Preface
On the political map of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Sili Captain was like a bright pearl with a unique light.
The special status of this position lies not only in its long historical origins, but also in the irreplaceable role it plays in the political and military fields.
As the guardian of the imperial power, Sili Xiaowei became a key part of the political system of the Han Dynasty by supervising hundreds of officials, inspecting places, and maintaining law and order with his unique status.
01 The historical origin of the captain of the division
The historical origin of the position of Si Li School Lieutenant can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty in ancient China.
At the beginning of the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, in order to strengthen the central government's control over the localities, the system of three princes and nine secretaries was implemented, in which the official position of eunuch general was established to supervise local officials. However, this system was not continued in the later Han Dynasty.
In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the needs of the ruling class, especially Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, he implemented a series of local reforms, implemented the state and county systems, and established positions such as assassins.
With the improvement of the local administrative system, the demand for the central government to supervise the local government has become increasingly significant. As a result, a "Sili" agency was set up in Luoyang, Beijing, to supervise local officials and maintain centralized power.
It was in this historical context that the earliest Sili Lieutenant came into being.
The purpose of the establishment of the Sili Lieutenant was to consolidate the central government's control over the localities, increase the supervision of county and county officials, and ensure the absolute loyalty of the local authorities.
This made the position of Sili Lieutenant an indispensable part of the political system of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and its historical roots carry the deep historical tradition of local rule by China's feudal dynasties.
02 Duties of the Lieutenant
As an official position in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Sili Xiaowei's responsibilities were mainly focused on supervising, maintaining local power, and implementing central policies. Specifically, the responsibilities of the lieutenant can be divided into the following aspects:
The lieutenant is responsible for monitoring the performance and integrity of local officials. They conduct regular inspections of county officials to check their performance and whether there is any misconduct such as corruption and bribery.
Through this monitoring mechanism, the lieutenant can discover and correct problems in the local government in a timely manner, and ensure the integrity and effectiveness of the local government.
Lieutenant Sili played a coordinating and supervising role in local government affairs. They were to assist the assassins in managing various local affairs and ensuring the implementation of the central government's policies.
When dealing with local contradictions and problems, the lieutenants also need to report to the central government in a timely manner and provide the central government with information on the local political situation so that they can make timely decisions.
Lieutenant Si Li is also responsible for handling some special and major cases. For some cases involving the stability of local political power, the lieutenant needs to intervene to ensure that the cases are resolved fairly and properly.
This allows them to play an active role in both the judiciary and the administration. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the duties of the lieutenant covered many aspects such as local supervision, government affairs coordination, and special case handling.
Their presence strengthened the central government's control over the localities and maintained the stability of the feudal dynasty.
The duties of the lieutenant reflect the characteristics of the political system of mutual checks and balances between the local power and the central power during the period of China's feudal dynasties.
03 Selection criteria for the lieutenant of the division
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the selection criteria for Sili lieutenants were relatively strict, focusing mainly on personal political quality, military ability, and administrative experience. Here are some aspects of the selection criteria for the lieutenants:
In terms of political quality, one of the criteria for the selection and appointment of lieutenants is their loyalty to the central government.
Since the lieutenants had a certain amount of power at the local level, loyalty to the maintenance of feudal rule was seen as an extremely important condition. They needed to support and implement the policies of the central government and maintain the political stability of feudal society.
In terms of military ability, a lieutenant usually needs to have a certain amount of military experience and command ability. They need to play a military leadership role in maintaining local security and responding to local insurgency or conflict.
Therefore, having a certain degree of military literacy and actual combat experience is an important consideration in the selection.
Administrative experience is also an important aspect of the selection of lieutenants. They need to coordinate and manage local government affairs, work with local officials, and ensure the effective implementation of central policies at the local level.
As a result, officials who have had a good resume and experience in local administration positions are more likely to be candidates for the rank of lieutenant.
The selection of lieutenants was also influenced by the trust and appreciation of the emperor and court officials.
If an official has a high prestige and prestige at the court and is trusted by the emperor, then he is more likely to be selected as a lieutenant of the division to ensure better management of the place.
The selection criteria for lieutenants include political loyalty, military ability, administrative experience, and personal prestige, with the aim of ensuring that they are competent in local government and can effectively implement the policies of the central government.
04 Lieutenant Sili's local inspection
Sili played an important role in local inspection during the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the nature of his local inspection mainly included two aspects: political supervision and military inspection.
The local patrols of the lieutenants have a clear political supervision nature. They were sent to various localities to supervise and inspect local government affairs, and to ensure that local officials faithfully carried out the policies of the central government and did not act contrary to the will of the imperial court.
Through his inspections, he was able to gain an in-depth understanding of local political dynamics, discover and correct some problems that might have an impact on the central government, and maintain the direct control of the imperial court over the local government.
The local patrols of the lieutenants also involve military patrols. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the complex military situation due to the local tyranny and wars, the commander of the division needed to inspect the local army to ensure strict military discipline and prevent potential rebellion threats.
Through the inspection, the lieutenant was able to keep abreast of the local military situation, strengthen the control of the local army, and ensure the direct leadership of the imperial court over the local military power.
In the process of local inspections, Captain Sili is also responsible for handling some emergencies and taking countermeasures to maintain local stability and security.
They work with local officials to respond to possible crises and effectively maintain local social harmony.
05 The political influence of the lieutenant
Sili played an important political role in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and its political influence was mainly reflected in government supervision, official selection and local stability.
Through the supervision of local government affairs, the lieutenant of Sili has effectively checked and balanced the power of local officials.
In the course of their inspections, they strictly inspected the administrative conditions of local governments and were able to discover and take corrective measures in a timely manner for some phenomena that violate laws and discipline and become corrupt.
This kind of political supervision not only strengthens the central government's control over the localities, but also effectively curbs the abuse of power by local officials, and provides a strong guarantee for political clarity.
The lieutenants of the division are involved in the selection of officials, which has an important impact on the promotion and transfer of local officials. Through the inspection and evaluation of local officials, they provided recommendations to the imperial court on the selection of officials.
This selection mechanism enables the promotion of outstanding officials, which is conducive to the formation of competent local governments and the improvement of the effectiveness of local governance.
Lieutenant Sili also played a key role in maintaining local stability. By keeping abreast of local social conditions, dealing with conflicts and disputes, and guarding against potential threats of rebellion, Captain Sili has maintained the harmony and stability of the local society.
The policies and measures adopted by them during their local inspections have helped resolve social contradictions, reduce factors of instability, and laid the foundation for long-term peace and stability in the localities.
epilogue
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Sili played an important role in supervising government affairs, selecting officials, and maintaining local stability, and his political influence was far-reaching and long-lasting.
Through the close supervision of local government affairs, the lieutenant of the division has effectively restrained the power of local officials and ensured the integrity and efficiency of local political power.
At the same time, they participated in the selection and transfer of officials, promoted the promotion of capable officials, and effectively promoted the progress and development of local politics.
The inspection work of the lieutenant has provided strong support for the timely handling of social contradictions, the prevention of potential rebellions, and the harmony and stability of the local society.
The establishment of this system provided important support for the political regulation and governance of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and also laid the foundation for the administrative system of later dynasties.