Emperor Wen

The fifth emperor of the Western Han dynasty of China (reigned 180-157 BC). His given name was Liu Heng. His temple name was Taizong. He was the son of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang and Empress Dowager Bo. He became emperor after being King of Dai when the Lu clan, who had seized power after the death of Emperor Gaozu, was pacified. During his 22-year reign, he supported legalist bureaucrats such as Jia Yi and Bi Quo, and implemented various policies such as promoting agriculture, abolishing land tax, and abolishing corporal punishment. Together with the next emperor, Emperor Jing, he is known for his benevolent rule as the Wen Jing era. However, at the same time, new social unrest was beginning to emerge due to the intensifying class differentiation between powerful clans and ordinary peasants.

[Kazuyuki Tsuruma]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、前漢の第5代皇帝（在位前180～前157）。姓名は劉恒(りゅうこう)。廟号(びょうごう)は太宗(たいそう)。高祖劉邦(りゅうほう)と薄太后(はくたいごう)との子。高祖の死後政権を掌握した呂(りょ)氏一族が鎮定された時期に、代王から皇帝となった。治世22年間は、賈誼(かぎ)、鼂錯(ちょうそ)らの法家(ほうか)官僚を擁し、勧農政策、田租の廃止、肉刑の廃止などの諸政策を実行した。次代の景帝(けいてい)とあわせて文景の治として仁政とうたわれている。しかし一方では、豪族と一般農民との階層分化の激化という新たな社会不安がみえ始めていた。

［鶴間和幸］

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