What was the core of China's ancient autocratic centralization?

The core of centralization of absolutism in ancient China is: the emperor is the only one, the imperial power is supreme, and the throne is hereditary.

Monarchical absolutism: refers to the central decision-making mode, specifically the emperor's personal arbitrary dictatorship, the emperor has supreme power, and all administrative, military, economic and other powers are monopolized by the emperor;

Centralization: refers to the relationship between the central and local governments. Centralization means that all kinds of military, political and financial power of the country belong to the central government, local governments are completely managed and controlled by the central government, and central government decrees are fully implemented.

The development process of centralization:

(1) Germination-Warring States Period;

(1) In theory, Han Feizi put forward the idea of establishing a centralized monarchy;

(2) In practice, Shang Yang reformed, abolished the enfeoffment system, adopted the county system, and implemented centralization.

(B) the establishment of the Qin Dynasty:

① Content: imperial system; Three publics and nine expensive systems, local county system, promulgation of Qin law, burning books and burying Confucianism, etc.

② Features: organically combine autocratic decision-making mode with centralized political system.

③ Significance: objectively adapted to the political and economic needs of the feudal landlord class and conformed to the trend of historical development.

(3) Consolidate the Western Han Dynasty:

① Content: The implementation of the parallel system of feud between counties and counties led to the expansion of kingdom power. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty issued an imperial edict to relieve the threat of the kingdom; Ideologically, "great unity" is practiced (that is, hundreds of schools are ousted and Confucianism is the only one).

② Features: Re-strengthen the direct rule of the central government over local governments; Transforming Confucianism into a guiding ideology to meet the needs of authoritarian centralization

(4) Perfection-Sui and Tang Dynasties:

① Content: Sui initiated the system of three provinces and six departments and the imperial examination system, which was inherited and completed in the Tang Dynasty; Establish and improve the imperial examination system.

② Features: Decentralized the power of the Prime Minister and the Central Committee. The governors of the three provinces are all prime ministers. They have divided the power of prime ministers into three parts to contain each other since the Qin Dynasty, and allocated the power of Shangshu Province, the highest administrative agency, to six departments to prevent tyranny. The imperial examination system standardized and institutionalized the selection of officials and made the organization more flexible.

(5) Strengthening ── Northern Song Dynasty:

Dismiss the military power of North Korean generals and local envoys to the DPRK; Send civil servants to all parts of the country to make known, and send transshipment to manage local finances; After the formation of the imperial army, it was directly controlled by the emperor. It is characterized by weakening local power and depriving generals of military power. Financial power, administrative power and military power belong to the central government and are directly controlled by the emperor.

(6) New Development ── Yuan Dynasty:

The provincial system is implemented, that is, the central government sets up provincial books and provinces, and local governments set up provincial books and provinces (referred to as provinces); The provincial system is a new development of the ancient county system, which initially laid the scale of the Ming and Qing dynasties and even contemporary provinces and regions, and played an active role in consolidating and developing a unified multi-ethnic country.

(7) Strengthen (or reach the peak) ── Ming and Qing Dynasties:

In the early Ming Dynasty, the prime minister was divided into six departments, with the factory health secret service department and three departments, and the official was elected by stereotyped writing. Before the Qing dynasty, the Ming system was followed, the Ministry of War was added, and the literary inquisition was established in Daxing. It is characterized by decentralizing the power of prime minister and local governor, strengthening imperial power and ideological control. The strengthening of centralization and absolutism in Ming and Qing dynasties showed the decline of feudal system.

Evaluation:

Positive role: it conforms to the historical development trend and has progressive significance in the early and middle period of feudal society, which is manifested in:

(1) Maintaining national unity and unifying the development of a multi-ethnic country;

(2) preventing separatist regimes, resisting foreign aggression, suppressing people's uprisings, coordinating contradictions within the ruling clique, and maintaining social stability;

(three) to facilitate the organization of public projects, to ensure the normal economic and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries, to promote the development of science and technology, and to be conducive to social economic development and social progress.

Negative influence: manifested in the late feudal society;

(1) The political and economic oppression of the people is very cruel;

(2) fetters the development of commodity economy and hinders the germination of capitalism;

③ It leads to ideological imprisonment and cultural autocracy, which seriously hinders the development of science, technology and culture.