[Dissertation] Cult and Calendars in the Ancient Empires of Qin, Han, and Rome

Author:
Rebecca Robinson

School:
McGill University

Department:
Department of History and Classical Studies

Year:
2016

Abstract: 

Cult and Calendars in the Ancient Empires of Qin, Han, and Rome is a comparison of reforms made to imperial cult and calendar during the formative years of empire.  As distinct from ruler cult, I define imperial cult as cult activity worshiped both by the emperor and on his authority.  The early years of the Qin Han and Roman empires saw imperially-sponsored cult increase dramatically, and saw the positioning of the person of the emperor at the centre of all cult activity.  In both empires, reforms to state cult and calendars were initiated as part of a larger program of consolidating power around the person of the emperor.  Despite the very different challenges facing the emperors of Han and Rome, there is a remarkable similarity in the areas in which they chose to consolidate their power, as well as the methods through which they carried out their reforms.  In both empires, the rulers sought the advice of advisors from outside of the traditional elite, incorporating astronomical and religious knowledge from diverse regions and peoples.  This outside knowledge and practices were then incorporated into state cult, reshaping the way that the emperors and their subordinates worshipped.  I argue that these reforms to cult, and the incorporation of outside knowledge, was fundamental to the consolidation of power in the person of the emperor. 

Examining the expansion of cult practices, calendrical reforms, and spectacular performances, the dissertation uncovers the processes in the transformation of imperial cult to fit the changing needs of empire.  Rather than seeking parallels in belief systems or cult practice, the dissertation compares the ways in which religious institutions both shaped and communicated a new imperial order.  The juxtaposition of the two societies reveals not only the similarities and differences in these processes, but also the biases of historical sources and subsequent scholarship in both fields.

Ancient Central China: Centers and Peripheries along the Yangzi River

Author:
Rowan K Flad; Pochan Chen

Publisher:
Cambridge University Press

Publication Year:
2013

Abstract:

Ancient Central China provides an up-to-date synthesis of archaeological discoveries in the upper and middle Yangzi River region of China, including the Three Gorges Dam reservoir zone. It focuses on the Late Neolithic (late third millennium BC) through the end of the Bronze Age (late first millennium BC) and considers regional and interregional cultural relationships in light of anthropological models of landscape. Rowan K. Flad and Pochan Chen show that centers and peripheries of political, economic and ritual activities were not coincident, and that politically peripheral regions such as the Three Gorges were crucial hubs in interregional economic networks, particularly related to prehistoric salt production. The book provides detailed discussions of recent archaeological discoveries and data from the Chengdu Plain, Three Gorges and Hubei to illustrate how these various components of regional landscape were configured across Central China.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction: centers and peripheries in the ancient Yangzi River Valley

Part I. Setting the Stage:
2. The environment of Central China
3. Historiography and the topography of research: a history of archaeology in Central China

Part II. Political and Cultural Topographies:
4. The Sichuan Basin: Shu and its predecessors
5. The Middle Yangzi: the archaeology and history of Chu and its predecessors
6. Periphery at the center: the Ba and archaeological cultures in the Three Gorges

Part III. Topographies of Economic Activity and Ritual:
7. Economic topographies: production, exchange, and the integrating role of salt
8. Ritual topographies: sacrifice and divination
9. Ritual topographies: burials and social identity; 10. Conclusion: landscapes of interaction and the interaction of landscapes

Chariots in Early China : Origins, Cultural Interaction, and Identity

Author:
Xiaoyun Wu

Publisher:
Archaeopress

Publication Year:
2013

Abstract:

This book concerns the ways in which the adaption of a steppe innovation, the horse-drawn chariot, in Chinese society during the 12th - 3rd century BCE contributed profoundly to the development of Chinese political and social value. The importance of the steppe driving skill in warfare, and political and ritual ceremonies in Chinese society not only brought a number of steppe people to serve in Chinese states, but also largely transformed Chinese social, political, and burial practices, and value systems. These early uses were reinterpreted in later periods and still have their influence today

Table of Contents:

Introduction. 
Historical background ; Literature Review ; Research Approaches ; Organization of the book

The Origins: the Shang Chariot and Their Steppe Associations. 
Introduction ; Components of the Shang chariot set ; The origins of the Shang chariot set ; The adaption of steppe chariots in the late Shang society

The Golden Chariot of the Zhou. 
Background ; Associations between the Zhou chariot and the Steppe culture ; The development of social roles of chariots in the Western Zhou period ; Chariots in the Eastern Zhou period ; The adoption of Zhou fittings by northern steppe groups

Chariots, Steppe Elements, and the Zhou Elite's Local Networks. 
Introduction ; Negotiation with steppe groups: cases from the Yan state and its periphery ; Gender and ethnic expressions of chariot burials in a local context: cases from the cemetery of the Jin ruling family ; Adopting chariots in the south in the middle Yangtze River valley ; Later developments

The Chariot of Early China: a Cultural Symbol

A Good Son Is Sad if He Hears the Name of His Father: The Tabooing of Names in China as a Way of Implementing Social Values

Author:
Piotr Adamek

Publisher:
Sankt Augustin, Germany : Institut Monumenta Serica

Publication Date:
2015. 9.30

Abstract:

When in 1775 the scholar Wang Xihou 王錫侯 compiled a dictionary called Ziguan 字貫, he wrote, for illustrative purposes, the personal names of Confucius and the three emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong in the introduction. In oversight, he recorded their complete names. This accidental writing of a few names was condemned by Emperor Qianlong as an unprecedented crime, rebellion and high treason. Wang Xihou was executed, his property confiscated and his books were burnt. His family was arrested and his sons and grandsons were killed or sent as slaves to Heilongjiang. 

It is surprising what an enormous impact the tabooing of names (bihui 避諱) had on Chinese culture. The names of sovereigns, ancestors, officials, teachers, and even friends were all considered taboo, in other words it was prohibited to pronounce them or to record them in writing. In numerous cases characters identical or similar in writing or pronunciation were often avoided as well. The tabooing of names was observed in the family and on the street, in the office and in the emperor’s palace. The practice of bihui had serious consequences for the daily lives of the Chinese and for Chinese historiography. People even avoided certain places and things, and refused to accept offices. They were punished and sometimes even killed in connection with the tabooing of names. The bihui custom existed as an important element of Chinese culture and was perceived as significant by Chinese and foreigners alike. It was crucial for implementing social values and demonstrating the political hierarchy. 

The present work A Good Son Is Sad if He Hears the Name of His Father is a systematic study of Chinese name-tabooing customs, which until now have been relatively little explored in Western-language Sinological studies. It attempts to provide a long-term perspective on the changing dynamics of tabooing and elucidates various aspects related to the fascinating topic of tabooing of names.

Table of Contents:

Chapter One: Introduction

Chapter Two: Taboo and Name

Chapter Three: Basic Characteristics of Name Tabooing

Chapter Four: Beginnings of the Custom of Name Taboo in China

Chapter Five: Name Tabooing from the Han to Southern and Northern Dynasties

Chapter Six: Culmination of the Custom of Name Taboo

Chapter Seven: Last Centuries of Name Tabooing

Chapter Eight: Consequences of Name Taboo for Chinese People

Chapter Nine: Historiographical Consequences and the Basics of the Discipline of Name Tabooing

Chapter Ten: Special Topics of Name Tabooing

Bibliography

Chronological Index of Taboo Names of Emperors and Other Famous Persons

Alphabetical Index of Taboo Characters

Table: Confucian Officials Executed for Taboo Mistakes 

中華帝国のジレンマ― 礼的思想と法的秩序

Author:
富谷至 (Tomiya Itaru)

Publication Date:
2016.2.15

Publisher:
筑摩書房

Table of Contents:

序文—法と礼の世界への誘い

Ⅰ 中国古代の礼
1 『論語』に見える礼
2 心の中の礼——孟子
3 作為の礼——荀子
4 礼典の成立

Ⅱ 中国古代法の成立と法的規範
1 法の起源と展開
2 律と令の法形式
3 律と令の法典化
4 中国法の原理

Ⅲ 交差する礼的秩序と法的秩序
1 礼から法へ
2 処罰される感謝の行為
3 法と礼の男女関係
4 殺人の奨励と礼賛

総論

Traces of the Sage: Monument, Materiality, and the First Temple of Confucius

Author: 
James A Flath

Publisher: 
University of Hawaiʻi Press

Publisher:
2016

Abstract:

The Temple of Confucius (Kong Temple) in Qufu is the definitive monument to the world's greatest sage. From its humble origins deep in China's past, the home of Confucius grew in size and stature under the auspices of almost every major dynasty until it was the largest and most richly endowed temple in the Ming and Qing empires. The decline of state-sponsored ritualism in the twentieth century triggered a profound identity crisis for the temple and its worshipers, yet the fragile relic survived decades of neglect, war, and revolution and is now recognized as a national treasure and a World Heritage Site.

Traces of the Sage is the first comprehensive account of the history and material culture of Kong Temple. Following the temple's development through time and across space, it relates architecture to the practice of Confucianism, explains the temple's phenomenal perseverance, and explores the culture of building in China. Other chapters consider the problem of Confucian heritage conservation and development over the last hundred years—a period when the validity of Confucianism has been called into question—and the challenge of remaking Confucian heritage as a commercial enterprise. By reconstructing its "social life," the study interprets Kong Temple as an active site of transaction and negotiation and argues that meaning does not hide behind architecture but emerges from the circulation and regeneration of its spaces and materials.

The most complete work on a seminal monument in Chinese history through millennia, Traces of the Sage will find a ready audience among cultural and political historians of imperial and modern China as well as students and scholars of architectural history and theory and Chinese ritual.

Table of Contents:

Kong Temple as structure
Ritual as material culture
Kong Temple as space
Kong Temple and the modern politics of culture
Confucius Inc.

周代史の研究―東アジア世界における多様性の統合

Author:
豊田久 (Toyoda Hidashi)

Publisher:
汲古書院

Publication Year:
2015

Table of Contents:

第一章　周王朝における君主権の構造について

            ―「天命の膺受」者を中心に―

　第一節　「天命の膺受」者と「四方の匍有」者(天子と王)について

　第二節　「天命の膺受」者の性格について〔「上下の匍有」者と「四

　　　　　　　方の匍有」者について・徧き「上下」祭祀の主体者・合わ

　　　　　　　せて「万邦」(「民」と「疆土」)を天より受けた者

　第三節　「天命の膺受」者と世襲主義の結合について

　第四節　「天命の膺受」者から「四方の匍有」者へ(天子から王へ)



第二章　周王朝と「成」の構造について
            ―「成周」(「中国」)はなぜ「成」周と呼ばれたのか―

　第一節　「成周」と「四方」について

　第二節　「中国」(「成」周）の内と外について

　第三節　西周青銅器の銘文上に見える「成」の字の用例について

　　　　　　　〔「四方」(「四国」）における、国際的紛争の収束に関係す

　　　　　　　る銘文上に現われる「成」の場合・その他(裁判・契約例

　　　　　　　など)の銘文上に現われる「成」の場合〕


第三章　周王朝と弓彤考 ―「四方の匍有」者(王)の性格について―

　第一節　異族が引き起こす国際的紛争を鎮定した功の場合

　第二節　封建の場合

　第三節 射礼の場合


第四章　周王朝と「上下」考―「上下の匍有」者(天子)の性格について―

　第一節　現天子(共王)が、周王朝の開設者・文王、武王の功績を

　　　　　　 受け継いだことについて

　第二節　「上下の匍有」と「豊年」について

　第三節　「上下の匍有」の目的とその意味について

　第四節　殷王朝と「上下」、そして祈年について

　第五節　「上下を匍有して」と「䢔わせて万邦を受く」との結合について


第五章　周王朝とその儀礼
         ― 王と臣下、又は神との間の意志の伝達方法について―

　第一節　王と臣下の場合

　第二節　王と神の場合


第六章　西周金文に見える、王の出自する「家」について
         ―婦人の婚姻そして祖先神、領地など―

　第一節　王の「家」と婦人の婚姻について

　第二節　王の「家」、臣下側の「家」について


第七章　周王朝の君主とその位相について―豊かさと安寧―

　第一節　「天命の膺受」と「受民、受疆土」について〔「受民」の「民」は

　　　　　　　、もともと多様な異族を皆含んでいることについて・「受疆

　　　　　　　土」の「疆土」と経済的富の生産について〕

　第二節　「四方の匍有」と国際的な安寧秩序〔「四方」(「万邦」)と国

　　　　　　　際的紛争の収束について・「四方」の中心「中国」(洛邑)

　　　　　　　と「帝廷」天宮について

　第三節　周王朝の君位継承儀礼について

後書き／青銅器（金文）索引　
中文要旨　
英文要旨

[Dissertation] Embodying the Way: Bio-spiritual Practices and Ritual Theories in Early and Medieval China

作者 Author:

Ori Tavor

系所 School: 
University of Pennsylvania, East Asian Languages and Civilization

指導教授 Supervisor:

Paul R. Goldin

摘要 Abstract:

The recent emergence of Ritual Studies as an interdisciplinary academic field has engendered a renewed interest in ritual practices. In Chinese Studies, this has led to a surge in research devoted to the reconstruction of ancient rituals through textual resources. It has also resulted in the examination of contemporary practices through anthropological field work. Painting a clear picture of the rich history of ritual in China entails more than studying ritual practices using modern methodologies, however; it also involves understanding the ritual theories that helped shape them.

My dissertation surveys a variety of texts from the Warring States to the Early Medieval periods that can all be read as attempts to "theorize" ritual. I examine three theories, written by the Confucian philosopher Xunzi, a group of Western Han literati, and the Daoist liturgist Lu Xiujing, against the backdrop of contemporaneous individual self-cultivation practices. I demonstrate that ritual was often depicted as a technology of the body, a technique of self-cultivation that allows man, through the medium of his own body, to assert his influence on the world or even transcend it. By tracing the similarities and transformations in ritual theory over a period of a thousand years, I demonstrate that, despite the evident differences in their sociopolitical and religious agendas, all three ritual theorists shared a common belief in the ultimate efficacy of ritual over the individual self-cultivation techniques advocated by their rivals.

I conclude by situating Chinese ritual theory in the broader context of Ritual Studies and demonstrate how the insights I have obtained open up new ways of thinking about ritual, the body, and the relationship between them. I argue that the distinctive philosophical and cosmological assumptions that surfaced in Early and Medieval China have produced ritual theories that are fundamentally different from their Western counterparts. Distilling a Chinese approach to the theorization of ritual can thus offer alternative solutions to the challenges faced by contemporary scholars, such as the role and meaning of ritual in the modern world.