"Why did Qin Shi Huang change "widow" to "I", take the word "I" apart and look at it, you will understand! What kind of mystery did this emperor who unified the six kingdoms hide behind the words?
In ancient times, monarchs often referred to themselves as "to one person", a title that emphasized the uniqueness and irreplaceability of the monarch's status. As the "Book of Rites" says: "Therefore, the emperor said that he is one, and he is unique." ”
In this era of agriculture, people pay more attention to the unity of the earth. Just as there is only one sun in the sky, there can only be one true Lord on the earth. The word "one" embodies the supreme power of the monarch, and also indicates the political attribute of the monarch who is bound to be lonely and self-respecting.
With the development of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, the sacredness of the monarchy was further strengthened. They are no longer just tribal leaders, but must become the center that connects heaven and earth, and transports yin and yang. As a result, the self-proclaimed "to one person" has become too straightforward and has lost the necessary sense of mystery.
Instead, there is the dual self-proclaimed "lonely" and "widowed". "Lonely" means to lose one's parents, to be alone; The "widow" in "widow" means to be alone and have no one to rely on. Taken together, they paint a picture of deep solitude and solitude, in keeping with the image of the monarch in his lofty and holy image.
Not only that, this sense of isolation also emphasizes the unique political attributes of the monarch: he is higher than ordinary people, and he is outside the world; He combines political, military, and religious power, and his power is boundless; He is in an inviolable position, and his responsibilities are very conceivable. It is precisely this layer of meaning that constitutes the internal tension of "calling the lonely and the widowed".
As a result, from the Shang and Zhou dynasties to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, "calling the lonely and widowed" became the most common self-title for the monarch. It embodies the supremacy of the monarch and also contains the characteristics of an "authoritarian" form of government unique to ancient China.
However, the meaning of "widow and orphan" was not always understood by successive monarchs. For the vast majority of the time, they only regarded it as a conventional rule, and did not really pursue the image of the monarch behind it.
The selfishness, love and hatred of those in power are also common, and the history of powerful ministers hindering the government and the monarch's arbitrariness is countless. "Kissing the noble and soothing the poor" has become a political rule that those in power follow by default.
It can be seen that although the nominal meaning of "widow" is profound, it is rare to actually put this connotation into practice. Those who have a heart follow it, and those who don't ignore it, this is the hidden worry of this unique self-proclaim.
However, the good times were short-lived. In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, because of the decline of the royal family, the power of the princes rose, and more and more princes became monarchs. As a rule, they also call themselves "lonely" and "widowed" in order to show orthodoxy.
In this way, the title of "widow" loses its original scarcity and unique sense of dignity. In the Warring States Period, the overlords of all walks of life vied with each other to claim the title of emperor. What used to be a priceless title is now worthless.
This is undoubtedly intolerable for a person who values power and status so much. What's more, he also has the ambition to unify the six countries and establish a unified empire.
We might as well savor this political scene that lasted for decades: in the early Warring States period, the overlord of Chu was still there. However, his noble self-proclaimed "lonely" and "widowed" also began to be imitated and offended by the princes of the side lineage. Han, Zhao, Wei and other states, but small vassals, also began to claim to be lonely and widowed on an equal footing with the Chu state.
The prosperous Qi State was once famous for its image of a light and gentle belt and a merry and talented man. However, by the middle of the Warring States period, its national power was declining. At this time, even the rising Qin dared to oppose it, and its hegemony was in jeopardy.
Once upon a time, the princes of the Western Zhou Dynasty were still subservient to the royal family, paying tribute, and calling themselves ministers in a proper manner. At the end of the Warring States period, there was no royal law in the world, and the princes called the king the emperor like a carp crossing the river, blooming everywhere.
In this extremely chaotic background, the princes of the Central Plains are all in danger. And the Qin State, which was bent on realizing the dream of great unification, could not bear such a wanton stealing of the country.
The sloppiness and disorder of political power will inevitably create psychological obstacles to Qin Shi Huang's future proclamation as emperor. This is also an important angle that we need to pay attention to when analyzing this period of history.
In 221 BC, Ying Zheng eliminated his last rival, the state of Qi, formally established the Qin Dynasty, and proclaimed himself emperor. The name "Ying Zheng" also officially came to an end, and it was replaced by "Qin Shi Huang".
In the first years of his reign, he carried out a series of political reforms. In addition to measuring mountains and rivers and unifying writing units, the most striking thing is that he abolished the self-title of "widow" and replaced it with "I".
This move is significant. "I" was originally a personal pronoun in the pre-Qin period, and its small seal glyph depicts the scene of people holding fire for the emperor. It may have a tradition of claiming to be a royal family in the Qin state, but it is far from being passed down from generation to generation like the "widows".
So, why did Qin Shi Huang abandon the near and far, abandon the "widow" and take "me" as the exclusive? First of all, it was his need to demonstrate the imperial power and establish the supremacy of the monarch.
Changing "widow" to "I" shows that his power has far surpassed that of all the pre-Qin princes, reaching unprecedented heights. It breaks all historical conventions and eliminates the similarities and repetitions of self-proclaimed princes and monarchs.
It's like a small trader suddenly becoming the richest man in the world. He will inevitably abandon his past thirsty life, live in a high-end mansion, wear a brand-name suit, and drive a luxury car to show that he is different from the past.
Qin Shi Huang changed me, which is exactly what he intended! Secondly, it also reflects his determination to break the situation of regional division and chaos since the pre-Qin period and establish a truly unified empire. If even the title is the same as that of other princes, how can it show the status of the only co-lord in the world?
This is like a community owner announcing that he wants to buy all residents' houses and set up a super paradise covering an area of 10,000 acres. At this time, how can you be willing to use the same title and title as other owners? That would only seriously weaken his courage and momentum!
Moreover, the word "I" seems to be ordinary, but in fact it is elegant and refined, which is very in line with his identity after the unification of the Six Kingdoms. It not only serves the role of showing status, but also does not fall into the cliché like the "widow". It was in response to his efforts to show his extraordinary personality in all aspects.
This is like an ordinary person suddenly becoming the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He can no longer continue to dress up in the unpretentious way of the past, but according to the requirements of his position and image, he must choose a high-end suit, wear a famous watch, and drive a luxury car to and from work to show the change of identity.
Not only that, but in terms of internal meaning, "I" is obviously more in line with Qin Shi Huang's personal character. The profoundness and purity of desire embodied in "Widow" are far from his highly enterprising and ambitious personality. The kind of prosperous vision he longed for, which regarded the world as private property and established a systematic rule for future generations, was obviously incompatible with the "isolated" and "widowed" name.
Instead, it should be a title that highlights the supremacy of the emperor and can fit his own personality. So, he chose the self-titled "I" to show his supreme power.
Since then, the title "I" has become the exclusive domain of Chinese emperors. It has been handed down for more than 2,000 years, witnessed the rise and fall of China's feudal dynasties, and has become a symbol of the monarch's sole power. What has kept this title alive today is the institutional foundation laid by the short but prosperous dynasty of the Qin Dynasty.
The Qin Dynasty established a relatively complete and strict centralized power system, which strengthened the sanctity of imperial power. This laid the institutional and ideological foundation for the rule of the imperial courts in later generations, and the creed of imperial power was passed down from generation to generation. In this context, the self-proclaimed "I" created by Qin Shi Huang has endured and become a symbol of the emperor.
Of course, the imperial power inherited from generation to generation also gave birth to various factors for the decline of the dynasty in the future. The history of China's feudal society for thousands of years is a history of the rise and fall of dynasties. There is no dynasty that does not go from its heyday to its decline and eventually to its demise. During the Qin Dynasty, the Six Kingdoms had been destroyed, and the king claimed to have changed again and again. In the blink of an eye, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty became the ruler of the sea, and his descendants gradually declined, and it was difficult to return to the original peak.
At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan's father and son held the throne and ruled the world together. However, in a blink of an eye, the descendants of his descendants were infighting, and this prosperous era was pushed to decline and destruction. So, what is the key factor in the rise and fall of dynasties? Scholars have given many explanations, but we might as well briefly list the main points below:
First, the excessive expansion and strengthening of imperial power is easy to stimulate the ** of local forces. The contradictions with the local government are becoming increasingly intensified, and the growth of local strength will inevitably weaken the imperial power in turn.
Second, the internal grievances and open and secret struggles between the emperor and the clan. This not only consumes the national treasury, but also disgraces and discredits the royal family. How could the people still be happy and obedient to such kings?
Third, the people's strength is excessive, and the burden of life is too heavy. The livelihood of the common people will be difficult to secure, and the foundations of the country will collapse. No matter how powerful it is, it is difficult to sustain it.
Fourth, the system of establishing a reserve and passing on the throne is not perfect. This has led to a long-term struggle for the status of the heir, which has affected political stability. Where does it come from?
All kinds of chronic diseases restricted the prospects of China's feudal dynasties, and also weakened the powerful imperial power in the beginning. But who can do the great merit of 1.4 billion people alone?