Since the Xia Dynasty, there has been a saying of "family world". Beginning with the hereditary system of the throne replacing the Zen system, the emperor took state power for himself and passed it on from generation to generation. Under the hereditary system of the throne, all the monarchs of a dynasty come from the same family. At the same time, the prerogatives of the monarch do not only belong to the monarch personally, but also benefit his family. Many of the monarch's relatives could be knighted, enjoying the glory on the one hand, and forming an "auxiliary government system" that served the emperor in governing the world.
After the Eastern Han Dynasty, those who were knighted were generally referred to as the king of the domain, and the actual titles were king, king, county king, prince, etc. From the Jin Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, the titles of Wang Jue were basically derived from the names of the sub-feudal states in the Spring and Autumn Period, such as: "Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, Qin, Jin, Wu, Yue" and so on. However, in the Qing Dynasty, these titles became auspicious words such as "Li, Rui, Gong, Zhuang, Qing" and so on. Why is this change happening? What does this change imply?
First, the significance of the title and the particularity of the Manchu Qing
Before the Qing Dynasty, the titles of princes were basically derived from the names of the sub-feudal states in the Spring and Autumn Period. Dynasties and dynasties have done this in fact, in fact, they have deliberately imitated the earliest feudal state system. Even the title will have a distinction between high and low because of the strength of the status of the relevant country during the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period. For example, in most of history, "Qin, Jin, Qi, and Chu" are the most honorable titles. Followed by "Lu, Zhao, Wei, Liang, Yan, Dai, Chen, Han, Song, Wu, Yue", etc., these titles are one notch lower than the previous ones. Using the state of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period as a title itself carries a strong sense of identity, which is invisibly an oath of "Chinese orthodoxy". Taking the name of the old great power as a title is also a symbol of honor and status.
Unlike the Central Plains regime, the Manchu Qing was a "guest" at that time. The so-called "entry into the Central Plains", there is a big difference between the Manchu Qing regime and the traditional Central Plains regime. They have no history of dividing feudal states, nor do they have a sense of identity and belonging to "Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin".
On a deeper level, the agriculture of the post-Jin regime before entering the customs was not developed, and to some extent it was not a feudal state, in a semi-feudal and semi-slave society, and even more like a slave state. In this context, they attach more importance to the population than to the land, and the emphasis on the tradition of sub-feudalism is naturally insufficient.
Second, the change of power in the name change
The kings of the early Ming Dynasty and the princes of the Qing Dynasty were very different.
When the king of the clan was established at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang said: "The world is great, it will build a clan screen, defend the country, and live in peace, and now that the sons are long, it is advisable for each of them to have a knighthood and divide the towns and kingdoms." He is not a private relative, but a plan for the long-term peace and long-term rule of the ancient sages." The purpose of establishing the clan king was to contain the meritorious and defend the royal family. The Kings of Ning, Yan, Jin, Dai, and Qin were appointed to command the border defense army and enjoyed a certain degree of military power. At this time, the king of the domain was still able to rule the people and divide the domain into tin soil. Most of their titles reflected their fiefdoms and status, to a certain extent symbolizing power and giving them room to rebel.
However, after the Battle of Jingnan, Ming Chengzu took many reform measures to limit the power of the clan kings, and by the time of Akihito, the clan kings basically did not have any real power. However, due to hereditary titles, it was inevitable that the situation of sitting on the mountain and eating the air would inevitably lead to the situation of sitting on the mountain and eating the air, which caused great pressure on the finances of the Ming Dynasty.
After the San Francisco Rebellion, the Qing Dynasty completely eliminated the feudal system, and there were no more kings who were assigned to the localities. At the same time, the Qing Dynasty learned the lessons of the Ming Dynasty, in addition to not indiscriminately granting knighthoods, and established a system of descending titles with decreasing titles, it also stipulated that the kings "do not tin soil", "do not come to the people", and "do not add counties". The palaces of the kings were all built in the Capital Division (Shi Zai: "Sixty Miles out of the Beijing Division for No Reason and the Same as the Hundred Officials"). In such a system, it is convenient to control the kings, but also to avoid the situation of the kings in the local area, fish and flesh, and it is also convenient for the kings to assist the government and lead the troops, and to serve the kings more loyally.
In short, the clan is "not tin soil" and "not near the people", the kings are not sealed to the locality, and the traditional way of taking the local power as the title loses its meaning. Therefore, the title turned to the honor of flaunting the status of the clan, and was more polite, taking into account the Manchu Traditions, such as Prince Zhuang's Manchu "Pressing Ba Ling Wu", which means generous and burly; Prince Li Manchu "Duolong Wu", taking the meaning of courtesy and dignity; Prince Rui Manchu "Morgen", taking the meaning of wise. This is essentially the embodiment of the transformation of the power of the clan and the more scientific manifestation of the prince's feudal system.
The small changes in history in various dynasties and generations are usually meaningful changes made by learning from the problems of previous generations, starting from their own situations, and focusing on vital interests. By carefully reading history, scrutinizing its details, and appreciating the small hints it gives us, we can usually recognize the profound political wisdom of the ancients and feel the eternal charm of historical laws.