In today's China, Kongjia is only the 98th most popular surname, but in history, Kongjia has enjoyed extremely special social and economic treatment, and was honored as "the first surname in the world" and "the first surname of Confucianism" by later generations.
The reason why the Kongshi family in Shandong has been prosperous and enjoyed special treatment is mainly due to their ancestor Confucius, and of course, the members of the Kongshi family in past dynasties have been aware of the times. Shandong Confucius House is a descendant family left by Confucius, the most sacred teacher of Confucianism. Because Confucius initiated Confucianism, enlightened the world and influenced the ages, the Confucius family, as a saint, has become a symbol of culture with the prosperity of Confucianism in China for thousands of years, and has been in a prosperous state after the replacement of dynasties.
Because the political thought founded by Confucius later became the political thought used by the ruling class of the feudal dynasty in China to rule the people, since the Han Dynasty, emperors of all dynasties have respected Confucius as a saint, and the heads of each generation of the Confucius family have also been knighted. Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, the civil affairs of Qufu County and the appointment and removal of all officials have also belonged to the Kongs. Even in the Republic of China, the position of the head of the Confucian family was equivalent to that of the central minister, receiving 800 silver dollars a month.
Of course, another reason is that the descendants of the Confucius family have realized the times and know how to advance and retreat, which is also the reason why the Confucius family flourished. No matter which forces won the world in history, Shandong Confucius was the first to submit a surrender letter, indicating surrender. For example, during the period when Jin Meng and Song Dynasty were in the ascendant, three feast dukes appeared in the world. For example, when Emperor Shunzhi ascended the throne in Beijing after entering the Qing Dynasty, the contemporary Duke Kong (conferring the title of Chongzhen) immediately sent a message to He Wen, praising Emperor Shunzhi as a generation of holy emperors and praising the civil and military affairs of the Qing Dynasty, which was extremely flattering. After the Qing dynasty issued a haircut order, Kong was also the first to finish the haircut. Take this as an example.
In the history of China, Confucianism, as a political thought ruled by feudal dynasties, existed in almost all dynasties (since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty). In addition, the descendants of the Confucius family in Shandong are also aware of the current situation and know how to advance and retreat. Therefore, the emperors of past dynasties endowed Confucius and Shandong Confucius with extremely high social and economic status, thus creating a magnificent feat of Confucius' prosperity.