Research On A Number Of Historical Geography Of The Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum

Based on relevant historical documents and archaeological materials, fully absorbing the previous research achievements, several issues on the imperial mausoleums of Western Han Dynasty are discussed in perspective of historical geography in this paper, including the relationship between the imperial mausoleums of Western Han Dynasty and the natural environment, the site selection of the imperial mausoleums, the rise and fall process of the imperial mausoleum counties of Western Han Dynasty, and the traffic situation around the imperial mausoleums of Western Han Dynasty. The main conclusions are as follows.Eleven imperial mausoleums and seven imperial mausoleum counties surrounding the imperial mausoleums were built in both sides of the Weihe River in Western Han Dynasty, which changed natural environment and population density in relative areas. The construction of imperial mausoleums and rise of the imperial mausoleum counties of Western Han Dynasty closely related to the natural environment.The location of imperial mausoleums of Western Han Dynasty had some characteristics as:in a high open land, mostly in the north of capital, not far from the city of Chang’an, the transportation was convenient, etc. The formation of these characteristics were influenced by many factors.The set of the imperial mausoleum county could be traced back to the Imperial Mausoleum County Li in the period of Qin Shihuang.To the Western Han Dynasty, the imperial mausoleum county officially appeared. The developing process of the imperial mausoleum county in Western Han Dynasty could be divided into four phases roughly as: beginning, growing stage, heyday and last phase. The Yuan Emperor abolished the system of the imperial mausoleum county in the years of Yong Guang.Based on traffic system of Qin Dynasty, the government of the Western Han Dynasty developed the national transportation networks centering the capital city of Chang’an. The imperial mausoleums and the imperial mausoleum counties of Western Han Dynasty in the large transportation networks changed the old traffic conditions to a certain extent and contributed to the formation of the new pattern of the traffic system in Chang’an area.