As a masterpiece that lasted for more than 200 years, the causes of the rise and fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty have always been a hot topic for historians to discuss. There is a long-standing belief that the Eastern Han dynasty perished during its heyday, which is incomprehensible in contrast to the decline of other dynasties. What is the reason for this seemingly "self-defeating" tragedy? Let us peel aside the fog of history and uncover the truth of this age-old mystery.
The founder of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, was a visionary and founding monarch. Knowing that the foundation of the country lay in a strong agricultural economy, he formulated the "Degree of Land" policy, which aimed to find out the base of the country's population and arable land resources. At that time, Liu Xiu did not hesitate to take action with an iron fist to severely punish those traitors and villains who hid assets and made fake accounts to ensure the smooth implementation of this policy.
Through "Dutian", the Eastern Han regime was able to grasp the overall situation and clearly know its own strength. At the same time, Liu Xiu also divided the meritorious Qili into various localities, giving them considerable autonomy, forming a two-level management model of "central and local". Under this pattern, the local family shifted from emphasizing the hidden population to emphasizing the development of official careers, and gradually evolved into a "scholar" group with the sharing of national profiteering industries such as salt and iron as the main source of interests.
For a time, the division of power between the government and the opposition was clear, and the relationship between the monarch and the minister was exceptionally harmonious. Liu Xiu's design was extremely ingenious, and while granting local autonomy, he also retained the "dutian" as a means of control, thus avoiding the drawbacks of a large number of land and people being hidden. This delicate balance continued into the reign of Emperor He.
Is the world finally peaceful? Not really. The germ of a crisis is quietly growing. During the period of Emperor He, the Eastern Han Dynasty was suddenly provoked by the northern nomads and had to allocate huge sums of money to deal with it. The mode of operation of the regime at that time prevented the emperor from obtaining timely access to the country's financial situation and ordering comprehensive reforms to deal with the financial crisis. In fact, due to the growing power of the local government, the appeal of the central government has declined.
Since then, the collection of "management fees" has been overstretched, and the dilemma has reappeared again and again. Emperor Huan of the Han Dynasty once wanted to bring the profiteering industry back to the central government in order to turn things around, but it attracted fierce resistance from the scholars to the point that it could not be implemented. The situation deteriorated day by day, and during the reign of Emperor Ling of the Han Dynasty, he fell into the scourge of party power, and the regime was in internal and external difficulties.
At the critical juncture, Emperor Ling had to implement a series of emergency measures, such as buying and selling officials, and imposing exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes, all of which were expedient. However, at this time, the central power had long since existed in name only, and these actions not only failed to curb the decline of national power, but instead exacerbated the growth of popular resentment and hastened the collapse of the dynasty.
The fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty was doomed to tragic overtones. From the outset, Liu Xiu's system was designed to be exquisite, relinquishing local autonomy while maintaining the necessary checks and balances. However, as time went on, the central government was forced to gradually decentralize power in order to maintain a semblance of harmony, and eventually created a dilemma in which it was completely powerless to turn the tide.
Through the rise and fall of the Eastern Han Dynasty, we can see the signs of the collapse of a regime: the loss of centralized power, the growth of local power, the loss of financial resources, and the rebellion of subjects...... It all started with the negligence of those in power about the situation, and in the final analysis, it was still the result of the greed and decay of the ruling class. As future generations, we should have the responsibility to learn the profound lessons of history and always be vigilant so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Only by guarding against arrogance and rashness, being diligent in government and loving the people, can a regime achieve long-term peace and stability. #头条首发大赛#