The Qin Dynasty was an era of change and ambition. The state of Qin gradually emerged from a small western state divided by Zhou Tianzi, and after several generations of monarchs were determined to reform and make great efforts to govern, and finally achieved the great cause of unification. However, on this road to rise, the successive kings of the Qin Dynasty had a dream - to go east. The East is the dream of their ancestors and their pursuit.
However, by the Han Dynasty, the situation had changed. Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty, and the Han Dynasty became a unified regime, and there was no longer any dream of going east or west. In addition, the Changling Tomb of Han Gaozu was built on the site of the Xianyang Palace of the Qin Dynasty, a move that not only saved building materials, but also seemed to symbolize the transcendence and victory of the new regime over the old regime.
In this case, Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty set the direction of the mausoleum to sit west and face east, is it because of the Han Cheng Qin system?The state management system can be followed, but the imperial tomb burial system will definitely not. So, why did Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty choose such a direction?Perhaps we can find the answer in his personal beliefs and political philosophy.
The mausoleum of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty - Yangling, is located in the Xianyang Plain in the north of Hougou Village, Zhangjiawan, Zhengyang Town, Weicheng District, Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province, with a unique geographical location and eye-catching. However, the orientation of this mausoleum, which sits west and faces east, is full of mystery. Why did Emperor Jing of Han arrange it like this?Historians have come up with some possible explanations by studying historical documents and archaeological finds.
First of all, in 154 BC, Emperor Liu Qi of the Han Dynasty had just inherited the throne for three years, and the seven princes and kings rebelled, which was known as the "Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms" in history. This can be said to be a major event during the reign of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty. And the direct driving force behind the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms is Chao Cuo.
Chao Cuo was a close minister of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty and was ordered to cut the feudal domain. His suggestion was adopted by Emperor Jing of Han, but it angered the princes and kings, leading to the rebellion of the Qi state. It can be said that Chao Cuo's policy of cutting feudal domains hastened the outbreak of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion to a certain extent.
And the occurrence of the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms is also related to an act of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty in his early years. According to the "Historical Records", when Prince Wu played chess with the crown prince Liu Qi in the capital, he had an arrogant attitude, played tricks and despised Liu Qi. Liu Qi was furious, picked up the chessboard, and beat Prince Wu to death. This evil incident became one of the fuses of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion.
In addition, the orientation of Yangling may also be related to the personal beliefs and political ideas of Emperor Jing of Han. During the Han Dynasty, the east was seen as an auspicious direction, while the west was seen as an unlucky one. Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty chose to sit in the direction of facing west and east, which may be related to his political philosophy. Through this arrangement, he hoped to convey the idea that the Han Dynasty would rule the East forever and control the world.
And the occurrence of the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms is also related to an act of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty in his early years. According to the "Historical Records", when Prince Wu played chess with the crown prince Liu Qi in the capital, he had an arrogant attitude, played tricks and despised Liu Qi. Liu Qi was furious, picked up the chessboard, and beat Prince Wu to death. This evil incident became one of the fuses of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion.
In addition, the orientation of Yangling may also be related to the personal beliefs and political ideas of Emperor Jing of Han. During the Han Dynasty, the east was seen as an auspicious direction, while the west was seen as an unlucky one. Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty chose to sit in the direction of facing west and east, which may be related to his political philosophy. Through this arrangement, he hoped to convey the idea that the Han Dynasty would rule the East forever and control the world.
In that era full of change and ambition, the Western Han Empire had a teenage child - Liu Qi as the emperor, however, it was this young emperor who caused a shocking chaos with a move on the chessboard. Liu Qi not only killed an arrogant Prince Wu on the chessboard, but also indirectly detonated the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion led by Liu Bi, the king of Wu.
However, is the root cause of this chaos really just a policy of cutting feuds promoted by Chao Mistake?In fact, as early as the period of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, the instability of the ** regime had aroused the vigilance of Emperor Wen. The princes and kings of Gaozu Liu Bang were in charge of their own affairs, and they controlled their own financial powers, and the world's financial revenue accounted for less than 30%. This made the Western Han ** regime fall into an unprecedented crisis in the early days of the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion. Therefore, the policy of cutting the feudal domain proposed by Chao Cuo is not a new idea, it is a policy that Emperor Liu Qi of the Han Dynasty has long understood and wants to implement. In other words, Chao Cuo just said what Liu Qi wanted to say but was difficult to say and inconvenient to say.