A Study of Loubu in the Han Dynasty

Loubu in the Han Dynasty was used as a memorial submitted to the throne or an order issued by the imperial court and it was a medium of spreading information by publicizing its contents.The unique feature of the Loubu in the Han Dynasty was that it was not used to spread military information,but instead,to communicate the information on politics and government.This type of information involved decrees for pardon issued openly by the emperor and ministers' open opinions about the current government and politics,such as a report to the throne about the emperor's funeral and ceremonies and proprieties,a minister's political commitment when conducting a state funeral and a repotr on an officials' offence,etc.The Loubu of dynasties after the Northern Wei Dynasty was chiefly used in the spreading of military information.The difference between these types of Loubu and that in the Han Dynasty lies in the contents,traits,manners and functions of the information communicated.