In the more than 2,000 years of feudal dynasties, the emperor has always been the supreme ruler of the country, "the whole world, it is not the king's land, the shore of the land, it is not the king's minister", life and death, arbitrary, they have supreme power.
From the first emperor Qin Shi Huang to the last emperor Puyi, there were more than 400 emperors.
Of course, not all emperors were qualified politicians, some of them were holy lords and emperors, and some were dumb monarchs and tyrants.
Today we will not discuss the achievements of these emperors, but will focus on their origins in a different way.
Among the more than 400 emperors, they came from different backgrounds.
However, after combing, we found that in the current Shandong Province, there has never been an emperor.
The land of Qilu is the birthplace of Confucian culture, and there is no shortage of literati and heroes in history.
But why hasn't there ever been an emperor?
This is not because the people of Shandong do not have the talent of the emperor, but because of the combined effect of historical, geographical, cultural and other reasons.
Cultural factors: the influence of Confucian culture
From the perspective of historical evolution, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it was the seat of Qi and Lu, so Shandong has always been known as the "Land of Qilu".
And Lu was once the fief of Zhou Gongdan, and Zhou Gongdan's life was full of legends.
He assisted King Wu of Zhou in his expedition to the east and west, and made great achievements for the establishment and consolidation of the Zhou Dynasty.
He governed the country with benevolence, cared about the people's livelihood, paid attention to culture and education, and made great contributions to the prosperity and development of the ancient society on the mainland.
In particular, the "feudal system" and "ritual system" proposed by Zhou Gongdan had a profound impact on later generations.
Therefore, in the Spring and Autumn Period, the state of Lu was regarded as a state of etiquette, and the influence of traditional culture made the folk customs here simple, and people respected etiquette and paid attention to morality.
Moreover, the prosperity of the Lu State is inseparable from the contribution of Zhou Gongdan.
He advocated etiquette, taught the people to respect the elders, care for the weak, and maintain social harmony.
It was under the influence of such an atmosphere that many famous figures emerged in the Lu Kingdom, such as Confucius and Mencius.
They are all representatives of Confucianism, inheriting the etiquette of Zhou Gongdan and carrying forward Confucian culture.
Confucian culture emphasizes the qualities of benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and trustworthiness, and advocates loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and courtesy to govern the country, so that the people of Shandong pay more attention to morality, ethics and family values, rather than pursuing personal power and status.
The inheritance and development of Confucian culture in Shandong has made the people in this land form a unique moral and ethical concept.
Under the guidance of this ideology, successive generations of Shandong officials have been committed to promoting benevolent and moral governance, putting the people first, paying attention to people's livelihood and well-being, promoting national development, and following the concept of "loyalty to the monarch and patriotism".
At the same time, Confucian culture has also cultivated a strong sense of national pride and family and country among the people of Shandong, making them stand up and defend their homeland when the country is in danger.
In 256 BC, the state of Lu was destroyed by the state of Chu.
After the destruction of the state, the territory of the state of Lu became a vassal of the state of Chu.
Although the state no longer exists, the cultural traditions of the Lu state have been continued in the integration with the Chu culture, and this phenomenon of cultural integration is still reflected in today's Shandong region.
As one of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States Period, the development and spread of Confucian culture in this place is also of great historical significance.
Confucianism gradually rose to prominence under the guidance of Confucius and Mencius, who advocated benevolent government and emphasized moral obligations and responsibilities between kings and ministers.
The rulers of Qi also accepted and respected Confucianism, which enabled Confucian culture to flourish in Qi.
By the Han Dynasty, the state of Qi had become the center of Confucian culture.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu reformed Confucianism to meet the needs of feudal rule, and Confucianism in this period was called "Neo-Confucianism".
Neo-Confucianism emphasized the concepts of heaven and man induction, and the divine authority of the monarch, which provided a theoretical basis for feudal rule.
Confucian culture reached its peak during this period, and many Confucian scholars emerged here, such as Jia Yi and Dong Zhongshu.
After the Tang Dynasty, the influence of Confucian culture in the local area was still far-reaching.
Kong Yingda, a famous Confucian scholar in the Tang Dynasty, was a native of Qidi, who presided over the compilation of the "Five Classics of Justice", which systematically sorted out and interpreted the Confucian classics.
In addition, the Confucian style of Qidi has gradually formed a distinctive characteristic of emphasizing empirical evidence and paying attention to reality, which has had a positive impact on later generations.
During the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the Confucian culture in the Qi region continued to develop, and many famous Confucian scholars and writings emerged.
For example, Zhu Xi's "Notes on the Four Books" and Wang Yangming's "Chuan Xi Records" all reflect the academic achievements of Confucian scholars in Qidi to a certain extent.
The history of Confucian culture is rich and colorful, and the Confucian scholars of Qilu have made great contributions to the development of Confucian culture and have had a profound impact on the feudal society of the mainland.
Shandong's unique Confucian style and rich historical heritage make it an important carrier for the inheritance and development of Confucian culture.
The people here continue to inherit and carry forward the culture of Lu and carry forward the reputation of the state of etiquette.
Therefore, Shandong's Confucian cultural tradition and cultural atmosphere have suppressed the desire of the locals to pursue the emperor to a certain extent, and those politicians who were born in Shandong often focus more on serving the country than seeking their own selfishness.
Historical factor: integration into the central power
In the first chapter of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", it says:
"The general trend of the world, divided for a long time, will be divided for a long time, and will be divided for a long time."
The reason why there is no emperor in Shandong is also related to the historical evolution of Shandong.
The Eastern Zhou Dynasty was divided into states, and the Qi and Lu states had a high status and were quite influential among the vassal states at that time.
As a country with a long history and profound cultural heritage, Lu reached its peak of glory in the Spring and Autumn Period.
However, in the battle for hegemony among the vassal states, the Lu state was unfortunately annexed, ending its historical status of independence.
Although Qi has maintained a relatively stable development trend with its strong national strength, prosperous economy and advanced culture.
Especially under the leadership of Duke Huan of Qi, the state of Qi became the first overlord in the Spring and Autumn Period, leading the trend of princes competing for hegemony.
However, in the course of later history, the state of Qi also experienced ups and downs and turmoil, and with the death of the last monarch of the state of Qi, Qi Wangjian, it marked the end of the independent status of the state of Qi.
With the unification of the Qin Dynasty, the Shandong region gradually integrated into the central power and became part of the empire.
Under the rule of the Qin Dynasty, the Shandong region underwent a series of political, economic, cultural, and military changes.
Qin Shi Huang adopted draconian laws to maintain the stability of the country and strengthen local control.
The power of the former vassal states was weakened, and the aristocracy in the Shandong region suffered a serious blow.
However, the tyranny of the Qin Dynasty also provoked a revolt among the people.
In 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang rebelled in Daze Township, and the people in Shandong responded one after another. The rebel army soon developed into a large-scale peasant war, which eventually led to the fall of the Qin dynasty.
During the Han Dynasty, the Shandong region continued to occupy an important place in the political and cultural life of the country.
Later, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, institutions such as Jinan State and Taishan County were also established in Shandong, which further consolidated the control of the central government over Shandong.
Entering the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties and other periods, Shandong suffered from war.
During these turbulent years, there were a number of separatist regimes in Shandong, but none of them were able to control the country in a stable manner for a long time.
In modern history, Shandong has suffered from foreign invasion and war.
In this case, the local people are more eager for peace and stability, and their pursuit of political power is relatively low.
And those who have the strength and talent to win the throne pay more attention to the great cause of national salvation and survival, rather than the pursuit of personal fame and fortune, so that Shandong lost the opportunity to become an independent emperor.
In the modern history of Shandong, although a number of heroic generals and national heroes who resisted the enemy have emerged, they have put aside their personal honor and disgrace and put the interests of the country and the nation first.
Therefore, in this case, although the political status of Shandong has not met the expectations, it has shown a higher level in the national spirit.
Geography: Lack of natural barriers
In ancient times, in order to be a king, it was necessary to have important factors such as geographical location, population resources, economic strength, military strength and political strategy.
Among these conditions, geographical location is considered to be the primary factor.
Because a good geographical location can provide the ruler with abundant resources, convenient transportation, and a relatively stable social environment.
From the geographical point of view alone, Shandong is located in the eastern coastal area of the mainland, bordering the sea in the east, Taihang Mountain in the west, Jiangsu and Anhui in the south, and Hebei in the north.
At the same time, Shandong is located on the eastern coast of the mainland, adjacent to Northeast China, North China and other places, and has an important strategic position.
Therefore, in the history of the mainland, many famous wars are closely related to Shandong, such as the Qi State during the Warring States Period and the Chu and Han Wars during the Qin Dynasty.
Today, in the mainland's national security strategy, the Shandong Peninsula is regarded as an important line of defense and plays an important role in safeguarding national security.
However, in the feudal society of cold weapons, in order to achieve an imperial cause, geographical advantages alone are far from enough.
Since ancient times, topography has been of great significance to national security and regional stability.
Natural barriers, such as mountains and rivers, can play a role in resisting enemy invasion, forming an effect that is easy to defend and difficult to attack.
However, Shandong's terrain is dominated by plains, and the lack of these natural barriers makes it vulnerable to invasion and coveting by foreign enemies during wars, resulting in the local political stability being affected.
In fact, the Shandong region has also suffered from the baptism of war many times in history, which has undoubtedly had a serious impact on the local political stability.
In wartime, without the guarantee of terrain superiority, the movement and deployment of the army are easily restricted by the enemy.
This not only increases the difficulty of war, but may also pose a serious threat to national security.
Therefore, from the geographical location of Shandong, the reason why there is no emperor in Shandong is mainly because of the lack of natural barriers in Shandong, which loses the prerequisite for the establishment of a relatively closed independent kingdom.
epilogue
The emperor was the supreme ruler of the mainland in ancient times, which also made them show different regional and cultural characteristics when governing the country.
From the perspective of geographical distribution, the origins of the emperors of the past dynasties were mainly concentrated in the Central Plains, Jiangnan and northern regions.
Historically, these regions have been political, economic, and cultural centers, and have produced many outstanding emperors.
The reason why there is no emperor in Shandong is not only due to geographical, historical, cultural and other reasons, but also closely related to the values and national spirit of the local people.
Although Shandong has never had an emperor, this does not affect Shandong's important position in Chinese history.
Especially after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Shandong's position in the country's political and cultural life has become more prominent.
After many political, economic and cultural reforms, Shandong has achieved tremendous development results.
In the process of reform, opening up and modernization, Shandong has continued to play an important role and made tremendous contributions to the country's development.
Today, Shandong is one of the most dynamic economic sectors in China. It has world-famous Tsingtao beer, Shandong cuisine and other characteristic cultures, attracting countless domestic and foreign tourists to come for sightseeing.
In the journey of the new era, in the future development, Shandong will continue to uphold the Confucian cultural tradition, continue to play an important role, and make greater contributions to the prosperity of the country.