The Study On The Relationship Between The Central Authorities And The Kingdom In The Western Han Dynasty From The Perspective Of Sacrifice

The Sacrificial relationship between the central and the kingdoms in Western Han Dynasty plays an important role in studying the political relationship between them,and also to investigate the establishment of state sacrificial system.Strengthening centralization while weakening the kingdoms' power was the overall trend in Western Han Dynasty.Under such circumstances,the central government renamed kingdoms'official "Taizhu" to "Cisi" by conducting official reform,and established the emperor temple in kingdom which nanmed "Junguo" temple.By means of adjusting the sacrificial relationship,the central government gradually deprived the kingdoms'sacrificial rights.However,this does not mean the feudal kingdoms had always been passive in sacrificial relationship.When vassal king came to the throne,the original kingdoms' sacrifice could impact the established central sacrificial system through imperial power and political operation.This dissertation tries to study the changing sacrificial relationship between the central and the kingdoms from three aspects,the adjustment of sacrificial officials,the preservation and abandonment of "Junguo"temple and the reformation of the ancestral temple system.The author considers that"Taizhu" and "Cisi" are practically distinct official positions as they differs both in function and status.To restrict and weaken the sacrificial power of kingdoms is the de facto purpose of the central government 's reform in kingdoms' worship staff.Besides,many realistic factors and interests involved in the issue of the preservation and abandonment of "Junguo" temple."Junguo" temple is the political arena where all parties compete for interests,also a flexible means utilized by the central to make adjustment in relationship with kingdoms.The sacrificial relationship's change ended during the reign of Emperor of Ai.The exception is that Emperor of Ai established his father's temple named "Gonghuangmiao" in capital.However his father is the de facto vassal king of Dingtao,but not true emperor of Han Dynasty.To conclude,the vassal king worshiped in the state ancestral temple made significant impact on the established state ancestral temple system.