Is the Peasant Uprising's Seizure of Imperial Power Considered Usurpation?

First, it depends on whom the imperial power belongs to and who its owner is. If it belongs to the emperor and his family, then a peasant uprising would be robbing the current emperor. But who can remain emperor forever? After an emperor dies, if there is no son to inherit the throne, then another member of the imperial clan becomes emperor. This shows that the emperor is not fixed. Since it can change, anyone among the people with great blessings and capabilities can also become emperor. Therefore, if peasants rise up and successfully become emperor, it cannot be considered robbery.

If this power belongs to everyone, then peasants rising up to become emperor still cannot be considered robbery. Public power is not private property; it would be wrong to gradually occupy and privatize it. Seizing imperial power with the selfish desire to be the greatest in the world is robbery, whereas doing so solely for the sake of the world is not robbery. Historically, many peasant uprisings were the result of officials driving the people to rebellion. If the ruling class becomes corrupt and incompetent, implements tyranny, and disregards the lives of the people, then the people’s uprising to remove their public power and save themselves cannot be considered robbery. However, if the rebels, upon gaining power, similarly misuse public power for private gain or become even more corrupt and oppressive than their predecessors, then the rebels are also committing robbery.

It depends on the thoughts of the people at the time, who benefits and who suffers. One cannot explain causality using worldly morality. From the perspective of feudal dynastic rule, throughout history, the ruling class benefited the most from dynastic changes, while ordinary people did not reap the greatest rewards. If one occupies the throne and does practical things to benefit the people, it should not be considered robbery. It depends on the motivation and the actions taken. Then, is it not robbery for an emperor to claim imperial power as his own and pass it down hereditarily? Is the emperor’s imperial power not stolen?