From the beginning of Qin Shi Huang's unification of the six countries to the Xinhai Revolution of the Qing Dynasty, our Chinese history has experienced many prosperity and decline of unified dynasties, and there are many periods of division and chaos. During this period, there were a total of nine unified dynasties, and their stories are full of historical vicissitudes and changes.
These dynasties and eras are like threads that weave the long history of the Chinese nation into beautiful pictures.
In fact, most historians believe that when it comes to the truly orthodox dynasties, it has to look at the Han Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty. The other dynasties were all marked as "incorrect". Even the Great Qin Empire created by Qin Shi Huang is also on this list of "unjust". Why is that?
First of all, let's talk about what is the meaning of "the most righteous country"? What the hell is that?
In his book Lectures on the History of the Ming Dynasty, Monson makes this point, giving three main reasons to support his view:
[Born in cloth clothes, self-made]
Liu Bang, he is an ordinary peasant child in Feng County, Jiangsu, and later became the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty. Don't look at his bad background, but this guy has shown leadership and great ambition since he was a child, and that's really not a cover.
At that time in 209 BC, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were in Daze Township, and they raised their poles and reversed, but they directly interfered with the powerful rule of the Qin Dynasty.
This uprising was like a raging flame, which instantly ignited the fighting spirit in Liu Bang's heart. He did not hesitate to throw himself into the wave of resistance and embarked on his own path of resistance.
At the beginning, Liu Bang's strength was not good, but he was very good at employing people, and slowly gathered a bunch of fierce generals and strategists around him who could fight and fight. Like Xiao He, who is extremely smart, Zhang Liang, who has a particularly bright head, and Han Xin, who is very good at fighting, all follow him. Although Liu Bang was inconspicuous at first, he knew how to use people and how to let these people play to their strengths, which is why he was able to achieve great things later.
They thought in one place, worked hard in one place, and came up with ideas and ways for Liu Bang, so that Liu Bang's power would spread like a fire, burning more and more vigorously, and becoming stronger and stronger.
In 206 BC, Liu Bang led a large army into Xianyang, directly destroyed the Qin Dynasty, and completely ended their rule.
Subsequently, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, they fell out and had a four-year Chu-Han showdown. This battle was fierce, it was like a long-term dragon and tiger fight.
In this huge battle, Liu Bang really showed his political acumen and fighting skills, making his team stronger and stronger. In the end, in a heart-pounding contest, he successfully defeated Xiang Yu and established the Han Dynasty, opening a new page in history.
Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, his real name is actually Zhu Chongba, he was born in 1328, and his hometown is in Fengyang, Anhui.
When he was a child, his family was very poor, and in order to earn money, he went to herd cattle for the landlord and help subsidize the family. Later, because life was too difficult, Zhu Yuanzhang chose to become a monk when he was a child. Although life is hard, he has always tried to survive.
However, at that time in 1352, Zhu Yuanzhang's fate turned upside down. He joined the Red Turban Army and began to fight with the Yuan Dynasty. This guy has a smart head and is also a good hand when it comes to fighting. Therefore, he quickly became popular in the Red Turban Army and became a particularly powerful general.
Zhu Yuanzhang fought for many years, and the places in the south were unified by him. Later, in 1368, he built a new dynasty, called the Ming Dynasty, and chose Nanjing as the capital.
He is a unique emperor in Chinese history, who raised troops from the south and was able to unify the whole country, laying a glorious foundation for the Ming Dynasty for nearly 300 years.
Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang, the two emperors, were both from civilian backgrounds, and they did not rely on any power of the previous dynasty, and won the whole world by their own hard work and efforts. They all climbed up step by step from the bottom, and they really broke through on their own.
Speaking of those dynasties with improper regimes, let's take the Jin Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty as examples.
Sima Yanke, Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty, was a powerful character, he was born in 236 A.D., and came from the family of Sima Yi, a great official of the Wei state. This emperor is not simple, he single-handedly ended the situation of the separation of the three kingdoms, and also created the Jin Dynasty, which is really a great achievement!
Sima Yi and Sima Zhao, the father and son, are definitely the big names of the Sima family. Not only are they powerful, but they have also saved a lot of political resources and military strength for Sima Yan, which simply paved the way for him to rise!
After their hard work, Sima Yan finally succeeded in integrating the long-divided China, bringing the war of the Three Kingdoms period to an end, and the Jin Dynasty also ushered in a new period of prosperity.
Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian, a wise monarch born in 541 AD, not only succeeded in unifying the Northern and Southern Dynasties, but also single-handedly founded the Sui Dynasty.
He was born in the famous Yang Zhong family during the Northern Zhou Dynasty. At that time, the Yang Zhong family held great power, and their status was so high that they were simply the ministers of the powerful. They provided Yang Jian with super backing, allowing him to get off to a smooth start and reach the pinnacle of life.
Relying on the deep background of his family, Yang Jian successfully turned the division of the Northern and Southern Dynasties into a reunification, and immediately quelled the war that had been chaotic for hundreds of years.
His ingenuity and bravery laid a solid foundation for the Sui Dynasty and led the Sui Dynasty into a new era. His contribution made the Sui Dynasty full of vitality and ushered in a new era of prosperity.
In general, the two emperors, Sima Yan, Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty and Yang Jian, Emperor Wen of Sui, were not from the grassroots, their family backgrounds were quite good, and their family resources were also a lot. They all have prominent family backgrounds and abundant resources behind them, which is not comparable to ordinary people. Therefore, the story of these two founding emperors also shows us a truth: family background and resources can indeed bring people a lot of advantages in many cases.
When they started, with the advantages of their family and their own extraordinary talents, they climbed step by step, and finally succeeded in ascending the throne of the emperor and became a generation of kings.
[Nothing to do with the previous dynasty]
Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, and Zhu Yuanzhang, the Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, both decided to rebel because they couldn't stand the cruel rule of the previous dynasty. They all decided to stand up and change the status quo because they felt that era was too unfair and oppressive to the people.
They were neither the officials of the previous dynasty nor the overlords of one side, so there was no possibility of betraying the previous dynasty. These people have nothing to do with the big people in the previous dynasty, they are ordinary people or small officials, there is nothing to doubt.
They launched the uprising out of deep sympathy for the suffering of the common people, but also in pursuit of true fairness and justice.
Before Ying Zheng became the leader of the Qin State, the Qin State was already a powerful country. With years of war, it gradually weakened the power of the other six vassal states. Therefore, the fact that Qin was able to unify the six countries was not accidental, but a manifestation of the strength accumulated over the years.
After Qin Shi Huang ascended the throne, he adhered to the Legalist concept of the Qin State and continuously consolidated the ruling power of the central government. Finally, in 221 BC, he succeeded in bringing the six kingdoms under his banner one by one, ending the centuries-long warring strife and bringing the world back to unity.
What about Sima Yan, Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty, his relationship with the previous dynasty was mainly because he robbed the throne of Wei and then established the Jin Dynasty himself. Speaking of which, his throne was not justified, but he ascended to the throne by usurpation. But then again, it's part of history, so let's hear it as a story.
Sima Yi's family held great power during the Wei period, and their family's Sima Shi and Sima Zhao grasped the real power of Wei one after another. This family is really powerful, and the power is amazing.
After Sima Yan ascended the throne, he continued to enhance the strength of the Sima family. Later, in 265 AD, he replaced the Wei state, proclaimed himself emperor, and established the Jin dynasty. This momentous event came to be known as the "Jinyang Change". To put it simply, it was Sima Yan who made the Sima family stronger, and finally replaced the Wei State, became emperor himself, and established a new dynasty, the Jin Dynasty.
Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian has a lot of connections with the previous dynasty, he established the Sui Dynasty through the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and then became the emperor.
Yang Jian's father, Yang Zhong, was a very powerful minister in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and Yang Jian himself was also very popular in the imperial court. By the time the Northern Zhou Dynasty was about to end, Yang Jian, a relative, had real power. In 581 AD, he took over the class of Emperor Jing of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, established himself as emperor, and established the Sui Dynasty.
In ancient Chinese history, when we look at whether a dynasty is good or not, we often look at how it was established and whether it is legal. Like some dynasties, if it is established in a way that makes people feel quite right, then it is considered a good dynasty. Therefore, the phrase "winning the righteousness of the country" actually tells us how important it is to establish a dynasty and how important it is.
Traditional Confucianism valued the concepts of "loyalty and filial piety" and "orthodoxy," believing that the emperor's rights were given by the gods and that the throne had to be passed on through legal and moral means. In this way, Confucianism's view of imperial power is very traditional.
Therefore, if a dynasty is not established by internal rebellion or usurpation, but the monarch wins the world by virtue of his own strength and achievements, then it seems to be more legitimate and justified to some extent. Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang are such examples. They did not become emperors by usurping the throne or rebelling, but won the recognition of the people of the world by virtue of their abilities and merits. Such a dynasty, of course, is more convincing.
As for the Jin Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty, they were able to accomplish their great causes, in fact, they all relied on some internal rebellions, usurpation, or something, because of this, everyone said that they were not right, and it was a bit of a problem.
【Violence for the People】
When Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang launched an uprising, they both won the broad support of the common people. Their actions were warmly welcomed and responded positively by the public.
They deeply understand the hardships of the common people, so they can unite everyone and strengthen their own power. Under their leadership, the broad masses of the people actively participated in the uprising and together overthrew the rule of the old regime.
Emperor Sima Yan of the Jin Dynasty and Emperor Yang Jian of the Sui Dynasty, these two emperors are both wise and martial figures, but ah, their ruling methods are sometimes inevitably mixed with some personal calculations. To put it bluntly, their actions are somewhat tinged with the shadow of personal interests.
Come, let's talk about Sima Yan, the big guy of Emperor Wu of Jin.
After the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, although it succeeded in unifying the three kingdoms, the leaders still used many means to consolidate their power. He slaughtered those who did not support him, excluded dissidents, and ensured his position. Although this has unified the country, it has also left a lot of negative effects.
This kind of behavior has made the order of the whole society a mess, and the life of the common people has been particularly difficult.
Let's talk about Emperor Wen of Sui and Yang Jian. He was a remarkable figure who single-handedly created the Sui Dynasty. Do you know the Sui Dynasty? It was the dynasty that ended the chaos between the North and the South and made China unified. Yang Jian is really talented and virtuous, he governs the country well, and allows the people to live a stable life. Moreover, he was also a very wise monarch who knew what to do when and when to make the Sui Dynasty develop better and better in his hands. So, Yang Jian is really a historical figure worthy of our understanding and admiration!
When the Sui Dynasty was established, after some reforms and fierce battles, the division between the north and the south finally came to an end, and the country achieved great unification.
However, Yang Jian, in order to sit firmly on his throne, did not make any less ruthless moves. He weakened the local bigwigs and made the power of the central government more centralized. The Sui Dynasty looked quite prosperous at that time, but Yang Jian's ruthless policies for his own benefit also laid the foundation for the later collapse of the Sui Dynasty.
Therefore, scholar Meng Sen thinks that Liu Bang and Zhu Yuanzhang are the ones who best meet those three conditions in all dynasties. The establishment of the Han Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty can be said to be above board, and it has been justified in the world, and other dynasties cannot compare.
This view is quite in line with the moral standards that everyone thinks in their hearts. Just like when the country was founded, their minds were so simple, just to protect the people. They have no power, no status, and they are not those who were prosperous in the previous dynasty, and when they got benefits, they still think about calculating national affairs. To put it simply, they really want to do something good for the people.
[This view is not unassailable]
First of all, we have to clarify the concept of "orthodox" dynasty and clarify what it means.
When it comes to the "orthodox" dynasty in history, it actually refers to an era in which the whole country was unified, the political succession was stable, the politics were particularly stable, and the culture was quite prosperous. It is the kind of dynasty in which the whole country is united, and all aspects of politics and culture are very good.
However, as for the definition of "orthodox" dynasty, it is not monolithic, it is immutable. Different historical periods, as well as different scholars, have their own opinions and interpretations of this definition.
We can take a good look at the three dynasties of Qin, Jin, and Sui, and use data to judge which of them is more "orthodox".
A truly "legitimate" dynasty must be able to dominate the world and keep the country intact. This is the so-called unification of the whole country, and it is the dream goal of every dynasty.
Historically, the Qin Dynasty successfully unified the six kingdoms and ended the long-standing Warring States disputes; Later, the Jin Dynasty also achieved the unification of the Three Kingdoms; Then to the Sui Dynasty, the division of the Northern and Southern Dynasties finally ended and the great cause of reunification was completed.
These dynasties have made great achievements in unifying the whole country, which is really remarkable.
The succession of dynasties needs to be organized: for an "authentic" dynasty, the transition of power should be stable and orderly.
Although the three dynasties of the Qin, Jin and Sui dynasties did not last long, they still had certain rules and order in terms of the transfer of power.
For example, after the death of Qin Shi Huang, the throne passed to Qin II; Speaking of the Jin Dynasty, after the abdication of Emperor Sima Yan of the Jin Dynasty, the throne passed to Emperor Hui of the Jin Dynasty; There is also the Sui Dynasty, after the death of Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian, the throne was also passed to Emperor Yang of Sui.
Political stability, in fact, means that an "orthodox" dynasty must have a relatively stable political environment. In this way, the people can live with peace of mind, and the country can develop steadily.
The Qin, Jin, and Sui dynasties all experienced some political turmoil, but by and large, they all managed to maintain political stability. For most of these dynasties, the regime was effectively controlled and managed.
For example, in the Qin Dynasty, the laws were particularly strict, and the centralization of power was strengthened; In the Jin Dynasty, there was a nine-grade Zhongzheng system, which was specially used to select officials; The Sui Dynasty also set up a imperial examination system to select talents.
Cultural prosperity: An "authentic" dynasty must have a rich and colorful cultural life. Or cultural prosperity: an "orthodox" dynasty must inevitably show cultural prosperity and vitality. Or cultural prosperity: an "orthodox" dynasty must have a strong momentum of cultural development.
Although the Qin Dynasty was controversial for burning books and pit Confucianism, it also left a number of important institutions for later generations. For example, the Qin dynasty unified weights and measures and currency, and these measures laid a solid foundation for the country's economic development. During the Jin Dynasty, culture flourished. There are talented and beautiful women like the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest, as well as great poets like Tao Yuanming, whose works are still praised by future generations. The Sui Dynasty also made a lot of contributions to culture. For example, the construction of the Grand Canal greatly facilitated the transportation between the north and the south. There is also the creation of the imperial examination system, so that more talented people have the opportunity to show their talents and serve the country.
Therefore, we can say that the Qin Dynasty, the Jin Dynasty and the Sui Dynasty are also quite similar to the "orthodox" dynasties in some places.
Therefore, we cannot just exclude these dynasties from the scope of "orthodox" dynasties.
Let's not say that we don't recognize the orthodox status of the Han Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty, but when judging whether a dynasty is orthodox or not, we can't just take the Han Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty as a ruler, we have to look at it from several aspects and consider it comprehensively.
If we want to look at every dynasty in Chinese history comprehensively and fairly, we really have to do that.