"The emperor takes turns to do it, and next year he will come to my house. This is probably the most blatant form of "historical materialism" in the world.
As a very simple buzzword, it speaks to an extremely common historical cycle in human society, especially in Eastern countries. Not to mention the East, even in the West, when it comes to the laws of history, people often use the term "historical reincarnation" or "historical cyclical rate".
Throughout Chinese history, from the Xia, Shang, Western and Zhou dynasties to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and then to the Qin and Han dynasties, the Three Kingdoms, the Jin Dynasty, the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Song, Liao, Jinxia, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, the frequency and frequency of dynasty changes are indeed breathtaking.
Almost every few hundred years, there is a major change of dynasty, and this phenomenon seems to have become a strange circle that cannot be escaped.
This has to make people think deeply, why Chinese history has always been unable to jump out of this "strange circle" of changing dynasties? What forces are driving this "strange circle" to work? Is it a coincidence of chance, or is it an inevitable law?
To ** this question, first we must recognizeThe "strange circle" of changing dynasties is not unique to China, and similar phenomena exist in all civilizations in the world.
The rise and fall of every civilization is closely related to its economic development, political system, ideology and culture, and external environment. In China, this correlation is particularly prominent.
1. Economic factors
First of all, from an economic point of view, the economic basis of Chinese feudal society was the self-sufficient small-scale peasant economy.
Although this economic form can meet people's basic living needs, it cannot cope with large-scale natural and man-made disasters.
When a dynasty enters a period of decline, the country's finances are often in trouble and unable to effectively cope with the threat of various natural disasters and wars. At this time, the peasants often chose to revolt because they could not survive, and once the revolt was successful, a new dynasty was established.
2. Political factors
Second, from a political point of view, the political system of Chinese feudal society was highly centralized. The emperor holds the political, military, and economic power of the whole country, and they are often only responsible to the emperor, not to the people.
This political system has led to corruption and revolt of the people.
When a dynasty enters a period of decline, they often use the power in their hands to exploit the people, leading to dissatisfaction and rebellion among the people.
3. Cultural factors
In addition, from a cultural point of view, the cultural form of Chinese feudal society is Confucian culture. This culture emphasizes the hierarchical concept of the monarch and the minister, the father and the son, and the idea of loyalty to the king.
However, over time, the core values of Confucian culture were gradually undermined and replaced by a struggle for power and interests.
When a dynasty enters a period of decay, various interest groups often clash and fight because of competing interests, and this struggle often leads to the change of dynasties and the change of dynasty.
4. External environmental factors
Finally, from the perspective of the external environment, Chinese feudal society also faced various external threats. For example, the nomads of the north, the indigenous people of the south, the pirates of the sea, and so on.
These external threats often put a lot of pressure on a dynasty's finances and military.
When a dynasty is unable to cope with these threats, it may choose to increase its fiscal revenue by exploiting the people, which often leads to discontent and revolt among the people, leading to dynastic changes and dynasties.
Of course, we cannot simply attribute the phenomenon of dynastic change to a single factor.
The evolution of history is a complex process that involves many aspects such as politics, economy, and culture. Every change of dynasty is the result of a combination of factors. To break this circle, we need to start from many aspects and carry out in-depth reform and innovation.
We can start with the political system to promote the process of democratization and achieve rational distribution and supervision of power;
We can learn from the successful experience of history and combine the characteristics of modern society to explore a political development path suitable for China's national conditions.
At the same time, we can also start from the economic structure to promote industrial upgrading and innovative development, and improve the country's comprehensive strength and competitiveness;
We can also strengthen the construction of education and culture, improve the quality of the people and their ability to innovate, and provide strong support for the country's long-term development.
History is a mirror that illuminates our past and guides our future.
Although the phenomenon of changing dynasties in Chinese history is a strange circle that is difficult to break, we have reason to believe that in the new historical period, the Chinese nation will certainly be able to draw on the wisdom and strength of history, jump out of this strange circle, and usher in a more brilliant future!