DOCSLIB.ORG

Consciousness During the Song Dynasty: on One of the Origins of Modern Nationalist Ideology

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Consciousness During the Song Dynasty: on One of the Origins of Modern Nationalist Ideology chapter 1 The Appearance of “China” Consciousness during the Song Dynasty: On One of the Origins of Modern Nationalist Ideology 1 A Discourse of China, a Discourse of Orthodoxy: Definite Emergence of China Consciousness There are two literary documents from the Northern Song dynasty of special interest to intellectual history. The first is “On Zhongguo” by Shi Jie, which re- mains to this date the earliest-known political essay with “Zhongguo” in the title. Not only is the author of this piece an important figure in the history of Northern Song scholarship, but the nationalistic tone of the piece is un- usually fervent, even extreme, revealing a previously unheard-of concern for Zhongguo.56 The other piece is “On Orthodoxy,” by Ouyang Xiu.57 This work is certainly influential in the current moment, and not only because its author was a piv- otal figure in intellectual, literary and political history; but because Ouyang Xiu’s opinions are related to his deep historical understanding of the previ- ous dynasty and the practice of writing. The way history was understood and 56 In this and another piece titled “Guaishuo” (On the strange), Shi Jie strictly distinguished “China” and “the four barbarians” based on both the spatial difference and cultural differ- ence. Shi Jie 石介, “Zhongguo lun” 中国论 (On Zhongguo), in Julai Shi xiansheng wenji 徂徕石先生文集 (The collection of Master Shi of Culai) (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1984), juan 10, 116. Also see “Guaishuo” 怪说 (On the strange), the first, second, and third pieces, in Julai Shi xiansheng wenji, juan 5, 60–62. 57 Ouyang Xiu 欧阳修, “Zhengtong lun” 正统论 (On orthodoxy), 3 pieces, in Ouyang Xiu Quanji 欧阳修全集 (The complete collection of Ouyang Xiu) (Beijing: Zhonghua shu- ju, 2001), vol. 16, “jushi ji” 居士集 (Collection of the hermit), juan 16, 265–273. Also see his “Zhengtong bian” 正统辩 (Debating on orthodoxy), in Ouyang Xiu Quanji, vol. 60, “Jushi waiji” 居士外集 (Other collections of the hermit), juan 10, 863–865. The rise of the de- bate on ‘orthodoxy’ in historiography has to do with the reconstruction and confirmation of history. It is also to do with the establishment of a cultural and ethnic identity for the Song dynasty which was located, in history, in the critical moment of “respecting the em- peror and dispelling the barbarians.” See Rao Zongyi 饶宗颐, Zhongguo shixue shang zhi zhengtong lun 中国史学上之正统论 (The discussions of the orthodoxy in Chinese historiography) (Shanghai: Shanghai yuandong chubanshe, 1996), especially 35–42. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���7 | doi �0.��63/9789004�79995_003 <UN> 30 chapter 1 written about affected the way in which the intellectual class of the time or- ganized historical lessons and experiences so as to affirm the legitimacy of the government of the time. Modern scholars see in these documents the great change of the age, one involving what it means to be Xia (Chinese), as distinct from Yi (barbarian), as well as attendant concepts of minzu (nation), guojia (state), and the tribu- tary system of tianxia (all under Heaven). The rise of a nationalism centered on notions of selfhood dates back to the time of the great setback to the self- centered ideology of ‘all under Heaven’. This indicates an interesting contrast between the real world and certain ideal ones: the self-awareness of a nation and a state grows even as the fortunes of that nation and state decline. To this day, such a pattern is apparent in Chinese intellectual history. Many scholars have discussed such a shift, one that occurred between the Tang and Song dynasties. Fu Lo-cheng, for example, points out that, just after the An Lushan rebellion, The Chinese were especially cautious of the barbarians. However, it is always difficult to change long-established ideas in a short period of time. Therefore, the distinction between Chinese and barbarian was not as strictly defended in the late Tang dynasty as during the Song.58 Fu sees that the distinction between Chinese and barbarians became more and more acute. In “Tang xing wenhua yu Song xing wenhua,” he cites specific factors contributing to this new situation. The first reason was the alien ethnic groups’ rebellions and invasions… The second reason was the development of the civil service examination. The trend of valuing literacy over militarism was gradually cultivated in the society. Subsequently the idea that Chinese culture was supreme emerged… Based on these two reasons, the disparaging attitude of the Chinese towards the alien ethnic groups and their cultures became ex- tremely clear. Meanwhile, the passion for Chinese traditional culture gradually helped establish the culture that was based upon China.59 58 Fu Lo-cheng, 傅乐成 “Tangdai yixia guannian zhi yanbian” 唐代夷夏观念之演变 (Evolution of the Barbarian/Chinese distinction during the Tang dynasty), originally printed in Dalu zazhi 25:8 (October, 1962), later reprinted in his Han Tang shi lunji 汉唐史论集 (The collected essays on the history of the Han and Tang dynasties) (Taipei: Lianjing chuban shiye gongsi, [1977] 1995), 209–226. 59 Fu Lo-cheng, “Tangxing wenhua yu Songxing wenhua” 唐型文化与宋型文化 (Tang- type culture and Song-type culture), originally printed in Guoli bianyi guan kan 1:4 <UN>.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Volume 19 (2012), Article 2
    Volume 19 (2012), Article 2 http://chinajapan.org/articles/19/2 Fogel, Joshua A. “On Saeki Arikiyo’s Monumental Study of the ‘Treatise on the People of Wa’” Sino-Japanese Studies 19 (2012), article 2. Abstract: Saeki Ariyiko was one of the world’s premier historians of ancient Japanese and East Asian history. His knowledge of texts and his ability to use them in creative ways and thus bring antiquity to life were virtually unmatched. One of his last works was a reading of the single most commented upon text in Sino-Japanese historical and cultural relations, the Treatise on the People of Wa in the Chronicle of the Kingdom of Wei (known in Japan as Gishi Wajinden). Saeki’s book, entitled Gishi Wajingden o yomu 魏 志倭人伝を読む (Reading the Treatise on the People of Wa in the Chronicle of the Kingdom of Wei), appeared in two volumes (over 450 pages in total) and was published by Yoshikawa kōbunkan in 2000. To give a flavor of the work, I offer a translation of the introductions to each of the volumes. Sino-Japanese Studies http://chinajapan.org/articles/19/2 On Saeki Arikiyo’s Monumental Study of the “Treatise on the People of Wa” Joshua A. Fogel Saeki Ariyiko 佐伯有清 (1925-2005) was one of the world’s premier historians of ancient Japanese and East Asian history. His knowledge of texts and his ability to use them in creative ways and thus bring antiquity to life were virtually unmatched. Although I never had the honor to study with or even meet him, I have long been an admirer of his scholarship both for his approach and product.
    [Show full text]
  • Warring States and Harmonized Nations: Tianxia Theory As a World Political Argument Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2020, 205 P
    JYU DISSERTATIONS 247 Matti Puranen Warring States and Harmonized Nations Tianxia Theory as a World Political Argument JYU DISSERTATIONS 247 Matti Puranen Warring States and Harmonized Nations Tianxia Theory as a World Political Argument Esitetään Jyväskylän yliopiston humanistis-yhteiskuntatieteellisen tiedekunnan suostumuksella julkisesti tarkastettavaksi heinäkuun 17. päivänä 2020 kello 9. Academic dissertation to be publicly discussed, by permission of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University of Jyväskylä, on July 17, 2020 at 9 o’clock a.m.. JYVÄSKYLÄ 2020 Editors Olli-Pekka Moisio Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of Jyväskylä Timo Hautala Open Science Centre, University of Jyväskylä Copyright © 2020, by University of Jyväskylä Permanent link to this publication: http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-39-8218-8 ISBN 978-951-39-8218-8 (PDF) URN:ISBN:978-951-39-8218-8 ISSN 2489-9003 ABSTRACT Puranen, Matti Warring states and harmonized nations: Tianxia theory as a world political argument Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2020, 205 p. (JYU Dissertations ISSN 2489-9003; 247) ISBN 978-951-39-8218-8 The purpose of this study is to examine Chinese foreign policy by analyzing Chinese visions and arguments on the nature of world politics. The study focuses on Chinese academic discussions, which attempt to develop a ’Chinese theory of international politics’, and especially on the so called ’tianxia theory’ (天下论, tianxia lun), which is one of the most influential initiatives within these discussions. Tianxia theorists study imperial China’s traditional system of foreign relations and claim that the current international order, which is based on competing nation states, should be replaced with some kind of world government that would oversee the good of the whole planet.
    [Show full text]
  • Pdf, Accessed January 30, 2017
    https://englishkyoto-seas.org/ View the table of contents for this issue: https://englishkyoto-seas.org/2019/04/vol-8-no-1-of-southeast-asian-studies/ Subscriptions: https://englishkyoto-seas.org/mailing-list/ For permissions, please send an e-mail to: [email protected] SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES Vol. 8, No. 1 April 2019 CONTENTS Articles Stéphane RENNESSON Wrestling Beetles and Ecological Wisdom: How Insects Contribute to the Cosmopolitics of Northern Thailand .........................................................................( 3 ) James R. CHAMBERLAIN History that Slithers: Kra-Dai and the Pythonidae ..............................( 25 ) Nguyen Thi My HANH Application of Center-Periphery Theory to the Study of Vietnam-China Relations in the Middle Ages ............( 53 ) Jamshed KHALID Regional Cooperation in Higher Education: Anees Janee ALI Can It Lead ASEAN toward Harmonization? ..................................( 81 ) Nordiana Mohd NORDIN Syed Fiasal Hyder SHAH Yogi Setya PERMANA Politicizing the Fear of Crime in Decentralized Indonesia: An Insight from Central Lombok .....................................................( 99 ) Jakraphan CHAOPREECHA Revitalization of Tradition through Social Media: A Case of the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket, Thailand ..................(117) Book Reviews Keith BARNEY Bruce Shoemaker and William Robichaud, eds. Dead in the Water: Global Lessons from the World Bank’s Model Hydropower Project in Laos. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2018. ..............................(153)
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Conceptualizing China in Our Time: from a Chinese Perspective»
    European Review http://journals.cambridge.org/ERW Additional services for European Review: Email alerts: Click here Subscriptions: Click here Commercial reprints: Click here Terms of use : Click here Re-conceptualizing China in our Time: From a Chinese Perspective Zhang Longxi European Review / Volume 23 / Issue 02 / May 2015, pp 193 - 209 DOI: 10.1017/S106279871400074X, Published online: 25 March 2015 Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S106279871400074X How to cite this article: Zhang Longxi (2015). Re-conceptualizing China in our Time: From a Chinese Perspective. European Review, 23, pp 193-209 doi:10.1017/S106279871400074X Request Permissions : Click here Downloaded from http://journals.cambridge.org/ERW, IP address: 70.96.146.23 on 26 Mar 2015 European Review, Vol. 23, No. 2, 193–209 © 2015 Academia Europæa doi:10.1017/S106279871400074X Re-conceptualizing China in our Time: From a Chinese Perspective ZHANG LONGXI Department of Chinese, Linguistics and Translation, City University of Hong Kong; E-mail: [email protected] China as a concept had not been put under much scrutiny and challenge until the recent postmodern and postcolonial theoretical discourse on nation and nationhood, and the radical scepticism about tradition and homogeneity. Some scholars have questioned whether China could have been a nation state before there was any nation state in Europe, and others have challenged the very notions of China and Chineseness. How do the Chinese themselves respond to such scepticism and challenge? How does one re-conceptualize China at the present time? By drawing on recent debates on such important issues, this essay tries to find some answers and offers some views from a Chinese perspective, while fully engaging Western theore- tical discourses, to attempt an international dialogue and meaningful exchange.
    [Show full text]
  • T the Semantic Shift of “Western Regions” and the Westward Extension of the “Border” in the Tang Dynasty
    The Semantic Shift of “Western Regions” and the Westward Extension of the “Border” in the Tang Dynasty Rong Xinjiang and Wen Xin Traditionally, the term “Western Regions” could refer to two connected geographical regions. In its broader sense, it denotes the entire area west of Yumen Pass in Dunhuang; in its narrower sense, it includes only Southern and Eastern Xinjiang. Since the Han dynasty, the relations with the region covered by the narrower sense of the term have been of grave concern for regimes in China Proper. The Tang dynasty was the most daring in its dealings with the “Western Regions”, ruling over this area for an extended period of time and exerting considerable influence over local societies. Additionally, we also possess for the period of Tang rule some of the richest historical data regarding this area and, with the help of excavated texts, many details of the Tang rule have been clarified. Based on such empirical research, scholars such as Zhang Guangda also asked broader questions of the nature of Tang rule. He suggested that “the Tang began [its westward expansion] with the conquest of Xi Prefecture (Turfan), and after a century, by the mid-8th century, a type of Han/Non-Han dual governance has developed in areas beyond Xi Prefecture (meaning mostly the Four Garrisons)”.[1] Wang Xiaofu further explained the nature of this dual governance: “In the Four Garrisons of the Tang, there existed a form of governance between the prefecture-county system and the vassal kingdoms. Only in the Four Garrisons do we see the real manifestation of dual Eurasian Studies ( Volume III ) governance”.[2] Clearly, scholars have noticed the exceptional status of the Four Garrisons region in the Tang government: under the Han/Non-Han dual governance, the Four Garrisons region exhibited different features from regular “loose-rein” regions.
    [Show full text]
  • Analysis of Chinese Narrative of World Order and Foreign Policy: Is China a Revisionist Or Reformist Power?
    ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКИЕ ЗАМЕТКИ http://dx.doi.org/10.18611/2221-3279-2017-9-3-154-161 ANALYSIS OF CHINESE NARRATIVE OF WORLD ORDER AND FOREIGN POLICY: IS CHINA A REVISIONIST OR REFORMIST POWER? Ka-Ho Wong Independent Researcher, Hong Kong Article history: Abstract: China has altered its global posture from “keeping a low profi le” to “striving for achievement” since President Xi came Received: to power. The adjusted approach to Chinese foreign policy is in 16 March 2018 the context of growing China’s state capabilities and shrinking American global leadership under Trump’s presidency. Given Accepted: these structural changes in the international system, China is 8 May 2018 expected to play a bigger role in the world politics. Accordingly, questions have raised that how China perceives the world and About the author: whether rising China is a reformist or revisionist power. The Independent Researcher; paper would address these questions by fi rst revisiting the ancient Freelance Writer, Stand News; Chinese idea of Tianxia, which is both a concept and practice in MA Student, MGIMO University ancient times. As Tianxia is not applicable in the modern world, the concepts are reinvented by Chinese scholars, which are similar e-mail: [email protected] to ideas proposed by President Xi, offering an ideal worldview. Key words: In the third part, an empirical analysis of the Chinese foreign Chinese worldview; Tianxia; confucianism; tributary policy would check whether China’s behaviors correspond to system; Belt and Road; revisionist power; China threat Xi’s vision and whether China is a revisionist power. Introduction offering an ideal worldview.
    [Show full text]
  • Scanned Using Book Scancenter 5033
    Chapter 7 Competition Between Tang and Tibet Before the An Lushan Rebellion While the presence of nomadic powers on the northern frontier was a perennial problem for China from Han until Ming, the rise of a powerful kingdom in Tibet was a one-time phenomenon. During its period of strength from early in the seventh century to about 840 Tibet posed a very serious problem to China, as a direct threat to the security of its frontier as well as to its ideological claims of superiority over its neighbors. Before the An Lushan rebellion, Tang relations with the Tibetan kingdom focused first of all on competition for control of the Tuyuhun kingdom, then on the Western Regions and the southwest. The Tibetan Challenge Tibet, called Tufan in the Chinese sources, rose as a unified and powerful kingdom rmder the Yarlung dynasty around the end of the sixth century and the beginning of the seventh. The Yarlung dynasty had existed previously for a number of generations as chiefs of a smaller tribal state. During that period the main power lying between China and what became Tibet was the Tuyuhim kingdom. In his study of the establishment of the Tufan kingdom, Yamaguchi Zuiho describes how the hostile policy of the Chinese towards the Tuyuhun during the Sui and Tang periods not only provided the Yarlung dynasty with the opportunity of expanding and evolving into the Tufan kingdom, but also planted in the minds of its rul­ ers the desire to replace the Tuyuhun as an international power. As a re­ sult, Tufan, by learning from the Tuyuhun, was able to absorb the latter and eventually surpass it.^ No dates can be assigned securely to the history of Tibet before the sixth century of our era.^ Some scholars have attempted to reconstruct an earlier history,^ but it is clear that until the formation of the Tufan king- ' Yamaguchi 1983.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Chinese Class #1
    Week 1 History and Philosophy of China China’s Early history The Shaman, Xia and Shang Dynasties Beginnings of I Ching Yin/Yang culture The Western and Eastern Zhou Dynasty Spring and Autumn Period Warring States Period The beginnings of ancient China lie some 5,000 years ago, when a tribal people settled along the banks of the Yellow River -- its source high on the Tibetan plateau, its mouth at the Yellow Sea. These Oracles written on people were hunters-gatherers, and tortoise shells farmers. Millet was most likely their serve as the first grain cultivated; rice and corn earliest evidence of the and wheat coming later. Evidence development of a exists that they were also potters writing system in and musicians, and that they China. produced the world’s first wine. The Wu – Shaman of Ancient China Their relationship to the cosmos was a shamanic one. At least some among them were able to communicate directly with plants, minerals, and animals; to journey deep into the earth, or visit distant galaxies. They were able to invoke, through dance and ritual, elemental and supernatural powers, and enter into ecstatic union with them. The class of people most adept at such techniques became known as the wu – the shamans of ancient China. • Early China was developed mostly along the Yellow River and the Yangtze River delta around current City of Shanghai. It was the Yellow River that divided China north and south that played a major role in clan and major family development. And it was the shaman of the various clans who served as the glue who ultimately made sense of it all and pulled it all together.
    [Show full text]
  • The Origin and Development of Chinese Nationalism and Its Practical Implications Xiangbo Zhu*
    Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 517 Proceedings of the 6th Annual International Conference on Social Science and Contemporary Humanity Development (SSCHD 2020) The Origin and Development of Chinese Nationalism and Its Practical Implications Xiangbo Zhu* School of Marxism, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, 710072, P. R. China School of Marxism, Henan Mechanical and Electrical Vocational College, ZhengZhou, 410000, P.R. China *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT The various nationalist trends in contemporary China have played an important role in political movements and local conflicts around the world, but the reasons for their origins and trends vary widely. Contemporary Chinese nationalism, however, is often expressed in terms of ‘patriotism’ because of its stressful character. By tracing the origins of Chinese nationalism and sorting out the development skeleton of Chinese nationalism, analyzing the current situation and its profound historical background, with the aim of providing basic theoretical support for the construction of contemporary nationalism theories. Keywords: Nationalism, Origin and development, Influence on reality. 1. INTRODUCTION development of countries and nations over the world but also hampers the global peace and development. The Nationalism, i.e. an idea or movement based on the extent of its influence is deeper than one might expect, interests of the national interests, was born in the West and it has become a focus of real concern and a hot and as the source of modern international society topic of academic research today. promoted national liberation and equality. It is a social trend that has influenced the political ecology of the 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Application of Center-Periphery Theory to the Study of Vietnam-China Relations in the Middle Ages*
    Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 49, No. 2, September 2011 Application of Center-Periphery Theory to the Study of Vietnam-China Relations in the Middle Ages* Nguyen Thi My Hanh** Based on the generalizations in international researchers’ views on the relationship between the center and the periphery, the author maps out a theory on the relation- ship between Vietnam (as the periphery) and China (as the center of East Asia) during feudalism. On the basis of the theory of central-peripheral relationships and the realities of a diplomatic relationship between Vietnam and China during feudal- ism, the article proves not only that China considered itself to be the center of East Asia with the role of “educating” surrounding peripheries, but also that surrounding countries were influenced by Chinese Confucian ideologies. For example, Vietnam also followed the Chinese-centric order. Accordingly, acts such as requesting inves- titure and tribute from Vietnam to the “center” (China) were sustained for a long period, although there was no balance in interest between the two countries. In addition to the subordinate tendency of the periphery in relation to the center, there is a centrifugal tendency because of the asymmetry in interest. In the case of the Vietnam-China relationship at that time, Vietnam’s subordinate tendency was rela- tive and superficial, while the centrifugal tendency was mainstream. The author shows that the strong centrifugal tendency led to the transformation of Vietnam’s position from a Chinese vassal/peripheral state into a center in relationships with smaller countries in Southeast Asia. Keywords: center, periphery, subordinate tendency, centrifugal tendency, Chinese-centric order Introduction The center-periphery theory and the interaction between the two elements is a well- established research subject.
    [Show full text]
  • Proquest Dissertations
    The poetry of Chang Chi (ca. 766-830) Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Wang, Wan-Hsiang, 1960- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 07/10/2021 14:30:06 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/290645 INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI fihns the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter &ce, i»Me others may be from ai^ type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., m^s, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy.
    [Show full text]
  • Accommodation Strategy of the Jesuits Loyola On
    Index accommodation strategy of the Jesuits Records of Lands beyond the Jurisdiction of Loyola on “entering through the other’s the Imperial Geographer. See Zhifang door and coming out one’s own” waiji; Zhifang waiji jiaoshi strategy of 8, 29, 77–78 texts. See Zhifang waiji; Zhifang waiji and the paradoxical conditions of jiaoshi encountering others 17–19 All under Heaven (Tianxia) See also contact zone; contact zone cartographical genre of 140f3.5, 142–144, formed around the Jesuits 143f3.6, 146, 262, 348–352 theory of Chinese origins of Western and the Central States (Zhongguo) 54, learning as a consequence of 9–10, 116–117 21, 263, 356 defined by Shi Jie 54 Vagnano’s conception of 7 and the Four Barbarians 54 See also Ricci Method and imperial ideology 99–100, 104, African slaves in Portuguese Macao (heigui, 108–109 heinu) “Map of Advantageous Terrain” picturing Cai Ruxian’s illustration of 285n50 of 52f2.3, 53–54, 56 mythical accounts of 288–289n50 Altar of Square Pond (or Altar of Earth, Ye Quan’s description of 288–289 fangze tan) 27, 119 Age of Discovery Altar of the Circular Mount (or Altar of Chinese “discoveries” Heaven, huanqiu tan) 27 of a new world vision 5, 19, 23, 147, Ancient Greece 345, 348 “Ocean river” that circumscribes the of the maritime Europeans 25, disk-shaped earth 210 176–177, 283–301 and the Ocean Sea (Mare Oceanus, See also Folangji Oceanus) concept 89n4, 209t5.1, 210 European New World “discoveries” 2–3, thinkers. See Aristotle; Herodotus; Homer; 5, 68, 96, 321 Pythagoras impact on European thought Answers to Geographical Questions about the of 10–12 Regions North of China (beibian beidui).
    [Show full text]