In the history of China, different dynasties had different degrees of cultural autocracy, but in general, the rulers controlled the academic and cultural fields strictly. The development of China's ancient cultural autocracy can be divided into four stages: the first stage is the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, when cultural autocracy began to flourish. Before the Spring and Autumn Period, learning was in the hands of officials, and cultural scholarship was in the hands of rulers and nobles. After a hundred schools of thought contended during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Qin Shihuang's "burning books to bury Confucianism" and Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty's "ousting a hundred schools of thought and respecting Confucianism alone" ended the only active period of thought and culture in China's history, which had far-reaching influence. The second stage is Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. During this period, literature, history, metaphysics and Buddhism flourished, but there were also many disasters of remonstrance, history, poetry and Buddhism, which was the development stage of cultural autocracy. The third stage is the Sui, Tang and Song Dynasties, which is the prosperous period of cultural autocracy. In addition to slander, poetry and banned books, the imperial court also implemented the imperial examination to strengthen the control of intellectuals. In the Song Dynasty, fierce and frequent party struggles took place around the issue of political reform and the peaceful war against Kim. In addition, the voluminous books compiled by the imperial court during this period also played a great role in the implementation of cultural autocracy by the monarch. The fourth stage is the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which is the peak stage of cultural autocracy. The court's cruel persecution of intellectuals far exceeded that of any previous dynasty. Literary inquisition is the climax and model of cultural autocracy in Ming and Qing Dynasties. As can be seen from the above summary, the cultural autocracy in ancient China was persistent and harsh, which played an important role in strengthening the autocratic monarchy. Autocratic means 1: ideological restraint autocracy means 2: bureaucratic monopoly autocracy means 3: imperial monopoly autocracy means 4: speech taboo autocracy means 5: religious control.

Reference: http://www.thjy.org/chuyilishi/article/63281991789 9062500.aspx.