Emperor Tang is guilty of his own edict, what is the point of attention
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Introduction: We often hear the term guilty edict, which was a form of ancient emperors admitting their mistakes to the nation and making repentance.
The Tang Dynasty was a period of the best period in ancient China, its openness and inclusiveness, and the emperor was wise and knowledgeable, but what is amazing is that the emperor of the dynasty actually issued more than 100 edicts of sin.
Why is that? It turns out that the consciousness of sin of ancient kings has always existed since ancient times, and it stems from the fact that ancient kings believed that they were the chosen ones, the bridge between heaven and earth, and therefore they must always reflect on themselves.
This spirit of humility and self-reflection is particularly unique in the feudal environment.
Before kingship, witchcraft and priesthood were believed to convey the will of the heavens, and they exercised power, edifying and governing the people. When there is a problem or disaster in society, the emperor often blames himself and thinks that he has not governed properly, which is a manifestation of God's punishment and a reflection of the idea of the unity of heaven and man.
Jia Yi recorded Di Yao's words in the "New Book": "When one person is hungry, I feel that I am also hungry; When one person is cold, I think I am cold too; When a person commits a crime, I feel that I have harmed him. ”
The wise kings of ancient times knew that the suffering of the people was closely related to their own governance, and they regarded themselves as the guardians of the people, and were even willing to take full responsibility for the suffering of the people.
This spirit is deeply related to what we call a community with a shared future for mankind today. Dayu saw that the spirit of the people was sluggish, and he blamed himself, thinking that this was the result of his failure to do a good job of governance.
After Shang Tang destroyed the summer, he publicly stated his responsibility and responsibility. He said, "You have good deeds, and I will not hide them; If there is a sin, I will take it upon myself and will not pass the buck to anyone else.
May the gods forgive. You are guilty of all sins, and I will bear it alone; I am guilty of all of you, and I should not let you bear it all. Shang Tang's words and deeds demonstrate his sense of responsibility as a monarch and his willingness to give everything for the well-being of the people and the stability of the country.
Shang Tang revered the way of heaven and earth, replaced people with the hair of the soup as a sacrifice, and prayed to the heavens for rain. This move was emulated by later emperors and became a symbol of sages and wise kings.
Emperor Wen of Han, as the first ancient king, issued an edict because of two solar eclipses in one month, and he blamed himself for the disaster and took a series of remedial measures.
In his later years, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also repented of the excessive utilitarianism of his early years, and issued the most famous "Luntai Guilty Edict" in the Han and Han dynasties, which became an influential edict in history.
In"Celestial and human induction"Under the influence of ideas, the kings of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties began to use the edict of sin to govern the country, as a way to express the redress for sins and the examination of themselves.
This not only reinforces the monarch's image as commander-in-chief, but also contributes to the effective governance of the country. During the Tang Dynasty, 21 emperors issued a total of 112 edicts, of which 50 were issued because of natural and man-made disasters, 51 because of political turmoil, and 11 because of various chaos.
For example, Tang Xuanzong issued 21 edicts, while Tang Gaozu only had 4 and Tang Taizong Li Shimin had less than 10.
At the same time, factors such as natural and man-made disasters encountered during the reign of the king also affected the number of guilty edicts. The large number of Tang Xuanzong was not only related to the frequent natural and man-made disasters at that time, but also related to his consciousness of self-reflection.
The edict issued by the emperor was a manifestation of the will of the state, and the edict was a statement by the supreme ruler admitting his mistakes and seeking improvements.
In ancient China, natural disasters and visions were seen as warnings to rulers, and it was also a common understanding at the time. There is this description in the "Zhenguan Dignitaries": "If things are hopeless, people will be resentful, people will be resentful, the gods will be angry, the gods will be angry, and disaster will befall." ”
Therefore, the edict issued by Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, was not only a confession of his mistakes, but also a determination and action to reform the country's politics.
In the feudal Tang Dynasty, whenever a serious natural disaster or strange celestial phenomenon occurred, the emperor would use his guilty edict to ask for forgiveness from heaven to correct his decrees and virtues.
This shows that the emperor's family is not completely in the world, and there is still heaven in charge. According to statistics, there were at least 729 natural disasters in the Tang Dynasty, of which 173 were droughts.
The ancient theory of disaster and natural punishment has given a detailed explanation of the connotation of drought, believing that it is caused by the monarch's failure to observe etiquette, the excessive burden on the state, the flood of punishments, the frequent construction of palaces, and the transgression of etiquette.
In ancient times, whenever there was a natural disaster, the emperor would issue an edict to show his apology to the people and reproach himself. In the third year of Zhenguan, there was a great drought in Guanzhong, and Emperor Taizong blamed himself bitterly in order to show his attention to the warning from heaven, saying that he did not do a good job, and even because of the tasteless meal, he could not sleep well.
These all reflect the ancient emperor's concern for the people and his sense of responsibility to the society. Not only that, but phenomena such as floods, geological disasters, locust plagues, comets or solar eclipses were also seen during the Tang Dynasty.
These edicts not only helped to appease the people, but also provided important historical materials for later generations to study the development of the Tang Dynasty. In fact, the occurrence of natural disasters also provided a platform for the emperor to demonstrate his political governance ability, and it was also a good opportunity for the ruler to improve his political measures and maintain his rule.
These historical records allow us to see the ancient monarchs' concern for people's lives and the importance of social stability, and also remind us that no matter what era, we should pay attention to the impact of natural disasters on people's lives and take effective measures to mitigate the impact of disasters.
When the comet appeared, Emperor Wenzong did not panic, but thought calmly, began to review his words and deeds, and formulated a series of reform measures, including tax cuts, meal reductions, and a ban on killing.
He also put forward higher requirements for the royal family, and adopted a simple way in the funeral of the crown prince, so as to appease the feudal town and ease the relationship between the ** regime and the locality.
It can be seen that the vision can be a good entry point and an opportunity for political reform, and the emperor can take this opportunity to carry out political reform in the name of justification.
3. Political turmoil and natural disasters coexist, and the emperor's edict provides an opportunity for self-examination and reformAlthough the occurrence of natural disasters is very uncertain, political turmoil is more related to the rule of man.
Such edicts were often detailed and earnest, and were an important platform for the emperor to reform his ways and win the forgiveness of the people, as they were often accompanied by larger policy adjustments.
As early as the pre-Qin period, there were edicts issued for crimes. In the Tang Dynasty, Tang Gaozu issued an edict to pacify Wang Shichong, Tang Xuanzong to deal with the Anshi Rebellion, and Tang Dezong to solve the Zhu Zhu Rebellion.
The social turmoil caused by the war has caused great harm to the people, and the pacification of the people by the edict of the guilty self will help strengthen the stability of the rule of the ancient monarch ** and speed up the healing of the social damage caused by the war.
The edict of oneself is an act in which ancient kings publicly reflected on and admitted their mistakes when they made political mistakes or encountered natural and man-made disasters. This kind of behavior was not caused by the fault of the emperor himself, but it could appease the people, encircle the officials, and enhance or maintain the image of the Son of Heaven.
For example, during the period of Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the punishment was too heavy and unjust cases were frequent, so he issued an edict to reduce the punishment of Dali Temple and eliminate the factors of social unrest. Therefore, the edict of guilt was one of the most efficient means for the emperor to deal with political affairs.
When natural disasters and man-made disasters are combined, the role of the edict can be more demonstrated, so that the emperor has the opportunity to express his mistakes and helplessness to the people and officials, and make reasonable explanations for social chaos, so as to achieve the effect of social reconciliation and unity.
While quelling the Huaixi rebellion, Emperor Dezong suffered from locust plagues and droughts, which led to serious social and economic damage, and even appeared in a tragic situation of ten rooms and nine emptiness. In the face of such difficulties, Emperor Dezong had the courage to take responsibility, issued an edict to review his own mistakes, and took this opportunity to reward the soldiers with outstanding military achievements, which boosted the morale of the army and won the praise of the people.
At the same time, due to the failure of agricultural harvest caused by the war, Emperor Dezong once again issued an edict to sort out the gains and losses of the war, and exempted the people from taxes, alleviating social contradictions and increasing the authority of the emperor.
It can be said that the edict is not only a form of policy promulgation, but also an attitude of self-punishment, which has won the recognition of society because of "humility", so that social contradictions have been alleviated, and the authority of the emperor has also been enhanced.
As an ancient virtuous monarch, Tang Dezong put forward the concept of self-edict, which was learned and inherited by later emperors, fully embodying the theory of Chinese heaven and man induction and the divine right of monarchy in feudal society.
In the Tang Dynasty, this enlightened monarchy was vigorously promoted, and in the event of natural or man-made disasters, the emperor was likely to issue an edict in response to the call of heaven and earth to appease the people.
This is a unique manifestation of the ancient Chinese feudal monarchs and the world, and it is also the best time for the rulers to issue decrees during the period of human rule to encompass the world and reconcile the people, and this strategy has been fully used and played in the Tang Dynasty.
The wise choice of the monarchs of the Tang Dynasty not only successfully resolved large-scale social contradictions, maintained the image of the Son of Heaven, but also enabled the country to achieve long-term stability. At the same time, the edict provides us with a window to understand the political outlook of the Tang Dynasty, and further reveals the deep connotation of feudal monarchs in ancient China.
References: "Collection of Imperial Decrees of the Tang Dynasty", "Old Tang Book", "Tang Hui Yao".