Wu Zhao is a fiercely ambitious woman emperor, she made use of many different opportunities to accumulate power gradually. Religion was one of the most important tools she used in her political career. From the three major religions in China, Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism, Wu Zhao chose to use Daoism and Buddhism to provide ideological and political support for her accession to the throne. During her reign, she used state ritual sacrifices, Daoism and Buddhism to justify and legitimize her sovereignty.
One of the most important opportunities Wu Zhao used to justify her role as a ruler was participating in the state ritual sacrifices: the feng and shan sacrifices. "These extraordinary rites were only performed in times of great peace and
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Since the Li family claimed descent from Daoist sage Laozi, as a member of the imperial family, Wu Zhao understood that she had to make use of Daoism to strength her status. She announced the title: "Celestial Empress" to symbolically join the company of Daoist sages. She also actively participated in the politics by supporting Daoism: petitioned everyone to study the works of Laozi, issued The Twelve Decrees as a Daoist ruler, called for disbandment of troops by claiming the empire needed to be transformed by the Dao, and nominated the mother of Laozi as Grand Dowager of the Anterior Heaven. All of these Daoist activities was aimed to strengthen her political status. "To augment her own luster she strategically entwined herself with imperial ancestors of the House of Tang" (Rothschild 103). Wu Zhao also made use of the auspicious omens with the idea of Daoism. "It is generally illuminating to read the omens as calculated maneuvering, a timely and strategic mustering of evidence to validate and legitimize her sovereignty. Her imperial authority was an invention, an omens were a vital supplement to her political repertoire" (Rothschild 109). One of the most famous example she used omens to prove her legitimation to rule was the "Precious Diagram", a stone chiseled by someone under her nephew Wu Chengsi's commission. A pre-designed prophecy was written on the stone: "When the Sage Mother is among the people, the realm …show more content…
At her time, Buddhism had existed in China for more than 500 years and had a widespread popularity. It was a strong ideological force for Wu Zhao to use to justify her accession to the throne. Wu Zhao legitimize her sovereignty by using the translation of the Buddhist Sutra as an ideological support. Fazang, one of the greatest translator, wrote a commentary on the Flower Garland Sutra. He marked "The Commentary on the Great Cloud Sutra provided the prophecy that she would guide the Great Zhou by turning the Golden Wheel" (Rothschild 142). Universality is one of the most important principle in Flower Garland Buddhism that represents the infinite extent of the Buddha's compassion. Also, it can be used to represent the infinite reach of the ruler's authority. Wu Zhao saw the political potential from it so she decided to use the idea of the Cakravartin to link herself with the focal Buddha. The Cakravartin is "a magnanimous conqueror who unified a disparate empire under Buddhist law" (Rothschild 145). She asked 10 Buddhist monks, to write the Commentary on the Great Cloud Sutra to support this idea. When the commentary was finished, she was able to corroborate her image as Cakravartin and to claim her sovereignty with the support of this well-designed prophetic sutra. Therefore, by using Buddhism as theory support, Wu Zhao successfully legitimize her ruling as a Buddhist
Yan Zhitui states that, "women take charge of family affairs, entering into lawsuits, straightening out disagreements, and paying calls to seek favor...the government offices are filled with their fancy silks." (Differences between north and south, 111). Yet, even in the Qing dynasty women were still restricted by and expected to uphold more traditional ideals, especially in the public eye. So, in the end, through her virtue, Hsi-Liu’s two children we able to become upright. Here, there is a split between what a woman is supposed to be according to old Chinese tradition, and the realities facing women in Tancheng. The loss of her husband, and economic hardship had forced His-Liu to behave in a different way, as if she were usurping the power from the eldest son so she could teach the two boys a lesson about being good family members. While she still maintains the ideals of bearing children, and being loyal to her husband, even after he dies, out of necessity she is forced to break from Confucian ideals of being only concerned with the domestic issues. This too put her at odds with the more traditional society around her, as the villagers pitied her sons, but vilified the Hsi-Liu for being so strict with them (Woman Wang, 65). Had she remarried, she would have been looked down upon even more because she would had broken her duty to remain faithful to her deceased
Buddhism is a religion that teaches peace to all, so when King Asoka of the Mauryan Empire began practicing Buddhism, he ceased expanding the empire. Instead the government diverted its efforts towards creating a road system and building sculptures. Confucianism was based on the teachings of Confucius who preached the practice of “reverence [respect], generosity, truthfulness, diligence [industriousness], and kindness.” Because Wudi wanted his government employees to embody these qualities, Wudi set up schools that would teach these and had examinations for students for students based on these principles. This placed people of wealth
Ban Zhao wrote Lessons for a Woman around the end of the first century C.E. as social guide for (her daughters and other) women of Han society (Bulliet 167). Because Zhao aimed to educate women on their responsibilities and required attributes, one is left questioning what the existing attitudes and roles of women were to start with. Surprisingly, their positions were not automatically fixed at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Ban Zhao’s own status as an educated woman of high social rank exemplifies the “reality [that] a woman’s status depended on her “location” within various social institutions’ (167). This meant that women had different privileges and opportunities depending on their economic, social, or political background. Wealthier noble women would likely have access to an education and may have even been able to wield certain political power (167). Nevertheless, women relinquished this power within the family hierarchy to their fathers, husbands, and sons. Despite her own elevated social status, Ban Zhao still considered herself an “unworthy writer”, “unsophisticated”, “unenlightened’, “unintelligent”, and a frequent disgrace to her and her husband’s family (Zhao). Social custom was not, however, the only driving force behind Zhao’s desire to guide women towards proper behavior.
From the beginning of Wang Lung’s marriage to O-lan, she saved him time, money, and effort without complaint. She offered wisdom when asked and was smart in the ways of the world. During the famine, when the family went south in search of food, O-lan taught her children how to beg for food, “dug the small green weeds, dandelions, and shepherds purse that thrust up feeble new leaves”(p. 128). She raised her children prudently. She knew how to bind her daughter’s feet, and she gave them a better childhood than she had had. O-lan knew that the land was the only consistent thing in her life, so she willingly helped Wang Lung as he bought more and more land. O-lan knew her place in the family was as a wife and mother. As a wife, she fe...
There is no simple answer to this question, especially with the convoluted and entwining relationship between Buddhism and Wu, so we focus on how the religion assisted Wu in grasping power and its indispensable role in the Chinese economy. The close connection between government and religion is not a new concept to the Tang era as it has been well-established prior to its time, and it even survived long after. In the case of Buddhism and Empress Wu, the religion played a pivotal role in justifying her rule, which could explain her special interest in it. Among the Buddhists followers, she was identified as the bodhisattva Maitreya, which helped her gain a sense of legitimacy to her reign, especially in a male-dominant society (Smarr Feb. 17 2012). The association of Buddhism with Wu helped spur Wu’s benevolent policies towards the religion, who benefitted handsome...
Walking into the Hall of the Buddhas, there was a sense of peace and guidance lingering inside me. The seated Bodhisattva, of the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534), CA.480, from the Yungang, Cave xv, Shani Province, made of sandstone, guarded the entrance. At first, I thought it was a time to be disciplined, but the transcending smile from the statue was a delicate fixed gesture that offered a feeling of welcome. It was not a place to confess your wrongdoings; neither was it a place for me to say, “Buddha I have sinned.” It was a room to purify the mind, the mind that we take for granted without giving it harmony. There was a large mural decorating the main wall called “The Paradise of Bhaishajyaguru”(916-1125). I sat down wandering if the artist of the portrait knew that his work would one day be shared on this side of the world, in my time. Much like Jesus Christ and his followers, the mural is a painting of healers and saviors. It was a large figure of the Buddha of medicine, (Bhaishajyaquru) surrounded by followers of Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara, and Mahosthamaprapta with twelve guardian generals who have pledged to disseminate the Buddha’s teaching (Tradition of Liao 916-1125, Metropolitan Museum wall plaque).
Religion was very important to the Huang He Civilization; the early religion of the Huang He people was polytheistic, meaning they had more than one. They believed in supernatural forces and that they could communicate with dead ancestors that were in the afterlife with oracle bones and also that spirits, kings and dead ancestors could help them have a good future. Confucianism and Taoism (also known as Daoism) existed in the area since about 450 BC and Buddhism hit the area in 110 BC – 220 AD and became the main religion in that area. One of the many dynasties near the Huang He River that was called the Shang Dynasty worshipped a God named Shang Di who ruled over Gods of the sun, moon, wind, rain and other natural forces.
The "Historical Records," written by Sima Qian, is a historical account which showcases how the corrupted legalist system of the Qin Dynasty led to the loss of the Mandate of Heaven and the fall of the Empire. Qian, who lived during the Han Dynasty, used the example of Li Si, the Chief Minister of the Emperors of the Qin Dynasty, to emphasis the newly accepted Confucian values. It was the shortcomings of Li Si which led to the fall of the Qin Dynasty as well as his own death. However, Qian is careful to note that prior to his downfall, Li Si followed many Confucian values which allowed him to rise up from a commoner to his eventual position as Chief Minister. These dual lifestyles of Li Si, and their respective consequences, in many ways parallels the two systems implemented by the Qin and Han Dynasties. Using the values written in the "Analects of Confucius," the work of Li Si to establish the Qin Dynasty can ultimately be assessed as a failure, due mainly to his weaknesses outweighing his strengths later in his life. Bearing in mind that the "Historical Records" were written with Confucian values as the ideal way of life, it can be seen how Li Si was portrayed as a good advisor for the Qin ruler, but a bad advisor for China.
After the Han dynasty collapsed in 220 CE, China faced a period of political disunity, during that time Buddhism gained popularity with the Chinese people. Both foreign and Chinese monks were actively involved in establishing monasteries and lecturing on the Buddhist teachings. Many Chinese people accepted Buddhism and advocated its principles such as the philosophy and promise of afterlife over the Confucian ideals, but the truth was that Chinese people turned to Buddhism for its promises of eternal enlightenment during times of struggle. However, lots of people rejected the concept of Buddhism because it was a foreign influence, as well as a belief that it lowered the status of upper-class people. Nonetheless, many people converted to Buddhism because it allowed them to break out of the rigid hierarchy that Confucianism imposed, which is why it was common among the lower classes. Document 2, written by Zhi Dun, illustrates the reasons for the initial compatibility of Buddhism with the time period. Zhi is scholar who clearly admires Buddhism, who sees its value in correct observances in face of uncontrolled passion. Zhi Dun wrote how in times of upheaval, Buddhism presents a comforting worldview for Chinese scholars and aristocrats.
Cao Xueqin’s Story of the Stone is a classic in Chinese literature, showcasing the life and exploits of the wealthy Jia clan during the feudal era. Through Cao’s depiction, the reader is afforded a glimpse into the customs and lifestyle of the time. Chinese mode of thought is depicted as it occurred in daily life, with the coexisting beliefs of Confucianism and Taoism. While the positive aspects of both ideologies are presented, Cao ultimately depicts Taoism as the paramount, essential system of belief that guides the character Bao-yu to his eventual enlightenment.
Regarding religion, Chinese culture saw the emergence of Confucianism and Buddhism as the major influence. Confucianism stressed filial piety which meant respecting elders and superiors, ruling righteously, and obeying commands and orders. Confucianism was introduced by the Chinese thinker Confucius. Buddhism was brought to China, but originated in India and was founded by Siddhartha Gautama. Followers of Buddhism worshipped Buddh...
What do most 16 year olds think about today? Maybe a phone, car, or a job. Well, how about your entire kingdom being destroyed by your enemy? This is what 16 year old Emperor Wu faced. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty is important to history because he started Confucianism, one of the first religions in China. However, not many people practice it anymore. He also brought southern China and Central Vietnam together.
The Buddhist brought with them the concept of multiple gods and Buddha’s “spiritual state to provide the power for humans to make the transition into death and the afterlife successfully” (Corduan, 2012, p.410). Confucianism brought the obedience of the child to the parent into Chinese mainstream life, plus the “social stratification and codes governing dress, actions and communication” (Corduan, 2012, p.409). Taoism introduced the balance of forces in harmony in spirits in the form of yin and yang, thus creating that balance of nature and humans (Corduan, 2012). Christianity influenced Chinese life both socially and economically by introducing the concepts of “love for one’s neighbor, self-discipline, and trust” (Lu, 2014, p.2) as both essential and beneficial (Lu, 2014). All of these together with the traditional Chinese religion, give the Chinese culture it’s popular religion
Warner, Marina. The Dragon Empress: Life and times of Tz'u-hsi, 1835-1908, Empress Dowager of China. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1972.
rules and laws that applied only to those who were peasants. The laws sort of boosted their lives; he kept the land tax low, and the granaries stocked to guard against famine. During his reign he also attempted and succeeded in building up the class of those of the peasant and working class. Hongwu’s new government did not cause any change for those in other social classes.