| The peerage in the Qin and Han Dynasties, as the main body of the twenty peerage levels, is very characteristic in history of Chinese political system. The peerage in the Qin and Han Dynasties was interconnected with the peerage in the Zhou Dynasty. The original of the word "Jue" was from a drinking cup. The shape of the cup is very like the bird. The inspiration for it came from the habits and customs of primitive belief and worship. The Jue as the drinking cup was first a talisman for wizards in the primitive society. In hominids’opinion, the Jue that is like a bird was a messenger between earth and sky. The secret of the Jue from drinking cup to hierarchy, lies in the ancestor worship activities where kings of China’s remote past used different cups named Jue to toast officials at different levels. The whole process was carried out in the testimony of God. The Jue is a media to forming Liege. The power and legitimacy in the relationship between the king and officials were from the shape and function of Jue.The peerage in the Zhou Dynasty was the most complete from the primitive to Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. It consists of two parts. The first includes Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, and Baron. The second part contains Gong, Qing, Dafu, and Shi. It is characterized by traditional clan participates. The central necessity in creating titles was based on kinship. The title in the Zhou Dynasty was rewarded mainly for what he is, not in what he does. Therefore, it is lack of fairness and justice. The result of the title of the conferment caused the division of the country. The peerage in the Zhou Dynasty had collapsed in transition period from the spring and autumn to the Warring States period. In the early period of the Warring States, most countries had started the reform movement for making the country rich and powerful. In the state of Qin, Shang Yang founded the system of granting noble title by military merits that came from officer positions. During the reign of Qin Zhaowang, it had developed into a complete system, the twenty peerage levels, which’s the biggest characteristic is all the credit for the knighted conditions. The system of granting noble title by military merits specified whether civilians, or nobles, anyone with the military could obtain the title. It broke the convention that all titles must be granted nobility. Now, if people got the credit on the battlefield, he could get the opportunity to change his fate. After Qin Shihuang ruled all the country, he still sternly carried out the system. But with the end of the war, the conditions to reward with a title were from the credit gradually into the identity. After the Han Dynasty was founded, given the lessons of the Qin dynasty, the ruler of the Han Dynasty set up a title, Princes. With the implementation that Minjue and Guanjue awarded, there were three titles, Guizujue, Guanjue and Minjue in the Han Dynasty. The classification of titles in the Han Dynasty meant that the conditions to award the title were from the credit to identity. The three types of titles were awarded to nobles, officials and civilians. The development of the peerage affected the changes of the three classes.The Guizujue were mainly composed of Princes and En Zehou that was rewarded to the queen’s relatives in the Han Dynasty. In the early Han Dynasty, a covenant by killing the white horse provided that only the royal family, family surnamed Liu, to get Princes. In the late Qin Dynasty, all members of this family were civilians. During the war, because of his greatest contribution and excellent quality, Liu Bang was elected the Emperor by insurgent forces. However, Liu Bang’s brothers, and sons were awarded the princes without any contribution. This was due to the compromise between the Emperor Liu Bang and his ministers. Officials wanted to enjoy the fruits of victory with the Emperor, but the emperor just wanted his family to enjoy the interests of the Empire. So the conclusion of the covenant appeared. There was the famous covenant by killing the white horse. In the Western Han Dynasty, the queen’s relatives were awarded the title due to the marriage with the Emperor. This was a violation of the sacred oath by killing the white horse. In the early Western Han Dynasty, the queen’s relatives were awarded titles due to the Emperor’s needs to control the ministers. It was basically to serve for the emperor to strengthen their rights. Because of their special identity, the queen’s relatives were often seen as the trustworthy person by Emperor or Queen. Later, during the period from Emperor Zhao of Han to Emperor Xuan, the queen’s relatives tended to control the Cabinet by the title of Liehou. That was why they were able to control the government. At last, they became aristocracy by post and title.From the ninth title Wudafu to the twentieth title Liehou formed the Guanjue. Only the senior officials who had the salary from six hundred to ten thousands dan were eligible for these titles. The title was merely a privilege accorded to officials by government, not a reward. Who own titles meant to have more interests. At first, any official with a contribution could get the title. But later, officials who not only had merit, but also had excellent qualities could have the title. Conditions of awarded titles adapted to the change of political cultures, from legalism to Confucius culture. Finally, these two kinds of culture absorbed each other. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the post and Guanjue were gradually separated. The number of titles awarded to officials also reduced. The Interests of Senior titles diminished. Under the influence of these changes, officials converted to gentries in the Eastern Han Dynasty. From the first title Gongshi to the eighth title Gongcheng formed the Minjue. All Civilians could get titles. It was the most obvious feature to the peerage in the Qin and Han Dynasties. Anyone who had a title could get some real benefits. Process that awarded the title seems quite fair, impartial. People who had titles were respected and envied in society. The implementation of awarding tiles to civilians improved the status of them. However, with the implementation of this policy and the prevalence of trading titles, more and more people did not value for titles. The title lost the role in protection of farmers. In the late Han Dynasty, most civilians became serfs.The peerage in the Qin and Han Dynasties not only concerned with the community, but also as a means of the emperor ruled the country. Between congratulations on New Year’s Day, it formed a ruling order between the emperor and Ministers by the peerage in the Zhou Dynasty. On the Ceremony of Mingtang Sacrifice and the sacrifices on Taishan, the emperor delivered the god-given powers to the officials. Two kinds of ceremony implied a kind of political culture that were the divine right of kings and the right of officials granted by king. Through the peerage, the hierarchy between the emperor and officials was formed. Under the influence of people-oriented thought and emperor’s selfless spirit, awarding the title was often regarded as a kind of blessing by people. This meant that the emperor on behalf of God to bless with everyone. The hierarchy between the emperor and officials is the result of it.Compared with the Zhou Dynasty and after the Han Dynasty, most people in the Qin and Han Dynasties had titles. Even the Minjue also had many interests. The peerage in the Qin and Han Dynasties had an important role in the history of political system in China. Unlike the peerage in the Zhou Dynasty, having a peerage in the Qin and Han Dynasties that did not mean that he could manage a local area. At first, it was just a means to reward brave soldiers who killed the enemy. But soon it became a hierarchy. The peerage, prefectures system and bureaucrat system were ensembles of political structure. In ancient China, emperors relied on the three means to rule the entire society. |
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