The idea to put Thomas Cromwell and Shangyang in juxtaposition is inspired by their paths of life. Thomas Cromwell, the Chief Minister under King Henry VIII of English, lived from 1485-1540 AD; Shangyang, one of the Chief Ministers under Emperor Xiao of China Qin Dynasty, lived from 390-338 BC. The two tried to enforce reformation which would change the landscape of European history and ancient China history. Both had origins of plebian. Both with the full support of kings uprooted the then existing societal system. With the upheavals in minds, both were executed later by king for their reformation interfered and vitiated the powers and benefits of imperialists and nobilities.
Thomas Cromwell, an English statesman also the son of a clothworker/smith/house keeper(different accounts), rose to power for offering advocacy to King Henry VIII’s religious reformation which broke English from the control of Rome Papacy. Though King Henry VIII’s purpose was to denounce the marriage to Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn, the mother of famous Elizabeth I. King Henry VIII was a devoted Catholic to the Pope of Rome. But under the old Rome Catholic church system, the Pope of Rome would deny Henry VIII’s request of the announcement of a null marriage to Queen Catherine of Aragon.
Catherine of Aragon was also the aunt of the then King of Spain, Emperor Charles V, who put the then Pope of Rome in prison. After King Henry VIII was bewitched by Anne Boleyn, whose action was under the maneuver of her father, Sir Thomas Boleyn. Being an ambitious statesman, Thomas Boleyn first sent his elder daughter, Mary Boleyn, to be the mistress of King Henry VIII. After Mary lost Henry VIII’s favor, Anne Boleyn was arranged to flirt with Henry VIII. And the king fell into the trap. Under Anne’s insistence, Henry VIII resolved to divorce Queen Catherine and establish Anne as the Queen of England. That’s where Cromwell seized the opportunity to rise to power.
Cromwell first served under the Cardinal Wolsey who tried to mediate between the King Henry VIII and Pope of Rome to achieve the goal of divorce but failed. And Cromwell rode the waves and became the strongest advocate of His Majesty. In order to break away from Rome Church, Cromwell pushed the religious reformation, which made the King Henry VIII the head of England Church. Also, Cromwell put force a radical eradication of Catholic churches and their influences in England. A great societal upheaval was detonated, and not only some court members and royal family members were dissatisfied with the reformation, even a plebian rebellion was sparked which for once frightened His Majesty, King Henry VIII. However, the breakaway gave England the opportunity to enjoy autonomy and later developed different social and law system which, under the Elizabeth I, created the era of Great Britain Empire.
Yang, also a son of plebian, was raised to learn the law and jurisdiction system. By then, the ancient China Kingdom was broke into numerous small states, and the power of the ancient East Zhou Empire was eclipsing. Those ambitious Dukes were actively recruiting intellectuals and smart statesman to beef up their own strength. Before Yang, there were a few jurisprudents such as Wu Qi began to spread the importance of law and its supremacy. One background tip, during the Zhou Dynasty, the very beginning of China civilization, law and jurisprudence was under their very earliest age of development.
Enamored by the theories advocated by legists, Yang spent great amount of time studying law books and their applications. Yang was noticed by the chancellor of Duke of Wei. He was recommended to the Duke of Wei upon the chancellor’s death. The chancellor said to the Duke to use Yang as the future chief minister, or deprive his right of life in case of no interest. The chancellor warned the loss of Yang to other states would be a disaster to Wei. However, after the passing away of the chancellor, Wei ignored either his recommendation or the warning. Yang left State of Wei and went to State of Qin. The duke of Qin, Xiao, was experiencing great military failure and invested heavily to recruit the most talented person nationwide.
Yang managed to talk to Xiao, Duke of Qin, and had the duke prevailed. Eager and thirsty for new policy to strengthen his power, Xiao gave Yang the full power and support. Named one of his chief ministers, the only one non-royal family member of the four chief ministers, Yang was granted the full control of the reformation. And he began to press his way. By then, royal family members were above laws, and in order to demonstrate the supremacy of laws, Yang even punished the tutors of princes and received the oppressed acquiescence from royal family members and nobilities. Also, in order to enrich the Qin state treasury, Yang enforced laws to confiscate the lands once owned by nobilities. The nobilities championed the old instituted political system of Empire Xia, Shang, and Zhou, whereas Yang debated the once successful political system couldn’t adapt to new situations. Not to mention, the reformation pushed by Yang striped the inherited benefits away from nobilities.
Under Yang’s reformation, Qin sailed into prosperity and finally was able to defeat all the states and unite the whole nation. Empire Qin was born with the blessing of Yang’s reformation. Yang once was awarded with the state of Shang, and he was later remembered as Shangyang. However, the next Emperor was so dissatisfied with Yang, bearing in mind whose tutor was punished by Yang, also with the encouragements of those nobilities who hated Yang so much, that the Emperor sealed Yang’s miserable ending. Shangyang was executed alive by four chariots, which torn his body apart. And Yang’s family was destroyed entirely.
Cromwell suffered the same fate. His head was cut off and boiled and spiked on a rod for public display. That’s the fate of reformers, doomed from the beginning. People would wonder if there is any way for a successful reformer to maintain a blessed ending. However, no mater whatever the personal consequences, Cromwell and Yang were able to change the land of Europe and the land of China forever.
Astin Page 