Er Wang San Ke

Erwang Sanke (二王三恪) or "the two crownings and the three respects" is something Chinese emperors did to honor the previous dynasty. For example the Sui dynasty came directly before the Tang. So the Tang may honor descendants of the Sui royal family. The Tang would do this by giving these Sui descendants land to rule over. The Tang said you can control these lands and use laws of the previous Sui dynasty if you wish. There may also be a sacrifice at a religious place.

This was done to show respect to previous dynasties. This was also to make a peaceful transition of power.

It has been done in every major Chinese dynasty from the Xia to the Qing.

Sometimes people would pretend to be the descendants of the previous dynasty just to get this benefit.

Name

Er wang 二王 means two rulers. This refers to the current ruler and the previous ruler.

San ke 三恪 means three respects. This could refer to how this was done for the first three generation descendants of the previous ruler (their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren).

Er Wang San Ke Media

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  A depiction of Yu, the initiator of dynastic rule in China, by the Southern Song court painter Ma Lin.

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  An illustration of the Battle of Shanhai Pass, a decisive battle fought during the Ming–Qing transition. The victorious Qing dynasty extended its rule into China proper thereafter.

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  A photograph of the Xuantong Emperor, widely considered to be the last legitimate monarch of China, taken in AD 1922.

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  Imperial seal of the Qing dynasty with "<span title=" transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Dà Qīng Dìguó zhī xǐ" (大清帝國之璽; "Seal of the Great Qing Empire") rendered in seal script. Seals were a symbol of political authority and legitimacy.

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  A German map of the Chinese Empire during the height of the Qing dynasty. The Qing dynasty is considered to be a "Central Plain dynasty", a "unified dynasty", and a "conquest dynasty".

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  Approximate territories controlled by the various dynasties and states throughout Chinese history, juxtaposed with the modern Chinese borders.