Discussion On The Change Of Internal Contradictions Of The Liu Song Rule Group

Two obvious periods of the principal contradictions in the ruling clique of Liu Song Dynasty could be seen.In the earlier stage of Liu Song Dynasty , there were two pairs of principal contradictions, namely the contradiction between imperial kinsmen and ministers of different surnames, and that between imperial kinsmen and great clans. For rulers of Liu Song Dynasty, they had to make use of then ministers of different surnames and great clans to consolidate their ruling position.But, with dominant powers stabilized, they had to forcely crack down on and restrict the ministers with great powers and the great clans with profound social, economical and cultural foundation.They had expected to make great achievements in the new dynasty , but under threat of more and more powerful imperial kinsmen, the ministers and great clans were not capable of contending with imperial kinsmen any longer.The middle and later stage of Liu Song Dynasty dated from the time when Song Wendi killed Liu Yikang. In this period,the principal contradictions shifted to those among imperial kinsmen. In order to weaken the ministers and great clans,Song Wudi and Song Wendi made King Zong participate in court administration, thus forming a defence for imperial power. With the threat of imperial power terminated, rulers' spearhead shifted to the more and more powerful imperial kinsmen. In this period, Liu Song Dynasty' history was full of such instances as cruel persecution of aunts and nephews, and blood brothers. There's no smoke without fire. The cruel persecution among imperial kinesmen did not result from nothing. First, it related to the landlord class' nature such as greed for power,decadence and cruelty;second, it bore upon the rise of poor clans.Besides, the keen power competition led to disorderly succession to the throne, which in turn, resulted in a series of new cruel competition.The interior principal contradiction of the Liu Song ruling clique has had important influence to the political situation. The imperial kinsmen's killing ministers and weakening great clans guaranteed the consolidation of imperial power, but it also brought about some nagative influences, for example, it opened the door to Northern Wei Dynasty during the war between Song and Wei Dynasties. In the middle and later stage, the cruel persecution among imperial kinsmen further digged their grave, paving the way for Xiao Daocheng seizing power.