1. What is the origin of the gate lord clan?
Within the caste system of India, the "Brahmins" enjoyed supremacy and power, a system that stemmed from the social stratification established by the Aryan conquest of India. This system still deeply affects Indian society today, making it difficult for people of the lower castes to change their fate.
Does this situation feel familiar? Some people may have heard a sentence in the Book of Jin, "There is no cold family in the upper grade, and there is no family in the lower grade", which refers to the selection system of the "Nine Grades Zhongzheng System" implemented during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties.
The distribution of official positions according to family lineage and character led to the fact that the descendants of the Gaomen clan could obtain official positions without much effort; And students from humble backgrounds, no matter how hard they try, it is difficult to cross the boundaries of class. The Jiupin Zhongzheng system can be promoted thanks to a special group of people - the scholars.
The Shi clan, also known as the Shi clan, refers to those large families who possess power and wealth, and they are extremely important to the imperial power. During the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Wei and Jin dynasties, these clans of gate lords rose rapidly and even had the ability to influence imperial power, such as the "Langya Wang Clan", "Boling Cui Clan" and "Fanyang Lu Clan".
The formation of the scholar clan began in the Western Zhou Dynasty, when the Zhou Tianzi gave land and rights to the princes and their assistant princes and scholars through the feudal system. These people were usually entitled for their contribution to the state or for assisting the princes. By expanding his influence and attracting customers, the scholar family became more and more prominent during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.
From the Qin Dynasty to the Han Dynasty, the scholar clan did not decline, especially after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty promoted Confucianism, the scholar class adhered to the law of etiquette and made good connections. Especially at the beginning of the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was with the support of Haoqiang that it was established.
Therefore, the powerful landlords of the Eastern Han Dynasty had great privileges, not only controlling the finances of the first and local governments, but also implementing the policy of land annexation. Then they gradually became the great local clans, the so-called nobles. Especially at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the power of the scholar clan was unprecedentedly strong, such as the "Four Worlds and Three Dukes" of the Yuan Shao family, Liu Bei claimed to be "the queen of Zhongshan Jin", and Mrs. Sun Jian was also from a famous family.
They all belonged to the scholar clan, and by the time of the Western Jin Dynasty, the Jiupin Zhongzheng system once strengthened the power of the scholar class. The gentry became the ruling class, which was difficult for the people they ruled to reach.
As we all know, Sima Rui was able to establish a foundation in Jiangnan and relied on the support of Director Wang. Wang Dao, born in the Langya Wang family, in the eyes of the scholars in the south of the Yangtze River, they initially disagreed with Sima Rui, but with the efforts of Wang Dao, they eventually supported Sima Rui, and the establishment of the Eastern Jin Dynasty made the scholar system the core of the regime again.
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the power of the imperial power and the power of the gate lord clan were almost parallel, and sometimes they were even able to surpass the imperial power, such as the "Xie", "Huan" and other families, and became the backbone of the dynasty.
2. What is the degree of solidification of the noble class?
It may be right or wrong to compare the nobles to our "Brahmins", but the phenomenon of their class solidification is obvious. Under the effect of the Jiupin Zhongzheng system, the scholars not only enjoy the best benefits, but also get financial support from the local and the first, and when interacting with people, they regard themselves as family backgrounds to measure whether the other party is worthy of interaction.
In order to secure his power, the emperor had to rely on the support of the nobles. The nobles occupied a large amount of land and wealth, and at the same time considered themselves to be high beings, constantly installing their own people in the court. Mastering the path to promotion, the descendants of the noble clan were able to inherit the land and power.
During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, in order to restrain the excessive strength of the scholars, it was stipulated that the marriages of all scholars could not be decided privately and must be reported to the emperor for approval.
This was because the emperor feared that the scholars would unite and threaten his rule, which showed how influential the scholars were.
The reforms of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty actually emphasized the role of the scholar class, and by the Southern Dynasty, the scholars did not decline, but due to long-term laziness and lack of progress, which led to their decline. Especially during the Southern Dynasties, the scholars were corrupted, resulting in the literati not being literate and the warriors not being martial.
3. How did the gentry disintegrate?
The disintegration of the Shi clan, who had long controlled Chinese politics, began with the transfer of power. After the Sui Dynasty established the imperial examination system, the Tang Dynasty gradually perfected the system, which allowed students from low-income backgrounds to have the opportunity to pass the examination to obtain official positions, thus changing their class. This undoubtedly shook the power base of the scholars.
The Tang Dynasty's "Juntian System" inhibited land annexation, and the scholars struggled for power, and the emperor gradually strengthened the centralization of power, weakening the control of the scholars over the imperial power.
Another important reason was the peasant uprising. In 878 AD, a revolt led by Huang Chao, a merchant-turned-merchant, broke out, and this large-scale and far-reaching uprising directly hit the foundations of the scholars.
At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the great drought in the eastern part of the country led to the people's misery, and the oppression and conflict of the government became increasingly intensified.
The reason why Huang Chao is regarded as the end of the collapse of the Shi clan is because the uprising he led was huge in scale and far-reaching, and directly impacted the foundation of the Shi clan. In the last years of the Tang Dynasty, the Huangchao Rebellion became the greatest challenge to the Shi clan, causing them to lose their land and power. Coupled with the weakening of the imperial examination system, in the turmoil of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, the scholar system finally collapsed.