Power and Its Audience: Relations between the Central Government and Local Regions in the Tang Dynasty as Reflected in Benevolent Governance Steles

Abstract

Although the tradition of epigraphy can be traced back to the Song Dynasty in Chinese history, scholars in this field usually focus on the inscriptions on the steles rather than the steles themselves as the markers of the political landscape. As symbols of political authority, these steles were intentionally located in the center of cities throughout China and usually had a giant pavilion built over them. Sometimes a grand ceremony would accompany the installation of a stele. All these are important means to impress upon the common people the power of the state. The benevolent governance stele, as a medium that honors the exceptional officials, is an important symbol of the ideal imperial political order. The award of a benevolent governance stele was strictly regulated in the Tang Dynasty. One of the most important principles was to award officials only after they had left for another post. This was to prevent the formation of local separatist power during an official’s long tenure. After the Rebellion of An Lushan and Shi Siming, while the power of the central government was in decline, the awarding of these steles continued and helped to legitimize the authority of Military Commissioners. The symbolic power of these steles was further strengthened as a result and led to the widespread practice among Military Commissioners in Hebei of erecting monumental steles. The central government, in response, used the timing of the awards to recalibrate and redefine its relationship with the Military Commissioners, and thereby maintained the central authority. The article thus traced the transformation of the benevolent governance steles from a reward for exemplary officials in early Tang to a symbol of the balance of power between the central and local governments in the mid-to-late Tang.

Keywords

benevolent governance steles / political landscape / relations between the central government and local regions

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