Seeking an Audience or Not:A Study of the Military Governors'Audience with the Emperor in Tang Dynasty and Its Historical Evolution
In the ancient Chinese regime,it was politically important for local governors to go to the capital for an audience with the emperor to affirm the righteousness of the emperor and the minister.In Tang dynasty,it was Cha-ojishi(朝集使),the representatives of prefectures and counties,who undertook the local governor's task of seeking audience with the emperor in the early Tang dynasty,but it was left to the military governors(节度使)in the post-Anshi Rebellion period.Unlike Chaojishi,there was no rule to regulate the military governor's performance of see-king an audience with the emperor in Tang dynasty.However,seeking an audience after submitting a memorial to the emperor was a political rule followed by most of the military governors.The military governors had various rea-sons to ask for the audience,such as returning to the court after being dismissed from office,taking up a post in the capital,accepting a reward for military exploit,dodging a scourge,and reporting his work to the emperor.With alter-nate rise and fall of central and local forces in Tang dynasty,the audience of military governors had different histori-cal characters in different periods of Tang dynasty.The military governors neither dared to go to the capital nor dared to rebel in the period between Tang Suzong and Tang Delong.The military governors took turns to serve in-side and outside of the court frequently in the period between Tang Xianzong and Huangchao rebellion.After Huangchao rebellion,the military governors dared to go to the capital without the emperor's consent.Finally,the audience of military governors was alienated in this process from the obeisant intention to the disobedience act.
Tang dynastymilitary governorseeking an audience with the emperor in the capital
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
