Preamble:
Speaking of the iron hat king of the Qing Dynasty, will you think of the "iron rice bowl" in the modern population?
In the Qing Dynasty society, the Iron Hat King was a different existence.
They are not only kings of kings, but also heirs of future generations, and once their titles are obtained, the emperor cannot abolish them.
This guarantee of power, identity, and wealth made the Iron Hat King a special class in Qing Dynasty society.
And this privilege is not only a symbol of status, but also a kind of historical inheritance and continuation.
The difference between the Iron Hat King and the General King
The iron hat king of the Qing Dynasty, with his special status, enjoyed a transcendent political status.
They are not only princes, but also meritorious founding heroes.
In the court of the Qing Dynasty, the Iron Hat King had a pivotal position, and their words and deeds could often influence the government.
As an elite class among the princes of the Qing Dynasty, the power and status of the Iron Hat King was unmatched.
In contrast, although ordinary kings also have a certain political status, they cannot be compared with the iron hat king.
This apparent difference in political status was a striking feature of Qing court politics.
The status of the Iron Hat King is significantly different from that of ordinary kings.
They are not just ordinary kings, but inheritors from generation to generation, and once they receive the title of Iron Hat King, it means that the emperor cannot revoke his title.
This special hereditary replacement system made the Iron Hat King have unshakable power and status in Qing Dynasty society.
The reason why the status of the Iron Hat King is so precious is that there are other reasons besides the hereditary replacement system.
They were not only ordinary kings, but also a privileged class in Qing society, enjoying special treatment and power beyond ordinary kings.
The significance of the hereditary system
The hereditary succession system was one of the important laws in Qing society, which meant that titles were passed down from generation to generation and could not be abolished.
The implementation of this system gave the Iron Hat King a solid position and power in Qing Dynasty society.
Under no circumstances could the emperor abolish the title of the Iron Hat King, and this guarantee of power made them a special existence in Qing society.
In the early Qing Dynasty, the concept of the Iron Hat King was not clear, and the titles of the founding kings were inherited according to the original titles.
However, with the changes of the times, especially the arrival of the Qianlong Dynasty, the concept of the Iron Hat King gradually became clear.
Emperor Qianlong promulgated new regulations stipulating the principle of hereditary replacement of clan titles, further consolidating the position of the Iron Hat King.
In the forty-third year of Qianlong, Emperor Qianlong rehabilitated Dolgon and restored his title of Prince Rui.
At the same time, remembering the contributions of these kings to the country, the titles of eight princes, including Prince Li, Prince Rui, Prince Zheng, Prince Yu, Prince Su, Prince Zhuang, King Keqin, and King Shuncheng, were designated as hereditary successions.
Through the analysis of historical cases, we can understand more deeply the significance and impact of the hereditary replacement system.
After the coup d'état of Xinyou, although Cixi executed Prince Yi Zaiyuan and Prince Zheng Duanhua, she was unable to abolish their titles, but was inherited by her sons and nephews.
This example vividly illustrates the importance and influence of the principle of hereditary substitution in Qing society.
Special treatment for the Iron Hat King
First: enjoy the temple
It is a rare honor to enjoy the Taimiao.
This temple is a sacred place to worship and worship ancestors, and only a very small number of people are eligible for this treatment.
The most prominent of these were some of the princes and close relatives of the emperors of the Qing dynasty.
They are worthy of the Taimiao, which is not only a ceremony to honor their ancestors, but also a recognition and affirmation of their political status.
The princes who are worthy of enjoying the Taimiao can visit the Taimiao every year to worship their ancestors with the emperor, and this special treatment makes their families enjoy supreme honor.
Second: a symbol of the identity and rights of the flag owner
In the court of the Qing Dynasty, there was a special group of people, and they were the banner masters.
Under the Eight Banners system, the banner owner wielded a wide range of powers, even comparable to that of the emperor.
They command their people and have the power to kill and take them.
The status of the flag owner is not only a political symbol, but also a respect and recognition of their family.
However, as time passed, especially from the Kangxi Dynasty, the power of the banner lord was gradually weakened, and part of the power was taken away by the feudal prince, which made the status of the banner lord no longer as enviable as before.
However, the status of the banner lord has not changed, but the power is a little smaller than before, and the newly divided prince cannot be called the banner master, but can only be called the lord.
There is a world of difference between a banner lord and a lord, whether it is status, power, or political influence!
Third: the order of the class, the embodiment of identity and status
In the Qing Dynasty, the order of the princes of the clan was an important symbol.
According to the provisions of the Great Qing Huidian, princes of different ranks have different standing orders.
This sort is not only a rite of etiquette, but also a reflection of their status.
At major celebrations, such as the emperor's enthronement and pro-government, according to the regulations, it must be Prince Li who speaks first, and then the other princes speak in turn.
This strict regulation reflects the hierarchical characteristics of Qing society, and also highlights the political status of the princes of the clan.
Fourth: economic treatment, huge economic wealth
The princes of the Qing Dynasty, especially the king of the iron hat, obtained a large amount of land after entering the customs, often millions of acres, not counting the fields and pastures outside the customs.
Once these properties are in their names, they are like iron hats on their heads and can be passed down from generation to generation.
In contrast, some of the kings who were sealed after entering the customs and some of the princes who were divided into feudal titles had relatively little economic income and limited land resources.
Since the beginning of the Kangxi Dynasty, the apprentices that the prince can divide are only tens of thousands of acres, which is basically less than one-tenth of the iron hat king.
The princes of the Qing dynasty were not only politically elite, but also economically wealthy, and the difference in their wealth highlighted the Qing dynasty
Differentiation of classes in society.
Epilogue:
Through the above analysis, the iron hat kings of the Qing Dynasty were not just hereditary, they enjoyed special treatment in the embodiment of status, the symbol of power, and political influence.
This is incomparable to those princes and ordinary princes and county kings.
The iron hat king, like the "iron rice bowl" as it is said now, is enviable and desirable.