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introduction
Since the Xia Dynasty, the inheritance system on the mainland has changed from a Zen system to a hereditary system, and then developed the system of primogeniture, which has lasted for thousands of years.
Until now, this concept still affects many families in China. For thousands of years, the establishment of the concubine has also been haunting every dynasty, so where did the primogeniture system come from?
(Ancient Emperors)
Throughout the ages, many countries have been put on the throne even if the eldest son is incompetent, what is the purpose of this? If there are wise people who do not use them, will it not plunge the whole country into crisis?
However, many people believe that this way to establish the succession to the throne is actually the wisdom of the ancients.
(The prince in the film and television series)
1. The development of the primogeniture system in successive dynasties
In fact, from many works that we usually come into contact with, we all know that in ancient times, we attached great importance to the distinction between concubine and concubine. Concubine means that you can inherit the family business, and concubine often has to find another way or follow the concubine. For women, having the status of a prostitute means that you can choose a higher-level husband.
This also leads to why the ancients attached great importance to the distinction between concubines and concubines, because a person's origin is also very important for his future development.
The primogeniture system first appeared in the Xia Dynasty. After Yao Shunyu, the father died and the son succeeded him, and such a system has emerged. However, in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, it was also mixed with the saying that the eldest brother died and the younger brother inherited.
(Succession by eldest son)
During the Western Zhou Dynasty, the system of primogeniture was formally established.
Throughout the ancient times on the mainland, polygamy was almost always a system, and this also led to many children. However, things have priorities, and people are naturally divided into three, six and nine.
Is it said that a child born of a concubine should also be on an equal footing with a child born to a wife? In the eyes of the ancients, nature is impossible, so the child born to the right wife is regarded as a concubine, and the first son born to a right wife is the eldest son.
Some people say, if the concubine gives birth to the first child, is it also considered the eldest son? Of course, it does not count, it can only be regarded as the eldest son. Then there is the eldest son born to the eldest son, the eldest grandson, and the descendants are also.
(Primogeniture)
During the Qin and Han dynasties, even after the Shang martingale changed the law, the primogeniture system was still retained, for example, Qin Shi Huang's successor was the son Fusu, but he was seized by Hu Hai and Zhao Gao.
During the Han Dynasty, in addition to the throne, many titles were conferred. Therefore, the title was also established, and it must be inherited by the eldest son. But in terms of property, it is divided equally among the sons.
During the Wei and Jin dynasties, the system of primogeniture was also very strict, and it was even not allowed to adopt children with different surnames as their own, which also greatly guaranteed the family property.
In the later Sui and Tang dynasties, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, the primogeniture system was also adopted, unlike the increasingly perfect property inheritance regulations, which had a system of separate inheritance of identity and property.
There is no mention of the Yuan Dynasty, which is due to the peculiarity of the Yuan Dynasty under the leadership of the Mongols, where the system of young son inheritance is emphasized.
(The Emperor's Legend is located in the eldest son)
The older brothers and sisters in front had to go out and work their own, leaving the youngest heir to take care of their parents, so the Yuan Dynasty was the only dynasty that did not strictly follow the primogeniture system.
2. Why is the primogeniture system implemented? It can also be regarded as the wisdom of the ancients
The ancients established a primogeniture system, but in fact, we can also see in history that many emperors are not firstborn sons at all. For example, Ming Chengzu Zhu Di.
Zhu Yuanzhang originally passed the throne to Zhu Biao, but unfortunately, Zhu Biao, as the heir, unfortunately passed away. So Zhu Yuanzhang did not choose Zhu Biao's brother, but chose Zhu Biao's son, Zhu Yunjiang.
Zhu Yunjiang was Zhu Biao's second son, but due to the early death of his brother, Zhu Yunjiang was regarded as Zhu Biao's eldest son. According to legend, Zhu Yuanzhang passed the throne to Zhu Yunjiang, precisely because he was regarded as the eldest grandson. At this time, Zhu Di, as the fourth old, was neither the eldest son nor a concubine (Zhu Di's biological mother identity became a mystery).
(Zhu Di)
So despite his talent, he was not a candidate to become emperor. But he eventually staged a coup d'état and became emperor. Another example is Emperor Gaozong of Tang Li Zhi, although he is a concubine, he is not the eldest son. However, the above three brothers fought to the death, and Li Zhi also succeeded as a concubine and became Li Shimin's heir.
Various phenomena show that concubines are very important at all times. If there is no coup d'état, or an accident of death, it is generally inherited by the eldest son.
The ancients paid attention to "standing up for a long man rather than a virtuous, and standing a son with a noble rather than a long one". In the concubine, choose the oldest one, so even if it is a concubine, it must be ranked behind the eldest son.
If there is a wife and a concubine and a child, it is not only about the position, but about the dignity of the status. As the right wife, the position of the empress is definitely higher than that of ordinary concubines, so even if the queen's child is born, the queen's child must be established on the crown prince.
The primogeniture system, to some extent, can be regarded as preventing the situation of fratricidal brothers, but the greater advantage is to ensure the stability of imperial power.
(Ancient Emperors)
The line of eldest sons can be passed on forever, and this can ensure the consolidation of the political rights of the emperor, empress, and prince. Once the children of other concubines ascend the throne, the destruction of the empress lineage is very serious.
During the Shang Dynasty, the princes were divided, but the primogeniture system was not strictly implemented. This also led to frequent wars among the princes during the Shang Dynasty. The biggest reason why the primogeniture system exists and is implemented is the aforementioned one, which can ensure the stability of imperial power and avoid fratricide.
It is precisely under the impetus of the primogeniture system that the mainland pays attention to the distinction between respect and inferiority, and the order of the elder and the young, and the purpose of this is to ensure social stability. And in the imperial throne, it can also ensure the majesty of imperial power.
In the Han Dynasty, only the eldest son of the concubine could inherit the title, and inheriting the title meant that you could eat yi and add guan to the knighthood, which was naturally different from other siblings.
(Distinction between honor and inferiority)
And ancient emperors, generally had many children, if some kind of inheritance system was not established. Then when choosing an heir, a lot of fighting will be provoked. And after the establishment of the eldest son, at least on the surface, the throne has an heir.
The selected prince will receive a different education than other princes. In terms of education, the difference between the eldest son and other children is divided, so it is said that the eldest son is not a virtuous person.
Another point is, how to choose this virtuous? Behind the ancient battle for the throne, there were many forces intricate, and everyone thought that they supported the virtuous, so who was the real sage?
Therefore, the primogeniture system largely cuts off the practice of foreign rivalry. However, despite this, many dynasties still saw scenes of foreign rivalry for power. Moreover, in many dynasties on the mainland, there were indeed scenes of the eldest son being abolished and the brothers below contending, and in this way, although the primogeniture system is in shape, God is not there.
(Emperor and Empress)
For example, the "Nine Sons Seize the Crown" in the late Kangxi Dynasty. Although the prince is the eldest son, he is the second son. The prince and the boss made mistakes one after another, and the brothers below looked at each other, and there was no concubine at this time, and the opportunity was naturally given to other princes.
It was eventually Kangxi's fourth son, Yin Yu, who later became Yongzheng.
Therefore, although Yong is a son, he can still ascend the throne. Because he has this talent and has a life of hard work. This involves the question that many people think about, if the eldest son is a straw bale, then should he also be made emperor?
The answer is helpless, this is also a fact, even if the eldest son is indeed not as good as several other people, but as long as he does not make a mistake, this position can be smoothly taken.
This also led to the emperors elected by many countries, and finally ruined the country. For example, Chen Shubao, the empress of Southern Chen, ascended the throne as the eldest son, but he was drunk all day and handed over Nan Chen to others.
(Chen Shubao)
Such an emperor is not unusual in history, which is also the disadvantage of the primogeniture system.
So why is it said that the primogeniture system is still the wisdom of the ancients?
If there is no eldest son, it is still according to the tribal system of Zen concessions, and whoever has talent will give it to whomever has talent. Then this makes the descendants of the royal family unconvinced, because if it is passed on to an unrelated person, it is almost a royal bloodline that has broken off this vein, and it is very easy to break out a battle for the throne.
Under the ancient feudal society and patriarchal society, patriarchy and imperial power have become things supported by the ancients, so the primogeniture system can be regarded as a perfect maintenance of these two points, and it will be passed down for so many years.
(The emperor and the prince in the film and television series)
This has a deep impact on Chinese's thinking, and many families now also think that the boss is the backbone of the family, which is actually a foolish opinion. In modern society, it should be meritocracy.
Third, what impact does the primogeniture system have on the mainland?
In fact, the biggest advantage of the emergence of the primogeniture system is the selection of heirs. The selection of heirs in ancient times can effectively resolve family conflicts.
Whether it is inheritance problems or other problems, the inheritance of the head of the family can be handled and solved, providing a master for the family, which is very suitable and very important in ancient times.
Another is the establishment of the imperial throne and the consolidation of imperial power. The throne directly chooses the eldest son, which can avoid many unnecessary troublesome disputes. For example: the occurrence of tragedies such as brothers and brothers, fathers and sons turning against each other, and cannibalism.
(Princes)
And such a struggle is meaningless, it will not help the country in any way, and the deficit and competition for the throne over time will bring bad influence to the country.
Therefore, the system of primogeniture was simply established, the scope was narrowed, and the heir was determined. The system left by the ancestors, as for whether some dynasties abide by it, it depends on the changes in their environment.
Therefore, for so many years, the primogeniture system has still played a positive role in the development of ancient mainland China. And it is under this impetus that the absolute monarchy to some extent represents a kind of "publicity" of imperial power, because it affects the interests of the entire country. But with the development of society, the primogeniture system is also destined to be abandoned because it is too rigid.
Resources
CHEN Doudou. From the perspective of the succession of imperial thrones in ancient China[J]. Huaxia Geography, 2015.
ZHANG Xuejiao. On the Limitations of the "Primogeniture" Inheritance System[J]. Yangtze River Series, 2019(12):2.
HE Wangwang, HE Lemin. Research on the Formation of Ancient Monarchical Succession System in Mainland China: Centered on the Establishment of the Primogeniture System[J]. Tangdu Academic Journal, 2019, 35(1):7.