Praise and Slander: The Evocation of Empress Lü in the Shiji and the Hanshu

Ess, Hans van

doi:10.1163/156852606779969824

Cited by 8 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…For her actions, often carried out with brute force, she received harsh criticism especially in Ban Gu's portrayal, which greatly influenced later readings (van Ess 2006: 254). As has been pointed out, however, the description in Sima Qian's Shi ji is much more neutral, arguing that the empress aimed to stabilize the empire and succeeded in doing so (van Ess 2006 and2014: vol. 1., chap.…”

Section: The Formation Of the Han Dynasty And The Installation Of The...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Kost¹

2021

JAOS

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Tombs of the kings of the Western Han dynasty (202 B.C.E.–9 C.E.) often contain burial items that are related to the material culture of the Eastern Eurasian Steppe. These artifacts are usually interpreted in a general sense, for instance as a sign for the fascination of the Han elite with the exotic. A closer analysis of relevant finds, however, shows different strategies of dealing with foreign influences. While the exchange with the empire’s northern neighbors is evidenced through goods for which identical excavated parallels from the steppe exist, the royal tombs of the Han also contained items that resemble and reference steppe motifs and objects but were clearly produced locally and for local consumers. Especially the latter type of artifacts can thus not simply be interpreted as the passive byproduct of exchange relations. Instead, we have to acknowledge that design, production, and usage of these objects were based on conscious decisions. Based on the insight that objects always have a social function, this article argues that the Han elite not only appropriated steppe influences and motifs but also strategically (re)produced and integrated them into their world in order to redefine, enhance, and strengthen their position within their social framework.

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Section: The Formation Of the Han Dynasty And The Installation Of The...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Heightened Receptivity

Kost¹

2021

JAOS

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Empress Lü

Sanderovitch

2021

The Encyclopedia of Ancient History

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Empress Lü was the consort of Emperor Gaozu, founder of the Han dynasty (202 bce –220 ce ). As Empress Dowager – after Gaozu's death and during the reigns of his heir and two subsequent child emperors – she assumed the authority of the supreme ruler and became the first of three women who ruled the empire during over 2000 years of Chinese imperial history. The evaluation of her reign and character has relied heavily on the records made by Han historians Sima Qian and Ban Gu. Both portray, albeit with varying degrees of direct and indirect condemnation, the attempts of an Empress Dowager to retain and enhance the power of her own clan at the expanse of the ruling imperial clan – and perhaps in its stead. The stories these historians recount include some of the most horrific acts of violence and abuse in Chinese imperial history. In the literature from the Han onward, Lü's figure became a symbol of the ruthless greed for power that threatened the continuity of a dynastic line. Recent times, however, have seen an increase in diverging evaluations of Empress Lü as ruler and person, in both the academic arena and popular representations. A compilation of legal statutes and ordinances excavated in 1983 and dated to 186 bce adds to our knowledge of governance and administration during Lü's regime and may be further utilized in the emerging discourse of the first de facto female ruler in Chinese imperial history.

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