The Origin of the Liehou of the Han Era

This paper attempts to situate the Liehou 列侯 of the Han era in the historical process following the Warring States period and to consider the actual situation of Liehou in the establishment of the political order during the foundation of the Han dynasty. The origin of the Liehou of the Han era were the Fengjun 封君 of the Warring States period. Fengjun were appointed as generals or ministers and were positioned at the center of politics in their own states. They were sometimes invited to other states to serve as generals or ministers there and had influence beyond the framework of a single state. Fengjun maintained firm positions as Zhuhou 諸侯 of the realm of All under Heaven and influenced the inter-state order together with Kings. With Qin's unification of All under Heaven, the inter-state order of the late Warring States period ceased to exist, and a commandery-county system was adopted instead. Therefore, Fengjun, who had existed as Liehou during the Warring States, were incorporated into the military-exploit ranks that were formed to establish order in the Qin state, and were transformed into the highest ranks, Liehou and Lunhou 倫侯. With the disappearance of the inter-state order, Fengjun that had had inter-state characteristics were transformed into Liehou, one of the Qin domestic ranks. After the death of the First Emperor and the downfall of the Qin empire, an inter-state order resembling that of the Warring States period was re-established. Fengjun with inter-state characteristics as in the Warring States period also re appeared, the inter-state order influenced by the Zhuhou was re-established in the land of All under Heaven. But, at the same time, the Liu Bang government adopted the Qin system and continuously appointed Hou 侯 based on military-exploit ranks. Thus, Fengjun as Zhuhou as in the Warring States period and Hou based on the military-exploits ranks co-existed. Liu Bang who was enthroned as Emperor Gaozu was also recommended by Zhuhou. Although Emperor Gaozu did not appoint Hou for a period after his enthronement, in the 12th month of the 6th year of his reign (201 B. C.), he appointed some members of his own clan as Zhuhouwang 諸侯王 and at the same time started to appoint retainers whose exploits were deserving as Hou. These appointments were to appoint deserving retainers, who had already been appointed as Liehou based on the military-exploit ranks, as Zhuhou. Thus, the Liehou of the Han era were instituted within in the twenty-rank system instituted in the Qin state but also had the characteristic of Zhuhou