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Hanlin Scholars of the Tang dynasty play a vital role during the war against provincial governments. The dominating factor which changes their political status was attained by the court's policy to confront regional military power, as advocated by Emperor De zong 德宗and his later successor, Xian zong 憲宗. As the leader of many provincial governors, the efforts are to ensure the reign of Tang as the supremacy, as well as to eliminate potential threats towards the court. Throughout the process of taming the rebels, Hanlin Scholars were well recognized as a group of devoted messenger between the emperor and provincial governors. To consolidate the political role of Hanlin Scholars on this, Xian zong implements several revolutionary acts, which thought to eventually lead to the institutionalization of the Hanlin Academy, resulting in a permanent change of the political status of those officers. Thus, this thesis concentrates on the implementation of two of the reforms taken. These include, first of all, the establishment of the official stamp for edict書詔印and secondly, the Dean of Hanlin Academy 學士承旨 to study how they contribute to the elevated political status and power of Hanlin Scholars respectively. Establishment of the official stamp for edict, giving Hanlin Scholars the power in drafting official documents on behalf of the Imperial Secretariat zhongshu sheren 中書舍人. The increasing numbers of official letters circulating between the emperor and provincial governors also enable Hanlin Scholars to gain decisive power in the central court. In conjunction with that, the establishment of Dean of Hanlin Academy, make them the perfect substitute for prime ministers, by the means of similarities shown between the two in terms of working scope and political participation. The high tendency of Hanlin Scholars to be promoted as the prominent leader by the court, pressured by the political needs back then, change their political status in returns. |