Preface
History is always full of coincidences. When we look back at that distant era, we can't help but ask, did Qin Shi Huang choose the word "I" as the special word for the emperor just to reflect the supremacy of imperial power? Or does it contain a deeper cultural connotation, just like the symbolic meaning of the word "I" itself.
This article intends to trace the literal origin of the character "朕" and explore the social and cultural factors behind Qin Shi Huang's move, in order to give readers a more three-dimensional and comprehensive understanding of historical events.
1. The widow is no more: the ambition of Yingzheng to be the emperor
In 221 BC, King Yingzheng of Qin finally fulfilled the century-old dream of the Qin State after King Wu of Qin, took all the six kingdoms under his command, and established a unified Qin Empire. At this time, as the founder of the empire, he undoubtedly felt infinite joy and pride in his heart.
Ying Zheng was past middle age at this time, but he was still ambitious. He was determined to perpetuate his empire and accomplish great things through the ages. After a long campaign, he knew better than anyone that he needed to establish sufficient prestige and authority to consolidate this vast empire.
So he pondered what name he should take to show his merits and status. In the end, he took the word "emperor" in the "Three Emperors" and the word "emperor" in the "Five Emperors", and collectively called himself "emperor". And add the word "beginning" to show that he is the founder of the country and is "the first emperor of Qin".
This title undoubtedly reflects Yingzheng's ambition and self-confidence. "Virtue and three emperors, merit covers five emperors", he even thinks that his merits have surpassed the three emperors and five emperors in ancient legends. As the founding emperor of the Great Unification Empire, he was bound to establish an image of transcendence and majesty.
Unlike the monarchs of the vassal states of the past, Yingzheng is no longer the monarch of a small country, but the supreme ruler of this huge empire. Therefore, he no longer used the self-titled "widow" of the former princes, but asked for a new title that reflected absolute power and majesty. So, after searching for ancient books and asking his ministers, he finally chose the relatively rare word "I".
This is the beginning of Ying Zheng's self-proclaimed "I". As an ambitious, middle-aged emperor, he aspires to assert his status through a title rich in meaning, showing his ambition to be the founder of the Chu Dynasty and his outstanding achievements.
2. The origin of the word "I": the combination of power and wisdom
We can find the origin of the word "朕" in the oracle bone inscription. It is a combination of symbols representing "boat" and "fire". In ancient society, the "boat" represented a means of transportation, an important means for tribes to obtain resources and expand their territory, while "fire" represented light and heat, an important symbol of the progress of human civilization.
The combination of these two symbols indicates that the tribes that possess them have not only mastered advanced productive forces, but also accumulated knowledge and wisdom that surpasses those of other tribes. It can be said that the character "I" already contains the cultural connotation of attaching equal importance to power and wisdom in the oracle bone inscription stage.
This coincided with the historical conditions at that time. During the Warring States Period, the Qin State vigorously promoted the reform of the law, encouraged the development of agriculture, handicrafts, and commerce, and made the national strength stronger and stronger; at the same time, the Qin State also learned from the experience of various countries in governing the country, established a centralized administrative system, and cultivated a large number of famous politicians, military strategists, and thinkers.
It was precisely by relying on the two-pronged development strategy of material civilization and spiritual civilization that the Qin State finally defeated the Six Kingdoms and established a unified empire. It can be said that the character "I" aptly embodies the historical process of the Qin State unifying the world with equal emphasis on force and wisdom.
Therefore, the character "朕" became Qin Shi Huang's best choice to express his status and power. It shows that he has unified the land of China by force, and it also shows that he has stood on the highest commanding heights of civilization and educating the people.
3. Homonym with "politics": a pun
If we continue to analyze, we will find that the character "朕" and Qin Shi Huang's real name "Zheng" are actually homophonic words. This is probably one of the factors that Qin Shi Huang took into account when choosing the title.
According to historical records, during the Warring States period, the use of the character "朕" as a self-title was rare. At that time, the king of Qin was accustomed to calling his first name "Zheng" to give orders. Now officially crowned emperor, Qin Shi Huang wanted a new title that represented imperial power without causing turmoil in popular perceptions, and on the other hand, he was unwilling to completely abandon the old habit of calling names.
The use of the word "I", which is homophonic with "Zheng", can take into account both. On the one hand, the word "朕" is relatively obscure, rarely used by the people, and it is easy to associate people with imperial power; on the other hand, it is homophonic with "Zheng", which also reminds the people that the King of Qin has been crowned emperor, so that people can establish a psychological relationship between the old and new titles.
It can be said that this decision is both novel and unique, and it is inclusive, and it shows the autocracy of imperial power and the people's will and customs, and it is the result of a well-thought-out and established plan, which reflects the political acumen of Qin Shi Huang.
Fourth, the forbidden word: the authoritarian use of the word
Since then, Qin Shi Huang has ordered the use of the character "朕" as the exclusive self-title of the emperor throughout the country, and it is forbidden for the people to use it. It also stipulates that violators will be severely punished.
This is tantamount to making the word "I" a taboo term, sacralizing it, so that the people can remember it all the time, and it is a title that only the emperor who is in the honor of the Ninety-Five and enjoys the supreme glory can use. Through this strict linguistic control, Qin Shi Huang wanted to establish the sacrosanct prestige of imperial power among the people.
At the same time, the prohibition of the use of the word "I" by the people also made it impossible for the people to copy the emperor's language, avoiding possible public opinion turmoil. This reflects from one side that Qin Shi Huang, who had just gained power, was sensitive to and attached importance to public opinion. He intends to strengthen the penetration of imperial power among the people through strict language norms, and fundamentally build an empire with unified government decrees and consistent words and deeds.
These measures show Qin Shi Huang's determination to strengthen the centralization of power and establish an absolute monarchy. It also indicates that the Qin Dynasty will implement stricter control of thought and speech in the future, and its policy direction will become increasingly hardline and authoritarian.
5. Ancient and modern cultural inheritance: symbols of power
The application of the word "I" in later generations seems to confirm the prophecy of Qin Shi Huang. Beginning with the Qin Dynasty, successive emperors continued to use the character "朕" as a self-designation, which lasted for nearly 2,000 years, until the Xinhai Revolution at the end of the Qing Dynasty was finally suspended.
This proves that the character "朕" has long become a linguistic symbol symbolizing the status of imperial power in the cultural system of China's feudal dynasties. It carries the cultural genes of Chinese civilization that has lasted for thousands of years since the Han and Tang dynasties, and witnesses the ambition of the ancient Chinese ruling class to continue two dynasties and run the country for thousands of generations.
When we look back at the evolution of this linguistic symbol from a historical perspective, we can't help but feel that the cultural connotation contained in it is far more profound than the words themselves can represent. It reflects the strong political ambitions of the ancient Chinese ruling class, and also foreshadows the direction of their future dictatorial policies. These historical images are all condensed behind this small linguistic symbol.
To sum up, Qin Shi Huang's choice of the character "I" as the emperor's exclusive self-title was by no means just to reflect the supremacy of imperial power. Behind this decision, there are multiple socio-cultural considerations.
The symbolic meaning of the character "朕" itself coincides with Qin Shi Huang's ambition and image; its homophonic effect with Qin Shi Huang's real name also provides convenient conditions for a pun; and by strictly prohibiting the use of the word "朕" among the people, it strengthens its authoritarian nature.
epilogue
There are all kinds of signs that the character "朕" has gradually been sublimated from a specific word to a symbol of power representing the entire Chinese feudal dynastic system. The evolution of its use reflects the ambition of the ancient Chinese ruling class to vigorously perpetuate the two dynasties, and also foreshadows their more assertive and authoritarian policy propositions in the future.
Therefore, when we examine this period of the past from a historical perspective today, the real enlightenment lies not simply in the words themselves, but in the in-depth interpretation of the cultural genes and historical context of the Chinese civilization system from the application and evolution of a small language symbol. This is a three-dimensional and comprehensive understanding of history.