Throughout the nearly 200-year history of the Eastern Han Dynasty, three capitals have been set up, namely Luoyang (Luoyang), Chang'an and Xuchang.
In 25 AD, Liu Xiu was called the emperor, and the country name still used "Han", which was known as the Eastern Han Dynasty in history. Liu Xiushi called the ancestor Guangwu Emperor of the Han Dynasty, and the capital was Luoyang.
Liu Xiu's choice of Luoyang as the capital was based on comprehensive political, economic, and military considerations.
First of all, Luoyang has an important position in politics. As the capital of the Western Han Dynasty, Luoyang itself had a high political status and was close to Liu Xiu's sphere of influence. Compared with Chang'an, Luoyang was more conducive to maintaining the stability of Liu Xiu's own rule.
Secondly, Luoyang has an advantage in terms of economy. Despite the war, the extent of damage in Luoyang is still acceptable. Luoyang's proximity to the prosperous areas in the south can quickly achieve resource mobilization, which is more conducive to economic development.
Finally, from a military point of view, Luoyang is located in the Central Plains, in the middle of the world, and has a good strategic location. Liu Xiu's choice of Luoyang also meant to show the world the legitimacy of his dynasty.
However, Liu Xiu did not expect that even with Luoyang, which is so strategically located, as the capital, it could not guarantee the longevity of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Ten Standing Servants were rampant in the government and the opposition, and the ** dynasty's control over the local area became weaker and weaker. Local powerful forces rose to prominence, and they relied on their financial resources to organize armed armies to defend their homeland, and gradually evolved into princes with soldiers and horses in hand. The problem of land annexation is getting worse day by day, and the people are suffering from the consequences of this phenomenon. Coupled with natural disasters and plagues, the Eastern Han Dynasty, which was already in turmoil, was in danger of the building collapsing.
In this historical context, the powerful minister Dong Zhuo rose. After participating in the suppression of the Yellow Turban Uprising, the Liangzhou Rebellion and other battles, the killing of the Ten Standing Servants, the rescue of the Beibei and other incidents, he climbed up step by step, leaning towards the government and the opposition, and shocked the world. Until the abolition of the young emperor Liu Wei, the emperor Liu Xie ascended the throne, becoming the power minister of the royal family and the abolition of the royal family, and firmly holding the power of the court in his own hands.
Dong Zhuo's dictatorship aroused the excitement of the crowd. In 190 A.D., local armies were organized to launch a crusade against him. Dong Zhuo therefore forced Emperor Xian to move the capital to Chang'an.
Dong Zhuo's relocation of the capital to Chang'an was also after some consideration. Dong Zhuo is a native of Liangzhou, which is northwest of Chang'an. Most of his soldiers were Liangzhou iron cavalry. Moving the capital to Chang'an is equivalent to returning to his own sphere of influence, which is more convenient for his soldiers to play an effective role.
Secondly, from Luoyang to Chang'an, there are many passes along the way, and these barriers can ensure that Chang'an is easy to defend and difficult to attack. By coercing Emperor Xian to move the capital, he could still maintain control of the government and maintain his vested interests.
Dong Zhuo's wishful thinking was loud enough, but it still failed to reverse his doomed fate. After arriving in Chang'an, instead of relenting, he became more and more tyrannical and arrogant, and finally died under Wang Yun's scheme.
After Dong Zhuo's death, the situation in the Eastern Han Dynasty did not settle down. Another hero rose up, and in the way of "coercing the princes of heaven", he became the "second Dong Zhuo", he is Cao Cao.
Cao Cao took back Emperor Xian from Chang'an, but did not return to the old capital Luoyang. Because after Dong Zhuo moved to Chang'an, a fire burned Luoyang to an abandoned city. Cao Cao set the goal of the new capital at Xuchang. Although Xuchang's prestige is not as good as that of Luoyang and Kaifeng, its historical heritage is profound and its geographical location is unique. Cao Cao's original base was in Yanzhou, which was not entirely under Cao Cao's firm control at the time. As he gained control of eastern Henan, he needed a more central and defensible capital. Xuchang is located at the key point of land and water, which has played an immeasurable role in the rise of Cao Wei Group.
It can be seen that although the Eastern Han Dynasty once had three capitals, in fact, it was not the intentional arrangement of the Han royal family, but the helplessness of others.