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Ming and Qing Dynasties Ancestral Temple Culture Research

Author: ZhangKaiBang
Tutor: ZhangRenZuo
School: Shandong Normal University
Course: Specialized History
Keywords: Ancestral temple Ancestor Worship Management Ming and Qing dynasties
CLC: TU-092
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2011
Downloads: 100
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Abstract

An ancestral temple is a place for clansmen to make sacrifices to their ancestors, but in the Ming and Qing dynasties, it became the place where clansmen met and clan elders showed their authority. This article tries to study the ancestral temple development in the Ming and Qing dynasties systematically from the cultural perspective. It was the etiquette reform in Jiajing period of Ming dynasty, the great development of social economy from the middle and later of Ming dynasty to Qianlong period of Qing dynasty and the arduous effort of the gentry at that time that made the ancestral temple in the Ming and Qing dynasties like bamboo shoots after a spring shower and produce important influences in society.This article is divided into five parts. The first part of the article reviews the development of the ancestral temple before the Ming and Qing dynasties briefly. The author points out that the temple deduced in the people’s sacrifice activities in Shang and Zhou dynasties rose for the country’s system gradually, which had a far-reaching effect on the later worship ancestors system. The grave ancestral temples were very popular in Han dynasty. Since Wei and Jin dynasties, the country standardized the home temple etiquette system. Finally Family Etiquette written by Zhu Xi established the ancestral temple system.The second part discusses the building condition of the ancestral temple in the Ming and Qing dynasties, from its distribution, structure, and causes of developing. Looking from the ancestral temple development throughout the country, the ancestral temple development was not balanced. In some southern places, for example, Fujian, Guangdong, Anhui, Zhejiang, the ancestral temple developed very fast, especially in Huizhou. However, Shandong in the north also built some ancestral temples, which were far fewer than in the south. The main reason was that the south had these better conditions: a long term of social stability, developing economy, a large number of bureaucrats and literati, being Zhuzi native place and strong clan idea. The right to make sacrifices to ancestors was also moved down at that time. Even the common people could build the ancestral temple to make sacrifices to ancestors. Clan hall usually had three main parts: front gate, ancestral hall, and sleep church. Most ancestral temples’styles of architecture were very careful about. The author thinks that the reason for the rapid development of the ancestral temple in the Ming and Qing dynasties were national polices permission, economic richness and clan’s power being strengthened.Part three mainly studies the sacrifice condition of the ancestral temple in the Ming and Qing dynasties, including sacrifices use, the provisions of the sacrifice object and sacrifice rituals and after sacrifice activities. For the sacrifice of the ancestral temple in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the government made special regulations of sacrifices. Besides first ancestor, the sacrifice object also chose the people who contributed to the clan. The sacrifice rituals in the ancestral temple were regulated strictly. After sacrifice activities showed the members’status in the clan. At that time, whether officers or the common people were very particular about the sacrifice activities.Part four discusses the economic base of the ancestral temple in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The sources of income to maintain the ancestral temple, its expenditure and management are introduced. The economic sources of the ancestral temple mainly included the clan member’s fixed pay, confiscations and donations, clan field’s interest and the court’s rewards and so on. The ancestral temple’s expenditure was mainly used in the sacrifice and ancestral temples’maintenance and repair. The ancestral temple management had special people and strict management system.The fifth part summarizes the social functions of the ancestral temple in the Ming and Qing dynasties. The ancestral temple could unite the clansman through sacrifices activity and let them receive some education, such as filial piety, observing the law, choosing vocations, marriage and bereavement proprieties. The ancestral temple also could give the clan members some necessary punishment, commendation or salvation. We can see that the ancestral temple played a great role in making a clan grow stronger and maintaining the local and national stability.

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