The origin of the troubled times of the Eastern Han Dynasty is rooted in a series of policies in the early days of Emperor Guangwu's founding. These policies may have seemed appropriate in the circumstances of the time, but with the passage of time, the drawbacks gradually appeared, and after a hundred years of precipitation, they eventually became the irreversible root cause of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Emperor Guangwu focused on the reform of government affairs, and the imperial power was strengthened, while the power of the prime minister was correspondingly weakened, which led to the situation of the dictatorship of relatives and eunuchs. When the Eastern Han Dynasty was first established, Emperor Guangwu conducted a deep reflection on the internal contradictions and social problems of the ruling class in the Western Han Dynasty and the New Dynasty, aiming to prevent the recurrence of historical tragedies. He strengthened the centralization of power to facilitate the later rule, but this also buried the bane of the dictatorship of his relatives and eunuchs.
Emperor Guangwu's heavy reward for meritorious heroes and the reduction of positions complemented each other. There were more than 100 feudal princes, but they were deprived of their military power, and only a few people were allowed to participate in political affairs, in case the heroes threatened the imperial power. The decentralization of the power of the three princes and the strengthening of Shangshutai made government affairs concentrated in Shangshutai, which was directly commanded by the emperor, reducing the power of the prime minister and strengthening the imperial power.
However, Emperor Guangwu did not achieve complete success in governing the local powers. Although the implementation of the "Dutian Order" weakened the power of the local tyrants, this policy could not be fully implemented due to the resistance of the local tyrants. Local forces have gradually grown, forming powerful local forces through administrative power and monopoly means, exacerbating the gap between the rich and the poor and social injustice, making it impossible to effectively recover power, and eventually leading to local power and autonomy.
Emperor Guangwu's reform of the military system also laid the foundation for the future. Although the initial reforms provided labor for society and promoted economic development, the abolition of the local military system and the boycott of soldiers led to a sharp decline in the defense strength of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Later, the quality of the army that fought on the border was low and the combat effectiveness was poor, which led to the frequent defeats of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the great loss of national strength.
The drawbacks of these policies became more and more apparent after the three generations of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the various hidden dangers buried made the Eastern Han Dynasty enter a situation from which it was difficult to return. Political corruption and social unrest became a true portrayal of the troubled times of the Eastern Han Dynasty, which brought a once glorious dynasty into decline.