The Imperial Clan And The Struggle Between Emperor And Prime Minister In The Northern-Zhou Dynasty

The purpose of this article is discussing the development of imperial clan influenced by the imperial authority increased with the decrease of the prime ministerial power in the Northern Zhou Dynasty,as well as the effection of the imperial clan on Northern-Zhou political situation.The change of royal power forces was closely related to the struggle between emperor and prime minister in the Northern-Zhou Dynasty.The imperial clan always in a state of ascendancy during the period of prime minister dominanted at the early Northern-Zhou Dynasty.However,the trail of imperial clan began to fluctuate after the imperial authority restored.The political power of imperial clan reduced as a whole,and could not against the imperial authority,even started to decline in the late stage.In the struggle,The domineering minister and the emperor take different attitudes towards the imperial clan out of different interests,to develop,to limited appoint,or to strike.It played an important role in the course of the development of the imperial clan.At the same time,in view of different family background of the domineering ministers,imperial clan held different opinions at the struggle between emperor and prime minister.Some of them supported the imperial authority,some supporting the prime minister,others coordinating the emperor and prime minister or oscillating.It is also very important to the struggle.Yuwen Hu not only was one of the imperial clan but also was the domineering minister during the struggle between emperor and prime minister at the early Northern-Zhou Dynasty.He became the strongest power in the imperial clan.Nevertheless,the most important factor about the imperial authority stagnated was the domineering minister took power rather than the imperial clan possessed great influence.There was not large-scale slaughter in the imperial clan after emperor Wu sweep out Yuwen Hu's confederates.It is made the misfortunes of the imperial clan in the Northern-Zhou Dynasty was different from the other similar royal families in the Wei,Jin and the Southern and Northern dynasties,and possessed their own characteristics.However,the emperor Xuan enthroned to his reign and strengthened imperial power excessively.It is not only limited the development of the power imperial clan,but also created conditions for Yang Jian assisted in government.There was a new struggle between emperor and prime minister in the late Northern-Zhou Dynasty.The imperial clan became the represent of the imperial authority in the struggle.They tried to maintain the imperial power and to resist the prime ministerial power.Due to the great disparity in strength between the imperial clan and Yang Jian,the resistance against Yang Jian conducted by the imperial was all defeated.The resistance could not play a role as well as save the fate of imperial authority and the imperial in the Northern-zhou Dynasty.