Princes
The princes of the royal dynasty (同姓王, tóngxìng wáng) were members of the House of Liu, sons or descendants of the Han emperors. The tradition of creating royal sons as princes continued until the Qing dynasty, during which sons of emperors could also be created as lower nobles. The Han emperors initially felt that creating these principalities would strengthen the house, particularly against the other kings. However, these princes became even more dangerous, as they were eligible to succeed the throne.
Several rebellions were attempted by these powerful princes during the reigns of the emperors Jing and Wu. After the Rebellion of the Seven Princes, Emperor Wu reformed the principalities, reducing them to single prefectures and granting superior authority to prime ministers appointed by the central government. The institution continued until the very end of the dynasty, however.
Read more about this topic: Kings Of The Han Dynasty
Famous quotes containing the word princes:
“I am really sorry to see my countrymen trouble themselves about politics. If men were wise, the most arbitrary princes could not hurt them. If they are not wise, the freest government is compelled to be a tyranny. Princes appear to me to be fools. Houses of Commons & Houses of Lords appear to me to be fools; they seem to me to be something else besides human life.”
—William Blake (1757–1827)