Did the Imperially Commissioned Manchu Rites for Sacrifices to the Spirits and to Heaven Standardize Manchu Shamanism?

Xiaoli Jiang

doi:10.3390/rel9120400

Abstract

The Imperially Commissioned Manchu Rites for Sacrifices to the Spirits and to Heaven (Manzhou jishen jitian dianli), the only canon on shamanism compiled under the auspices of the Qing dynasty, has attracted considerable attention from a number of scholars. One view that is held by a vast majority of these scholars is that the promulgation of the Manchu Rites by the Qing court helped standardize shamanic rituals, which resulted in a decline of wild ritual practiced then and brought about a similarity of domestic rituals. However, an in-depth analysis of the textual context of the Manchu Rites, as well as a close inspection of its various editions reveal that the Qing court had no intention to formalize shamanism and did not enforce the Manchu Rites nationwide. In fact, the decline of the Manchu wild ritual can be traced to the preconquest period, while the domestic ritual had been formed before the Manchu Rites was prepared and were not unified even at the end of the Qing dynasty. With regard to the ritual differences among the various Manchu clans, the Qing rulers took a more benign view and it was unnecessary to standardize them. The incorporation of the Chinese version of the Manchu Rites into Siku quanshu demonstrates the Qing court’s struggles to promote its cultural status and legitimize its rule of China.

Highlights

The Imperially Commissioned Manchu Rites for Sacrifices to the Spirits and to Heaven (Qinding Manzhou jishen jitian dianli) is an important literature on the shamanic rituals observed by the ruling house, which was compiled under the imperial edict of the Qianlong emperor
It is possible that the Manchu Rites may have had some impact on the Manchu commoners, the court had not leveraged the work for administrative power to popularize and standardize Manchu shamanism
There could have been some secessionist forces hidden among different Manchu tribes that the ruling Aisin Gioro clan needed to fight before their conquest of China

Summary

Introduction

The Imperially Commissioned Manchu Rites for Sacrifices to the Spirits and to Heaven (Qinding Manzhou jishen jitian dianli) is an important literature on the shamanic rituals observed by the ruling house, which was compiled under the imperial edict of the Qianlong emperor. These views were long regarded as the final word on the subject and were widely quoted (Du 1990; Fu and Meng 1991; Guo 1992; Shi and Liu 1992; Liu 1992; Zhao 2010) They even made their way into research on the history of the Qing dynasty and of the Manchus. After in-depth research, we know that the Manchu version is the unique one issued by the Hall of Military Glory (Wuying dian), which only serves the sacrifice in the court This demonstrates that the Manchu edition was in limited circulation and the Manchu Rites was never enforced nationwide by the imperial court. Rite into Chinese was to included it in the Siku quanshu, so as to compare Manchu culture favorably with Han culture, and promote the position of Manchu culture and strengthen the legitimacy of their regime

Understanding the Purpose of the Manchu Rites Based on Its Textual Content

The Decline of Wild Ritual Cannot Be Attributed to the Manchu Rites

Conclusions