Study On Henan County In The Western Han Dynasty

Henan Commandery is located in the Central Plains region south of the Yellow River,bordering Henei Commandery to the north,Nanyang Commandery to the south and Yingchuan Commandery,Hangu Pass to the west and Hongnong Commandery,and Chenliu Commandery to the east.It is located at the hub of Guanzhong,Guandong,Yanzhao,and Chu regions,with convenient transportation.During the Western Han Dynasty,Henan Commandery basically inherited the Sanchuan Commandery of the Qin Dynasty.The main political changes were the eastward migration of Hanguguan,the division of Hongnong Commandery,and the addition of counties under the jurisdiction of Yingchuan Commandery in the middle of the Western Han Dynasty.After Emperor Wu,the political districts of Henan Commandery were generally established.During the Western Han Dynasty,Henan County had significant characteristics in regional development.The suitable natural conditions and abundant labor resources of Henan County have promoted the development of agriculture and handicrafts.The convenience of water and land transportation and the geographical location of communication have made it a commercially developed area.During the more than two hundred years of the Western Han Dynasty,the economic development level of Henan County remained at the forefront of the country.In terms of population size,in the second year of the Yuanshi reign of Emperor Pingdi of the Western Han Dynasty(AD 2),Henan County had 276444 households and 1740279 people,ranking fifth among all counties in the country.From the perspective of its area and population,Henan County undoubtedly belonged to a large county during the Western Han Dynasty.The governor of Henan County has close ties with the central political bureau in local governance.The selection criteria for Henan Prefect by rulers in different periods are different: in the early Western Han Dynasty,they were mostly meritorious officials,during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han,they were mostly cruel officials,during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han,they were mostly obedient officials,and in the late Western Han Dynasty,they were mostly external relatives,all reflecting the different historical backgrounds of the Western Han Dynasty.The strengthening of local power and the extravagance of social customs in Henan County make it necessary for the chief executive of this area to possess the characteristics of combining hardness and softness.The number of prefects in Henan County is as high as that of the three lords and nine nobles,which also shows that the selection of central officials has the experience and test of local positions,and reflects the degree of importance that the rulers of the Western Han Dynasty attached to Henan County.Henan County has many battlegrounds for military strategists such as Chenggao,Yaoyuan,and Xingyang.In the era when cold weapons dominated the war,the danger of geographical location was crucial for the defense side.These areas have also become key areas for the central government to compete with the feudal lords of Kanto.These areas have always been in the hands of the central government,effectively ensuring the safety of the capital and the stability of the regime.The improvement of Luoyang’s status in Henan County is not only due to the increase in population and economic scale,but also to the existence of important facilities such as Aocang and Wuku.In addition,the profound Zhou cultural tradition in this region and the prevalence of divination ideology have made Luoyang an equally important two capital position as Chang’an.