The Legends of Emperor Huang and the Construction of Political Tradition in Records of the Historian
The Book of History(《尚书》)which was compiled by Confucius(孔子)started with Yao(尧)and Shun(舜).It was the authoritative historical beginning set up by the Confucian classics of the Han Dynasty.Sima Qian(司马迁)saw and heard less than Confucius,but why did he advance the beginning of history to Emperor Huang(黄帝)?This is how Sima Qian,as a historiographer,made his great efforts to construct the political tradition of adopting a new reign title(改元)and offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth(封禅)for Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty,(汉武帝)in the institutional reform under the name of the ancient sage emperors(托古改制).The institutional reform by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty(汉武帝)with the new reign title"Taichu"(太初改制)started in the ideological trend of reform during the Qin and Han Dynasties and unfolded around the change of calendar and the worship for Heaven and Earth.Records of the Historian(《史记》)established a new era with"the rise of the Han Dynasty,being consistent with the governance of Emperor Huang".Sima Qian wrote about Emperor Huang according to the need of Emperor Wu's institutional reform,and also made use of Emperor Huang to provide historical and ideological"evidence"for Emperor Wu's institutional reform.This process reflected his ambition to make legislations for the Han Dynasty and to write contemporary scriptures as a contemporary sage,which ultimately became the reason for his punishment of castration.
Emperor Huang(黄帝)institutional reform by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty(汉武帝)with the reign title"Taichu"(太初)promulgating a new calendar(改正朔)offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth(封禅)construction of political tradition
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