Two Ephemeral Revivals: The “Feudal” Transformations of the Commandery-County System

Abstract

The replacement of the feudal system by the commandery-county system marked a fundamental transformation in the governance structure of ancient China. Yet this process was far from smooth: during the Han and Jin dynasties, two notable distortions of “feudal” practice emerged. Taking the Western Han and Western Jin as representative cases, this article examines in depth the resurgence of feudal elements within the framework of the commandery-county system. The study shows that the early Western Han’s implementation of the dual system of commanderies and kingdoms was a strategic choice intended to absorb the lessons of the Qin collapse and to reconcile existing historical traditions. Its success lay in the central government’s effective suppression of regional princely power through measures such as the Reduction of the Principalities and the Tui ’en edict, thereby strengthening centralized authority.By contrast, the Western Jin’s system of princely enfeoffment arose from the Sima regime’s political need to consolidate its legitimacy. However, by excessively empowering members of the imperial clan without establishing effective checks and balances, the regime ultimately allowed central authority to be eroded, triggering the profound crises of the Rebellion of the Eight Princes and the Incursions of the Five Barbarians. Comparative analysis suggests that the dynamic balance between central and local power constitutes the core foundation of state stability. The successful transplantation and effective functioning of any institutional model must correspond to the prevailing historical conditions and social foundations. The divergent outcomes of “feudal” transformations under the Han and Jin thus offer valuable historical insight into the evolutionary logic of imperial centralization in ancient China.