Emperor Liu Che of the Han Dynasty (156 BC - 87 BC) was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was the tenth son of Emperor Jing Liu Qi of Han Dynasty, the grandson of Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty Liu Heng, and the great-grandson of Liu Bang. His mother was Wang Quan, who was established as the prince when he was seven years old and ascended the throne at the age of 16. 54 years of rule. An unprecedented achievement. His talents and strategies, as well as his civil and military skills, made the Han Dynasty the most powerful country in the world at that time. The Western Han Empire under his rule was more powerful than the Roman Empire. It has become the undisputed center of world civilization, and the era of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty has also become one of the most proud and great eras in the history of the Chinese nation.
Life
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was the first emperor in the history of China to use a reign title. After he ascended the throne, he continued his father's policy, weakened the power of the princes, and issued an order of favor proposed by the minister Zhufu Yan, allowing the princes to make their sons princes, thus dividing the princes' fiefdoms. At the same time, he introduced the official rank of governor to strengthen local control. He also strengthened the centralization of power in the military and economy, organizing iron smelting, salt boiling, brewing and other matters into central management. At the same time, he prohibited the vassal states from minting money, so that finances were concentrated in his hands. He adopted Dong Zhongshu's suggestion to "depose hundreds of schools of thought and respect Confucianism alone", paving the way for Confucianism's special status in ancient China. However, it is generally believed that he used Confucianism to unify his thoughts, and at the same time used magic and criminal names to strengthen his rule, which is the so-called "external Confucianism and legalism". Ji An and his use of castration against Sima Qian, which was actively promoted at that time, are famous examples.
When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty came to the throne, on the one hand, the political situation was relatively stable and the country's economic situation was relatively good. On the other hand, the factors that divided the princes and kingdoms still existed. Therefore, while continuing to implement various policies of Emperor Jing's reign, he also adopted a series of measures to strengthen the centralization of authoritarianism. In terms of politics, first of all, the "Tianfa Order" was issued to enable the princes and kings to enfeoff their children as marquises and divide the kingdom's fiefdoms to further weaken the power of the princes and kingdoms; secondly, the establishment of China and North Korea weakened the power of the prime minister and consolidated the sacred status of imperial power; Thirteen more governors were set up to strengthen local control. In the military aspect, it mainly concentrated military power and enriched the central military power; in the economic aspect, it rectified the finances, issued "calculation" and "reporting" orders, levied asset taxes on merchants, and cracked down on wealthy businessmen; it also adopted Sang Hongyang It was suggested that iron smelting and salt boiling should be brought back to the government, and counties and counties should be prohibited from casting money; the government should set up leveling officials and allocate officials, and let the government operate transportation and trade, which greatly enhanced the country's economic strength. At the same time, water conservancy projects were built, people immigrated to the northwest to farm, and the "farming method" was implemented, which was conducive to the development of agricultural production. In terms of thinking, adopt Dong Zhongshu's suggestions. Deposing hundreds of schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone, Confucianism became the ruling ideology of Chinese society and had a profound impact on later generations of Chinese politics, society, and culture.
Externally, he adopted a combination of soft and hard tactics. On the one hand, he sent Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to conquer the Xiongnu, eliminating the threat from the Xiongnu and ensuring the economic and cultural development of the north. He eliminated the Yelang and Nanyue regimes, established seven counties in the southwest, and restored today's Guangdong and Guangxi regions to Chinese territory after the Qin Dynasty. At the same time, he sent Zhang Qian as an envoy to the Western Regions, opened up the Silk Road, strengthened his rule over the Western Regions, and developed economic and cultural exchanges between China and the West. In the east, he sent troops to destroy Wei's North Korea (North Korea) and established it as the four counties of Lelang, Xuantu, Lintun and Zhenfan.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty attached great importance to the development of talents. He established the examination and evaluation system, which was the origin of China's systematic talent selection system and had a great influence on later generations.
In the late period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, due to the continuous use of troops against the Xiongnu and the Western Regions, as well as the conduct of Buddhist rituals, worship of gods and immortals, extravagant spending, increased corvee work, and increased taxes, a large number of farmers went bankrupt and went into exile. In the second year of Tianhan (99 BC), peasant uprisings broke out in Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Nanyang and other places. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once issued the "Luntai Sinful Edict" in Luntai: "Since I came to the throne, I have acted wildly and rebelliously, causing the world to suffer, and I cannot regret it. From now on, anyone who hurts the people and wastes the world will be punished!" to express this. Admit your mistakes.
In 88 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty asked Hua Gong to draw a picture of "Zhou Gong carrying the princes of the dynasty" and give it to Huo Guang, which meant that Huo Guang would assist his youngest son Liu Fuling in becoming emperor.
The son was young and the mother was strong. In order to prevent the crown prince's young mother, Mrs. Gou Yi, from repeating the situation of Empress Lu's dominance, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made the most of her excuses and executed her. In 87 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty died and was buried in Maoling. The temple name was Shizong.
Family
* Chen Feihou
* Empress Wei
o Brutal Prince Liu Ju
o Wei The eldest princess (Princess Dangli)
o Princess Yangshi
o Princess Zhuyi
* Mrs. Wang
o King Huai of Qi Liu Hong
* Li Ji
o Princess Gaichang (Princess of Eyi)
o King Liu Dan of Yan Ci
o King Li Liu Xu of Guangling
* Mrs. Li
o Liu Kui, King Ai of Changyi
* Mrs. Yin (Yin Jieyu)
* Mrs. Xing (Xing Ao'e) )
* Zhao Jieyu (Mrs. Gou Yi)
o Han Zhao Emperor Liu Fuling
Related audio and video
* Mainland China: TV series "Emperor of Hanwu", TV series "Emperor of Hanwu 2", TV series "Emperor of Han Dynasty", TV series "Emperor of Han Dynasty 2", TV series "Emperor of Hanwu 3"
A man who has great talents and strategies and is good at using people. A prosperous monarch.
In the early Han Dynasty, due to years of war, the population was reduced and productivity was insufficient. However, after the recuperation of the Wenjing Dynasty, China's national strength had reached its peak. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty succeeded to the throne, he began to solve the problems in the north. The threat of the Huns. The reuse of famous generals such as Huo Qubing, Wei Qing, Li Guang, etc., coupled with Zhang Qian's diplomacy, quickly made China stand out on the international stage. After thirty years of management, the threat of the Huns was basically solved. And it has become East Asia. Overlord.
At that time, the Chinese Empire was at its peak. In 28 BC, the Northern Huns killed the Chinese envoys. Eight years later, Chen Tang, the deputy captain of the Governor-General of the Western Regions of China, used the armies of various countries in the Western Regions to He and the Han army hoarded in the Western Regions launched an attack on the Northern Huns, and finally wiped them out in one fell swoop. Chen Tang stated the reason for sending troops to the central government and said: "Anyone who invades China will be killed no matter how far he escapes." Such magnanimity , today’s sons and daughters of China should also be ashamed.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty’s 25 Historic Initiatives
The first emperor to use a reign name: Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty’s 25 Historic Initiatives
What did Emperor Wu’s talents want? He used both civil and military resources to revitalize the ancient country.
Shao Fa Hua unified Zhang Jiuye and dared to attack the Xiongnu Zhengliuhe.
Repentance once made people repent, enriched the people and set new trends.
The mausoleum is still there in the wind and rain, and the song of gourds is passed down through the ages.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was a talented and strategic emperor who appeared in Chinese history after the Wenjing Dynasty of the Han Dynasty.
In Chinese history, people often referred to "Qin Huang and Han Wu" together. This makes sense.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty came to the throne in the first month of the third year after Emperor Jing (141 BC). He died in February of the second year of the Yuan Dynasty (87 BC) and reigned for fifty-four years and one month. Emperor Wu was an innovative, pioneering and enterprising person. During his more than half-century reign, China was in an era of reform and development full of vitality. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty himself was also an innovative person, so there were many creations during that period.
1. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was the first emperor to use an era name, first every six years, and then every four years.
2. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was the first emperor to formulate and promulgate the Taichu calendar in a unified country. The fact that the first month is the beginning of the year has been used until now.
3. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he wrote my country's first biographical history book "Shiji", which had a huge impact on the history of later generations.
4. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the "Yu Map" that appeared in historical records of our country after the unification of Qin appeared. In April of the fourth year of Yuan Shou, Bing Shen wrote, "The imperial servant Gongsun Hexing Yushi Dafu... reported "Hanshu? Emperor Wu Ji" records that in the autumn of the sixth year of Yuan Ding, "General Fuju, Gongsun He, was sent out of Jiuyuan", and the note cited by Wang Zan said: "Fuju, the name of the well, was among the Xiongnu. , traveled two thousand miles to Jiuyuan and saw the map of Han Dynasty. "According to Yan Shigu, Chen Wangzan lived in the early Jin Dynasty. This shows that the map of the Han Dynasty was seen by Wang Zan, the first minister of the Jin Dynasty.
This also shows that the regional concept of the country has clearly emerged in the Han Dynasty. This has a non-negligible impact on future physical geography research.
5. Give advice to those who are virtuous and upright, and give advice. Emperor Wu personally consulted and selected talents to serve as officials. This was the beginning of the imperial examination system in later generations.
6. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty respected Confucianism and used Confucianism as the country's governing ideology.
7. In the fifth year of Yuanshuo, fifty disciples were appointed to the Five Classics Doctors and they were reinstated; local counties and counties could select some people according to certain conditions and receive their careers as disciples. After examination, those who can master one or more arts can be employed as officials. The selection of officials from among the national imperial students began here.
8. When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty respected Confucianism, he also "extended (introduced) Bai Duan's learning", forming a pattern in which Confucianism was used as the ruling thought while also using hundreds of schools of thought. This will also have a huge impact on future generations.
9. In the second year of Yuanfeng (109 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty came to the scene to supervise the blocking of the gourd breach in the Yellow River. This was the first time since the unification of Qin that the emperor came to the site to regulate the Yellow River.
10. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, columbine seeding (local method of seeding) was popularized. This method has been used in China for more than 2,000 years.
11. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Zhang Qian to the Western Regions, opening up the Silk Road and promoting economic and cultural exchanges between China and the West. This is the first time in Chinese history.
12. In the sixth year of Yuanfeng, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (105 BC), he married Wusun, the daughter of the clan's daughter Xijun, as his princess. This is the first time in China's history that it has made peace with a country in the Western Regions.
13. In Luntai and Quli and cultivate fields, envoys and school captains were placed side by side. This is the first time in Chinese history that farming has been established in what is now Xinjiang, China.
14. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the well canal method was used to build the Longshou Canal. It was later introduced to Xinjiang, China, and then to Persia and other places.
15. Grapes and alfalfa planting were introduced from the Western Regions, and a well-bred horse - Tianma was introduced from Dawan. Music and magic from the Western Regions were introduced to China, and China's cast iron technology, silk fabrics, and lacquerware were introduced to Dawan. Waiting places.
16. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty applied benevolence and righteousness and implemented moral governance; at the same time, he also attached great importance to the rule of law and used severe punishments to govern the country. This is also the first time in history.
17. In the fifth year of Yuanfeng (106 BC), in order to strengthen the supervision of local officials and powerful people, thirteen prefecture governors were appointed, and the governors of the six hundred stone level were ordered to supervise the county guards of the two thousand stone level. Mutually.
18. In order to strengthen the imperial power and reform the prime minister system, the Central Dynasty (Inner Dynasty) was established, which had a significant impact on the subsequent evolution of the prime minister system.
19. In the second year of Yuanding (115 BC), it was forbidden for the county and the state to mint money, and the three officials of Shanglin under the state were ordered to mint money. The money of non-three officials was not allowed to be circulated, and all the money minted by the county and the country before was wasted. . From then on, the state monopolized the power of minting coins, which had a great influence on future generations.
20. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty settled the fields in the northwest border counties through a large number of immigrants, which played a major role in winning the war against the Huns and managing the Western Regions. It also had a significant impact on later generations. Cao Cao once said in the "Order to Set up Tuntians" that "Xiaowu used tuntians to establish the Western Regions, which was a good example of the past generations." This is illustrated by Cao Cao.
21. The officials appointed by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty were diversified. Officials with more than 2,000 dan can have their descendants become officials through the system of appointment; wealthy people can become officials through "subsidy selection"; the descendants of sages can be taken care of. For example, Jia Yi's two sons were cared for and became county guards. However, what is particularly outstanding is that Emperor Wu used talents based on talent and not stick to one pattern. For example, the Queen's Wei Zifu was selected from among the slaves. Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were selected from slaves and slaves' children respectively. The prime minister Gongsun Hong, the censor doctor Erkuan, Yan Zhu, Zhu Maichen and others were all selected from poor civilians; the censor doctors Zhang Tang, Du Zhou and Tingwei Zhao Yu were selected from the petty officials. What is particularly noteworthy is that some of the generals appointed by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty were Yue and Huns. Jin Rishidan, a slave who was a prisoner of the Huns and kept horses in the palace, was actually selected as an important minister of Tuogu together with Huo Guang and Shangguan Jie. These circumstances show that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was not restricted by class origin and national differences in selecting talents. However, this does not mean that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty did not have standards for employing people. There were standards. The standards were to "open up a wide range of artistic skills and extend hundreds of learnings." "The one who destroys the country."
This means that as long as they are willing to fight for the cause of the Han Dynasty, and have artistic skills and talents, they can be used as generals and envoys to distant countries. In a word, the standard for employing people is talent. Because of this, there were many talents during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Ban Gu said in amazement: "The Han Dynasty prospered when it won people!" The emergence of this phenomenon is worthy of careful study.
22. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was the first emperor in Chinese history to send a large army deep into the hinterland of the Xiongnu for a decisive battle.
23. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was the first emperor in Chinese history to propose that the northern nomadic people, the Xiongnu, submit to the Central Plains Dynasty. To this end, he built a surrender city in present-day Inner Mongolia. Although Emperor Wu did not achieve this goal during his lifetime, during the Xuan and Yuan dynasties, the Xiongnu submitted to the Han Dynasty and became vassals.
24. After Li Guangli conquered Dayuan, many countries in the southern part of the Western Regions surrendered to the Han Dynasty. In the second year of Emperor Xuan Shenjue's reign (60 BC), the Xiongnu conquered the Han Dynasty, and the Xiongnu did not dare to fight for the Western Regions. Servant Captain. Emperor Xuan appointed Zheng Ji as the governor of the Western Regions to manage the countries in the south and north of the Western Regions. The countries in the Western Regions surrendered to the Han. This is the first time in Chinese history.
25. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty pacified South Vietnam, he established Dan'er County and Zhuya County on present-day Hainan Island for the first time.
In addition to the above twenty-five creations, several other firsts in Chinese history can also be listed, and I will not go into details here.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and his career are the product of ancient Chinese history, involving the development and evolution of all aspects of social life such as ideology and culture, rituals and customs, science and technology, social economy, and political systems, as well as The status of various ethnic groups in ancient China, etc.
I was impressed by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's great achievements in revitalizing China and the thrilling struggles of the people at that time. I have recorded an ancient poem "In Praise of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty" written by modern people to commemorate that time. A great era, and for reference when evaluating Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty:
What did Emperor Wu want from his talents? He used both civil and military resources to revitalize the ancient country.
Shao Fa Hua unified Zhang Jiuye and dared to attack the Xiongnu Zhengliuhe.
Repentance once made people repent, enriched the people and set new trends.
The mausoleum is still there in the wind and rain, and the song of gourds is passed down through the ages.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty knew that the study of inaction was no longer suitable for the current situation of striving for governance, so he decided to borrow Confucianism to realize his ambition of unification.
The measures include four aspects.
1. political aspects. ① Reform the official system. In the central government, the emperor's cronies, such as Shangshu Ling, Shi Zhong, Ji Shizhong, Chang Shi, etc., participated in decision-making in the palace, forming an inner dynasty; weakening the power of the prime minister; the original central organization became an outer dynasty, an executive agency, and the imperial power was strengthened . ② Select a large number of talents, pay attention to the appointment and assessment of officials, implement the governor system, and strengthen the court's control over local bureaucrats. During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there were many talented people, including Huo Qubing, who said, "If the Huns are not destroyed, why should we take care of our family?", Li Guang, the "Flying General" who was good at shooting and fought with the Huns for more than seventy years, making them dare not invade the border for several years, and Li Guang, the "flying general" who was good at shooting. Sang Hongyang, who actively promoted the policy of focusing on agriculture and restraining commerce, insisted on bringing iron smelting, salt boiling and cast iron under official control to enrich the country's economic strength. He went through hardships, swallowed felt and drank snow, remained unyielding, and served as an envoy to the Xiongnu for nineteen years. Su Wu. He selects talents in an eclectic way. Such as practicing frugality, putting wealth first and righteousness first. Gongsun Hong, who had been a jailer, became the prime minister out of respect for Confucianism. A man who wanted to buy a wife and was a woodcutter came to buy a minister. He was recommended by Yan Zhu and was appointed as a senior official and the prefect of Kuaiji; (his story is in the Peking Opera "Night Dream Crown Belt" or "Splashing Water in Front of Horses" depicts it more vividly) and so on. The stars are over the moon, which makes it easier to strengthen the centralization of power. ③Weaken the power of the kingdom and strengthen the power of the central government. ④ Strengthen and improve the feudal legal system, crack down on the power of powerful landlords, and maintain the order of feudal society.
2． Economic aspect. The currency system was reformed and five baht coins were minted as legal tender throughout the country; salt and iron were government-run and the production and sales of salt and iron were monopolized by the state; prices were stabilized and business taxes and property taxes were levied on industrial and commercial businesses, etc. These measures strengthened the central financial power, suppressed the power of merchants, and laid the economic foundation for Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's civil and military achievements.
3. Military aspect. Sending troops to the Xiongnu changed the passive position of the Han Dynasty in the relationship with the Xiongnu. After the Battle of Baideng, the emperor of the Han Dynasty made peace with the Huns in order to recuperate. During the Wenjing period, this was still the case and gifts were given.
However, the Xiongnu continued to invade the border. Every time they entered the fortress, they would steal people and livestock and destroy crops. The Western Han Dynasty was completely passive and vulnerable to attack. During the reign of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, as the economy was approaching its peak and military resistance gradually strengthened, the Xiongnu could only "steal the border by villains". The balance of power between the two sides began to change. Relying on his strong economic and military strength, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty launched a long-term war against the Xiongnu starting in 133 BC. The battle against the Huns in 119 BC played a decisive role. After this battle, the main force of the Xiongnu moved northwest, and the Han army seized a large amount of land west of Shuofang to Zhangye and Juyan in Gansu Province, ensuring the security of the Hexi Corridor and moving to farmland for development. At this point, the threat from the Huns in the northern border areas was basically lifted. At the same time as the military campaign, Zhang Qian was sent to the Western Regions again and opened up a trade route to the Western Regions. He also marched into South Vietnam and established nine counties including Nanhai. The territory of a unified multi-ethnic country is unprecedentedly vast.
4. Thoughts. "Depose hundreds of schools of thought and only respect Confucianism." With the strengthening of imperial power, the enhancement of economic strength, and the expansion of territory, it was also necessary to strengthen ideological unity. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was different from Qin Shihuang who used coercive methods such as burning books and entrapping Confucians. He adopted Dong Zhongshu's suggestion and respected Confucianism. The first major thing he did after taking the throne was to summon scribes from all over the country to personally write exams and personally mark the papers to select the Spring and Autumn Period. Dong Zhongshu and Gongsun Hong, the masters of "Gongyang" studies, were the first to come, and they worshiped Gongsun Hong as their prime minister. All scholars and officials must study Confucian classics in order to be used and promoted. Confucianism has since become the ruling ideology of the Western Han Dynasty. Moreover, with its ideological core of "grand unification", it has become an important cultural spirit that has always maintained the unity of the country and enhanced the cohesion of the Chinese nation. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty also established two levels of official education: central Taixue and local county studies, establishing China's feudal official education system. While respecting Confucianism, he also advocated the rule of law. This is also his brilliance. He not only gave Confucianism a respected status, but also left room for other schools of thought (such as Legalism) to develop appropriately. To a certain extent, this can be said to be an enlightened governance that tolerates the coexistence of multiple cultures. Respecting Confucianism and advocating the law was the fundamental idea of ??his rule.
The history of the seventy years of the early Han Dynasty is a history of social and economic recovery and development from decline, and it is also a history of centralization gradually defeating local separatism. On the basis of economic prosperity and political consolidation, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty pushed the Western Han Dynasty into its heyday.
Evaluation of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty
Contributions:
Politics: ① The local implementation of the assassination system is conducive to local jurisdiction, strengthens centralization of power, and maintains national unity. ("Ancient History" p35)
② Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty promulgated the "Extension of Grace Order" and the "Law of Additional Benefits" to further weaken the power of the kingdom and consolidate the unity of the country. ("Ancient History" p35);
③ Implementing the inspection and examination system is conducive to selecting talents and expanding the basis of rule. ("Ancient History" p35)
Economy:
① The local salt and iron management rights and minting rights were returned to the central government, and five baht coins were issued uniformly, which increased national fiscal revenue; ("Ancient History" p31)
② Stabilize prices and collect business taxes and property taxes from industrial and commercial businesses. ("Ancient History" p31)
③ Pay attention to the construction of water conservancy and the management of the Yellow River. ("Ancient History" p37~28)
Ideological and cultural education:
① Adopt Dong Zhongshu's suggestion, "Depose hundreds of schools of thought and respect only Confucianism." Confucianism has since become the orthodoxy of feudal rule Thought. ("Ancient History" p31)
② Two-level official schools, the Central Taixue and the local County Guoxue, were founded in Chang'an. ("Ancient History" p31)
Military diplomacy:
① Send Wei Qing and Huo Qubing to lead troops to fight three wars with the Xiongnu, severely damaging the Xiongnu. ("Ancient History" p41)
② Zhang Qian was sent as an envoy to the Western Regions, and he brought back unprecedented information about the Western Regions, which strengthened relations with the Western Regions, promoted the progress of the society in the Western Regions, and enriched the history of the Central Plains. Material life laid the foundation for the later opening of the Silk Road.
("Ancient History" p42)
③Successively established counties in the southwestern Yi areas to strengthen jurisdiction over the southwestern Yi border areas ("Ancient History" p43)
④In South Vietnam (Guangdong and Guangxi) Area) Set up nine counties including Nanhai to exercise effective jurisdiction ("Ancient History" p43)
⑤ Exchanges with Japan and South Korea. ("Ancient History" p44)
Disadvantages:
① The cultural autocracy of "deposing hundreds of schools of thought and respecting only Confucianism." is not conducive to the development of cultural diversity.
② They were so happy that they launched wars against the Xiongnu in successive years. Although the Xiongnu could no longer compete with the Western Han Dynasty and protected the development of agriculture, economy and culture in the Central Plains, the huge and heavy military expenditures increased the burden on the people.