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On the Geographical Expansion of "Dual Loyalist" Belief from Tang Dynasty to Qing Dynasty

Author: HeFang
Tutor: WangYuanLin
School: Jinan University
Course: Historical Geography
Keywords: From Tang Dynasty to Qing Dynasty "Dual Loyalist" Belief GeographicalExpansion Jianghuai Region and Southeastern Area
CLC: B932
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2012
Downloads: 129
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Abstract

Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan zhong’s loyal and faithful devotion to their country is proved inSuiyang denfense battle of the cataclysmic An Shi Rebellion in Tang Dynasty. The advocationof their heroic deeds by the government and literary scholars urges the rise of the "dual loyalist".This thesis focuses on the Jianghuai region and southeastern area due to the protection ofSuiyang battle to the Jianghuai region and the spread of the deeds of "dual loyalist " insoutheastern area. It traces down the clue of the historical evolvement of the "dual loyalist "belief in Jianghuai region and southeastern area. Through the discussion of the efforts differentbelievers in different historical periods make to the construction of this belief and the study ofthe geographical distribution of the "dual loyalist" temples from the historical geographyperspective, this thesis targets on the evolvement of the "dual loyalist" belief in these areas andaims at analysing reasons of the geographical expension of this"dual loyalist" belief and theinfluence it produces.This belief rise in late Tang Dynasty and come through the Song, Yuan，Ming and QingDynasty. As a matter of fact its space-time features have apparently changed during thesehistorical periods. The ritual ceremony of the "dual loyalist" in Tang Dynasty is mainly hold inSuiyang area where the Suiyang battle took place. The meaning of this belief changed in Songand Yuan Dynasty due to the efforts made by the government and the folks. This ritualceremony which honors the heroes in Tang Dynasty is transformed into the ritual covered bythe ghostly color. Because of the prosperity and development of the Taoism in Song Dynasty,"dual loyalist " combined with its own legend and the ghostly myth is incorporated in the Taoistsystem and takes charge of the Dongyue. This belief is spreaded toward Jianghuai region andSoutheastern area under the influence of amount of factors. However, the ritual in the memorialof Zhang Xun hold the mainstream in the Song and Yuan ritual system and this situationcontinues till Ming and Qing Dynasty. Because of the God worshipping movement launched byZhu Yunzhang, the emperor in Ming Dyanasty, Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan, therefore, areformally ranked on the list of official ceremony. The figure of Zhang Xun in Folk literature isportrayed as Zhang Zhenjun, the god who chops off ghosts, which enriches the Ghost novelcreation in Ming Dynasty. The amount of "dual loyalist " temples has sharply increased inJianghuai region and Southeastern area due to the different religious worshipping between the government officers and folks in Ming Dynasty."Dual loyalist " belief has contained newfeatures during the geographical evolvement in Qing Dynasty. Due to the water carriageproblems in Zhengjiang, Zhang Xun becomes god of the merchant shipping in Jianghuai regionwhile Xu Yuan performs the duties of God of Water. Jiangxi Province is the area where "dualloyalist" temples mostly distribute. Zhang Xun was commanded as the Chief of Po Yanghu lakefor the effect of its flood to merchant shipping in Jiangxi province. The complexities of the folkbelief in this province makes the worshipping of Zhang Xun mix up with Zhang Bian, the localdivinity.The innovation of this thesis lies in the survey of the "dual loyalist" belief through thewhole historical development from the macroscopical perspective. It studies the effects ofTaoism played on the "dual loyalist" belief in Song and Yuan period, analyses new featuresemerging during the evolvement of Zhang Xun and Xu Yuan worshipping as well as comparesthe difference beliefs between the worshipping of Zhuang Xun and Zhang Bian in Jiangxi localareas.

On the Geographical Expansion of "Dual Loyalist" Belief from Tang Dynasty to Qing Dynasty

Abstract

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