Chinese imperial system

Author: Zhu Chengru
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-12-01
Features: Ancient China had the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns. After unifying the six states, Qin Shi Huang believed his virtue surpassed the Three Emperors and his achievements surpassed the Five Sovereigns. Therefore, he combined them and titled himself "Emperor." Thus, he became the founding ancestor of the imperial title in China—the First Emperor. Starting from Qin Shi Huang, "all matters, great or small, were decided by the emperor," granting the emperor a supreme status. The emperor claimed to be the "Son of Heaven," and the people revered him as a deity, with emperors being deified. Over thousands of years of Chinese history, there have been over 800 emperors, young and old. Of those who played a significant role in Chinese history and achieved notable accomplishments, there are only dozens. Most feudal emperors have been lost in the vast river of history, with some even losing their names. However, even puppet emperors were representatives of their time. We emphasize that the masses are the creators of history, who have created material and spiritual civilization, driving historical progress. At the same time, we never deny the historical role of outstanding feudal emperors. The First Emperor of Qin and the Emperor Wu of Han, the Tang Emperor and the Song Emperor—have always been praised by people. Even corrupt and tyrannical feudal emperors once led the fashion of their era. Emperors are products of history, and they are an indispensable part of the chain of Chinese historical development.