The purpose of this multi modal oral presentation is to respond to the topic question whilst arguing the following hypothesis: Emperor Wu-di, when compared to all other Emperors following the inception of the Han government, succeeded in harnessing the power of the Chinese bureaucracy the most efficiently by expanding territories and restructuring the government and the economy of the Han. It is my firm belief that Emperor Wu-di not only used the power of the bureaucracy, but he also created it. To accomplish this task, this multimodal presentation will first delve into the purpose of a bureaucracy followed by a brief outline of who Wu-di was and how, compared to two other Emperors’ Wu-di was considered to use the power the most effectively. Finally, how Wu-di successfully harnessed the power of the Chinese bureaucracy will be established.
Before we can begin discussing the effects of Emperor Wu-di’s China in harnessing the power, we must first establish what constitutes effectively using a bureaucracy. To achieve this we must observe the purpose of a bureaucracy, its fundamental nature. There are many different opinions regarding what constitutes a bureaucracy and its purpose. The credible general historian, S. Mass, of Stanford University Press, has defined a bureaucracy as a typical expression of rationally regulated association within a structure of domination where by the qualified people are issued the precise job to suit their qualification. This way the empire will continue to strive even if the Emperor is incapacitated1. This quote represents a mainstream opinion; however, this train of thought is not relevant to my hypothesis as it is not specifically referenced to Chinese bureaucracy. However, the foremost historian of the early Han, Michael Loewe, of Cambridge University in England, has put forward that ‘the purpose of the Chinese bureaucracy was specifically to allow Confucianism to spread’2. I personally agree with this opinion as Confucianism was...