The 2nd Year of Emperor Jing of Han: A Key Turning Point in Enfeoffment and Centralization of Power

Brief Introduction

The 2nd Year of Emperor Jing of Han, corresponding to 155 BC, was the second year of Emperor Jing of Han's (Liu Qi) reign. This year was not only a period of stability following a change of emperor but also a critical year for the Western Han central court to adjust the power of feudal lords and strengthen centralization. According to the Records of the Grand Historian: Basic Annals of Emperor Jing, Emperor Jing carried out large-scale enfeoffment measures during this year, especially the division of the powerful state of Qi. This move directly influenced the subsequent outbreak of the "Rebellion of the Seven States" and serves as an important watershed in Western Han political history.

Core Knowledge Points

1. Time Positioning: The 2nd Year of Emperor Jing corresponds to 155 BC. At this time, Emperor Wen had passed away, and Emperor Jing had recently ascended the throne, facing a situation where the power of feudal lords was too great and posed a threat to the central authority.
2. Division of Qi: This was the core event of the year. Emperor Jing divided the fiefdom of the former King of Qi, Liu Ze, and established his five sons as the Kings of Qi, Zichuan, Jibei, Jinan, and Jiaoxi respectively. Although this was nominally an enfeoffment, it was actually a measure to weaken the power of Qi and prevent it from threatening the center.
3. Political Intent: Through the strategy of "establishing many feudal lords to reduce their power," Emperor Jing attempted to dilute the military and economic strength of the feudal lords without directly provoking conflict through disempowerment, paving the way for subsequent policies of reducing feudal power.
4. Historical Consequences: Although the enfeoffment appeared conciliatory, the feudal lords were dissatisfied with the weakening of their power. The following year (154 BC), seven states led by Liu Pi, the King of Wu, launched a rebellion, known in history as the "Rebellion of the Seven States."

Connection to the Records of the Grand Historian

In the system of the Records of the Grand Historian, the records of the 2nd Year of Emperor Jing are mainly concentrated in the Basic Annals of Emperor Jing and the Table of Feudal Lords, which complement each other.

* Basic Annals of Emperor Jing: This chapter details the edicts of enfeoffment, such as "Establishing the imperial son Duan as the King of Qi...," reflecting Sima Qian's objective record of imperial power operations. Although the text refers to "imperial son," it actually refers to the son of King Dao of Qi, reflecting Emperor Jing's direct intervention in the succession rights of feudal lords.
* Table of Feudal Lords: This table presents the succession of feudal lords and changes in fiefdoms in tabular form, clearly showing the geographical and political shifts resulting from the division of Qi into five, making it easier for later generations to trace the rise and fall of feudal power.
Historical Evaluation: Sima Qian did not directly evaluate the right or wrong of the enfeoffment in this year in the Records of the Grand Historian*, but through the subsequent records of the Rebellion of the Seven States, he implied the intensification of contradictions between the center and the periphery. The enfeoffment measures of this year are an important node for understanding the transition of the Western Han from the "parallel system of commanderies and kingdoms" to "centralization of power."

In summary, the 2nd Year of Emperor Jing of Han is not just a chronological symbol but a key turning point in Western Han political history. It marks the beginning of Emperor Jing's active intervention in the feudal landscape. Although it triggered turmoil in the short term, it laid the foundation for Emperor Wu's complete centralization of power.