imperial crown uniform system during the Qin and Han dynasties
In the Qin and Han dynasties, with the continuous development of politics, economy and culture, the imperial crown uniform system was also constantly evolving and developing, among which the Han Dynasty had the greatest influence on the development of the crown uniform and had important historical significance.
First, the Han Dynasty's reform of imperial crown uniforms made it more standardized.
Emperor Wudi of Han formulated the "Crown Uniform Ceremonial System", which stipulated the specific content of the types, production methods, wearing methods, etiquette norms and other aspects of the imperial crown uniform, and this standardized reform had a far-reaching impact on the crown uniform system in later generations.
Secondly, the reform of crown clothing in the Han Dynasty also brought some new changes, for example, the Han Dynasty began to use the "golden crown", and during the Han Wudi period, the rule that "the emperor wears a platinum crown alone" appeared, making the emperor's crown uniform more gorgeous and wealthy.
In addition, the Han Dynasty began to use purple as the color of clothing for emperors, a tradition that continued until the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Finally, the development of crown clothing in the Han Dynasty was also closely related to the changes in the political system, and Emperor Wudi of Han implemented the "Three Dukes and Nine Qings" system, establishing the posts of imperial lieutenant, situ, and sikong.
These high-ranking officials also had their own crown uniform system, such as the crown belt of the imperial lieutenant as a third-class gold crown, and Situ's crown belt as a second-class gold crown. This change in the system has also brought about changes and enrichment of the crown uniform system.
Author's opinion:
The development of the imperial crown uniform system in the Qin and Han dynasties was a process of continuous inheritance and innovation, and the Han dynasty's standardized reform and creative changes were crucial to the impact of its normative reforms on future generations.
The reforms of the Han Wudi period had a significant impact on the imperial crown service
Emperor Wudi of Han carried out a series of reforms to the political system, including provisions related to crown obedience.
According to the "Book of Rites", Emperor Wudi of Han abolished the royal clothes of princes and kings, stipulating that except for the Son of Heaven, hereditary princes were not allowed to wear crown clothing, and only wore military uniforms, which not only limited the power of the princes, but also made the Son of Heaven more prominent in the crown uniform, highlighting the majesty of the emperor.
Another important reform during the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han was the adjustment of the shape of the crown uniform, which he abolished the "Zhuyi crown" adopted since the Qin Dynasty and replaced it with the "Nine Chapters Crown" and "Huagai".
Among them, the "Nine Chapters Crown" is made of gold, silver, silk thread, pearl jade and other objects, and it is embroidered with the nine bodhisattva patterns mentioned in the "Huayan Sutra", representing the authority of the Son of Heaven to rule the dynasty and rule the world.
The "canopy" is a parasol full of symbolic meaning, symbolizing the duties of heaven and earth undertaken by the Son of Heaven, in addition to "jade belt", "ribbon", "python clothes" and other clothing.
This crown uniform form was used until the Ming and Qing dynasties, and is considered to be a classic of the Chinese feudal emperor crown uniform system.
During the reign of Emperor Wudi of Han, specific regulations on the use of crown uniforms were also formulated, stipulating that the Son of Heaven and his descendants must wear crown costumes such as "Nine Chapters Crown" and "Hua Gai" to attend important ceremonies and occasions, and other officials and princes and nobles must also wear corresponding crown uniforms in accordance with the regulations.
In addition, Emperor Wudi of Han also stipulated that the crown uniform must undergo strict examination and inspection to ensure that it meets the regulations and quality requirements, otherwise it will be banned.
In the early Han Dynasty, Emperor Wudi of Han reformed the shape of the imperial crown uniform, making the imperial crown uniform more gorgeous and luxurious, and more prominent the emperor's authoritative position.
Emperor Wudi of Han called the emperor's sacrificial costume "Riding the Crown Costume", adding brightly colored colored silk and silk, and the decorations were ornate and intricate. The crown was adorned with jade, jewelry and other ornaments, and a huge jade seal hung from the back.
Emperor Wudi of Han also prescribed the specifications of crown clothing for emperors of different ranks to highlight their status. The crown costumes of the Han Dynasty combined the styles of the Central Plains, the Western Regions, the South and other places in design, and were colorful and different shapes.
Author's opinion:
These regulations not only regulated the dress code of emperors and officials, but also laid the foundation for the later feudal dynasty.
The imperial crown uniform system of the Qin and Han dynasties inherited the traditions of the early Zhou Dynasty, but underwent a major reform during the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wudi of Han abolished the royal uniform of the princes, making the Son of Heaven more prominent in the crown uniform.
epilogue
In the late Han Dynasty, the shape of the imperial crown uniform was gradually simplified, reducing decoration and ornate details, showing the trend of Han society gradually becoming commoner.
The imperial crown uniform system of the Qin and Han dynasties inherited the traditions of the pre-Qin period, and gradually evolved and developed in the process of historical development.
During the period of Emperor Wudi of Han, the imperial crown clothes were more ornate and luxurious, and the specifications were more strict, which reflected the high concentration of imperial power, but also reflected the development and progress of Han society.
Bibliography:
WANG Yuke. Crown costume and costume shape of the Qin and Han emperors. Journal of Northeast Normal University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), 2004(1).
TIAN Weihua. The evolution and development of the imperial crown service system in the Qin and Han dynasties. Oriental Forum, 2012(2).
LIU Jia. Research on imperial costume culture in the Qin and Han dynasties. Journal of Huaqiao University (Philosophy and Social Sciences), 2016(2).
LI Xueqin. Dictionary of Chinese Cultural History. Shanghai Dictionary Press, 1998.
YANG Qichang. History of Chinese Costumes. China Drama Press, 1998.