Han Era Research Articles

Local Cults in the Chapter “Guai Shen” 怪神 (“Monsters and Deities”) from Ying Shao’s 應劭 Treatise Feng su tong yi 風俗通義 (Penetrating into the Meaning of Traditions and Customs). Translation from Chinese and Commentary by Tatiana V. Klementeva

This article presents a translation of two sections from the chapter “Guai Shen” 怪神 (“Monsters and Deities”) of the treatise Feng su tong yi 風俗通義 (Penetrating into the Meaning of Traditions and Customs), written by the statesman Ying Shao 應劭 (d. before 204), supplied with an introduction and comments. This chapter includes twenty-one anecdotes about human encounters with the supernatural or local religious cults. Ten of them were later included into the collection of stories Sou shen ji 搜神記 (Investigations into Deities), thus this treatise had some impact on the development of the zhiguai xiaoshuo 志怪小説 (“stories [containing] records [of] the unusual”) genre. The two sections selected for publication describe local cults that were formed during the Han era 漢 (202 B.C.E. — 220 C.E.). In the first section, Ying Shao shows how officials should control such cults using laws. In the second one, the author persuades the reader to rationally approach the foundations on which the cult arises and not to trust all rumors about the divine power of creatures. This translation provides an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of religious life at the end of the Han era.

Biographies from the Han Collection Liexianzhuan (<i>Biographies of Outstanding Transcendents</i>) and Their Analogues in the Manuscript of the Same Name from the Collection IOM, RAS

This publication is a Russian translation of four biographies from the unique 19thc. manuscript Liexianzhuan (Biographies of Outstanding Transcendents), kept at the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, RAS (NOVA collection, H56). The biographies selected for translation go back to the Han era (206/202 BC— 220 AD) work of the same name (from which, however, manuscript differs considerably both in scope and contents), traditionally attributed to the high official and writer Liu Xiang (77–6 BC). Moreover, since the biographies from the manuscript are much larger than their prototypes from the Han collection, their translation is accompanied by a translation of the original biographies from the latter, which allows us to evaluate the editorial work carried out by the anonymous compiler of the manuscript. The heroes of the translated biographies are characters from the times of legendary antiquity: the “rain master” Chisongzi, the horse veterinarian Mashi Huang, the “Rope Father” Chijiang Ziyu and the pine nut lover Wo Quan.

The ethnic aspect of the Yuan Empire’s liquidation

This paper examines the importance of Chinese ethnicity through the example of the historically first dynasty named the Yuan Dynasty, where the rulers were nomadic conquerors and not of Han descent. The aim of the paper is to explore the ethnic aspect of the process of liquidating the Yuan Empire and the importance of the unity of the Chinese people. The methodology of the paper includes the use of different resources, including chronicles, historical research and sources showing the realities not only from the Chinese side, but also from the Mongol side. This approach makes it possible to consider the issue from both sides and obtain more objective conclusions. The results show that the importance of the unity of the Chinese people became evident as early as the Han era, when the concept of "Han man" became politically significant. For the first time, cultural attributes were no longer the only factor uniting people, and nationality became crucial to the unity of the state. The scope of the work includes the study of Chinese history, ethnic relations and nationality issues. The novelty of the work lies in the use of different sources and consideration of the issue from different angles, which allows for a more complete picture of historical process. The conclusions of the paper emphasise the importance of nationality as a sign for state unity and show that national problems can become a factor that can weaken and destroy even the most powerful states.

Xi Jinping and the Citation of Historical Writings of Antiquity: From Rhetoric to Politics

The article examines a number of quotations from Chinese historical writings from the ancient period (up to and including the Han era) used by President Xi Jinping in his speeches during his first term in office (2012–2017). The paper is a study of the phenomenon called Xi Jinping yong dian (习近平用典 “Xi Jinping uses classics”) in terms of the intersection of historical process experience in ancient and modern periods within the rhetorical constructions of the bearer of supreme power in modern PRC. The quotations from Chinese historical monuments of the ancient period used by Xi Jinping are considered in the context of the periodization of modern Chinese history and the key stages of the domestic and foreign policies conducted in 2012–2017. Xi Jinping’s political rhetoric at these stages concerns, above all, the areas of interaction with the bureaucratic structures — the CCP and the international organizations. The author has made an attempt to find out what could be the purpose of such citations and what is behind them — a rhetorical device or something more.

The Concepts of Feng (“Traditions”) and Su (“Customs”) in Ancient Chinese Texts of the Han Era (202 BCE — 220 CE)

The concepts of feng 風 (“traditions”) and su 俗 (“customs”) played an important role in the political discourse of Ancient China from the Zhanguo period 戰國 (the Warring States, 5th–3rd cent. BCE). Meaning the heterogeneity and disunity in the habits of people belonging to different geographical regions or time periods, feng and su were the objects of observation and transformation by the government, which sought to unite its territories. Since the Han era 漢 (202 BCE — 220 CE) the collocation feng su has begun to be regularly and actively used in ancient Chinese texts, being the subject of discussion in various treatises and imperial decrees. This article examines the semantics of feng and su that developed under Zhou 周 (11th–3rd cent. BCE), proposes an explanation for the difference between them as an external and internal causation of human behavior. Based on the Han texts, the officials involved in the regulation of feng and su were identified, and it was found that most of them also served the emperor with advice and criticism. As a result of the analysis, the idea was also put forward that the frequency of using the collocation feng su in the texts increased as the country approached the time of crisis.

The Evolution, Characteristics, and Aesthetic Expression of Han Dynasty Sculptures: Exploring the Artistic Achievements of Ancient China

This study explores the development, traits, methods, and philosophies of Han sculptural works throughout Chinese history. Han dynasty sculptures are exceptional works of art due to their unusual ceramic figurines, stone creature sculptures, and pictorial stone designs. The article explores the evolution of art across time, centering on the Han dynasty and its emphasis on functional sculptures. Cultural influences such as the mixing of Chu and Western Region art via the Silk Road are discussed how they influenced Han Dynasty sculptures. The study also explores the stories told via the sculptures of the Han era, focusing on themes of life, myth, and masculinity. With an emphasis on stone carving and a wide range of expressive methods, this article examines the creative expressions and aesthetic principles at work in sculptures from the Han Dynasty. The relevance of sculptures from the Han Dynasty to the evolution of ancient Chinese art is discussed, with examples highlighting the sculptures' dynamic life and creative quality.

ГОНЧАРНАЯ ПЕЧЬ ПАМЯТНИКА ПЕТРОВКА-5 В КОНТЕКСТЕ АРХЕОЛОГИИ ДАЛЬНЕГО ВОСТОКА

In Primorye, a kiln for firing ceramic material was excavated at the Petrovka-5 monument near the town of Bolshoy Kamen. The furnace occupied the northeastern cape-shaped tip of the hollow slope. The height difference at its location was 1,35 m. The furnace was erected on a flat area paved with broken bricks and baked clay. The furnace had the shape of a truncated circle with a straight end wall on the south side and a furnace on the north. The dimensions of the structure at the base are 2 × 2,3 m, the long side is oriented Northwest–Southeast. The ceiling is made of arched masonry in the shape of a dome. Ceramic vessels and tiles were loaded into the firing chamber through the southern wall. The furnace and the firing chamber were connected by a channel. The walls of the furnace are laid with a horizontal masonry of rectangular bricks 15–20 cm long, 5–6 cm thick. Clay mortar was used as a bundle for laying bricks. By type, the oven belongs to the round one. In ancient times and in the Middle Ages, furnaces of this form were widely used in the North of China. Ceramics deposited in the firing chamber are represented by pots, vases, frying pan lids, tiles. The surface color of the vessels is gray, often specially blackened. The blackening of circular vessels is recorded on the handicraft ceramics of Yin, Wei, the culture of the Amur and Primorye Jurchens, on the monuments of the state of Eastern Xia. Modeling of vessels was carried out on a circle using a bottom-capacitive filling. In shape, the vessels do not find complete analogies among the ceramics of the medieval cultures of Primorye and the Amur region. The technical and technological characteristics of the vessels correspond to the handicraft production of the Far Eastern pottery province, dating back to the traditions of the Han era. Chinese archaeologists correlated the tile material with the periods of the Eastern Jin (317–420) and Eastern Wei (534–550) dynasties. According to radiocarbon analysis of coal from the fire-chamber of the furnace, the monument Petrovka-5 is dated 600–760.

Chinese belt buckles-hooks «daigou» made of jade of the Han era (206 bc-220 ad): typological and artistic features

Chinese belt buckles-hooks «daigou» made of jade of the Han era (206 bc-220 ad): typological and artistic features

Radicals with Diplomatic Semantics in the Ancient Chinese Dictionary Shuo Wen Jie Zi: Verification of Etymology

There are several signs that contain “diplomatic” semantics among the 540 most ancient radicals of Chinese writing, presented in the Shuo Wen Jie Zi dictionary (1st century AD, Han era). Before the dictionary was created, Chinese writing had already existed for several thousand years. Therefore, some researchers (Zou Xiaoli, 2007; Oshanin, 1943) consider that the etymologies of the radicals in Shuo Wen were formulated under the influence of the later eras and are often erroneous. Attempts are made to verify the etymologies of these signs with “diplomatic” semantics by comparing them with the more ancient forms jiaguwen and jinwen, discovered and scientifically described only in the 20th century. Such a comparison and interpretation will reveal the probable correct etymologies of the analysed radicals of the Shuo Wen dictionary and verify them. In addition, the study will shed light on the beginning of diplomacy in ancient China. The article also touches upon the problem of etymological analysis in a language with an ideographic type of writing, which is carried out not at the level of morphology, as in European languages, but at the level of hieroglyphic sign graphics. The problem of semantics and etymology of radicals was considered mainly by Chinese scientists (Zou Xiaoli, 2007; Wang Fengyang, 2011, etc.), while in European linguistics, the problem was studied only fragmentarily (Kondrashevsky, 1982; Karasyova, 2019; Dictionary of Etymologies, 2019). The radicals “with diplomatic” semantics analysed in this article have not been subjected to special study. The purpose of the present article is to verify the etymology of a number of radicals that contain “diplomatic” semantics in the ancient Chinese dictionary Shuo Wen Jie Zi; consider information about the dictionary, its basic radicals and their semantics; briefly describe the features of etymological analysis in general, and in the Chinese language in particular; and compare the definitions of these radicals in various etymological dictionaries, thus verifying the etymologies presented in the Shuo Wen Jie Zi dictionary.

On the Differences between Han Rhapsodies and Han Paintings in Their Portrayal of the Queen Mother of the West and Their Religious Significance

This paper argues that there exist two Queen Mothers of the West (Xiwangmu) in the Han era (206 BC–AD 220): one worshipped as a goddess of longevity and immortality by people from the upper class; the other worshipped by the ordinary people as a seemingly omnipotent deity with divine power over both the immortal world and the mortal world. This argument is based on a thorough comparative investigation of the surviving corpus of Han rhapsodies (fu) and Han paintings, the two major genres of art that give form to her cult in the Han period.

Radicals with Diplomatic Semantics in Ancient Chinese Dictionary “Shuo Wen Jie Zi”: Verification of Etymology

There are several signs with «diplomatic» semantics among the 540 most ancient radicals of the Chinese writing, presented in the dictionary “Shuo wen jie zi” (1st century AD, Han era). Before the dictionary was created, Chinese writing had already existed for several thousand years; therefore some researchers (Zou Xiaoli, 2007; Oshanin, 1943) consider that the etymologies of the radicals in “Shuo wen” were formulated under the influence of the later eras and are often erroneous. The attempts are made to verify the etymologies of these signs with “diplomatic” semantics by comparing them with the more ancient forms jiaguwen and jinwen, discovered and scientifically described only in the 20th century. Such a comparison and interpretation will reveal the probable correct etymologies of the analyzed radicals of the Chinese dictionary “Shuo wen” and verify them. In addition, the study will shed light on the beginning of diplomacy in ancient China. The article also touches upon the problem of etymological analysis in a language with an ideographic type of writing, which is carried out not at the level of morphology, as in European languages, but at the level of hieroglyphic sign graphics.The problem of semantics and etymology of radicals was considered mainly by Chinese scientists (Zou Xiaoli, 2007; Wang Fengyang, 2011, etc.), while in the European linguistics, the problem was studied only fragmentarily (Kondrashevsky, 1982; Karasyova, 2019; Dictionary of etymologies, 2019). The radicals “with diplomatic” semantics, analyzed in the article, did not become the object of special study.The purpose of the article is to verify the etymology of a number of radicals in the ancient Chinese dictionary “Shuo wen jie zi” with “diplomatic” semantics, to consider the information about the dictionary “Shuo wen jie zi”, its basic radicals and their semantics, to briefly describe the features of etymological analysis in general and in Chinese language in particular, to compare the definitions of these radicals in various etymological dictionaries, thus verifying the etymologies presented in the dictionary “Shuo wen jie zi”.

Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice): A Comprehensive Review on Its Phytochemistry, Biological Activities, Clinical Evidence and Toxicology.

There are more than 30 species of Glycyrrhiza genus extensively spread worldwide. It was the most prescribed herb in Ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek, East China, and the West from the Former Han era. There are various beneficial effects of licorice root extracts, such as treating throat infections, tuberculosis, respiratory, liver diseases, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and immunodeficiency. On the other hand, traditional medicines are getting the attraction to treat many diseases. Therefore, it is vital to screen the medicinal plants to find the potential of new compounds to treat chronic diseases such as respiratory, cardiovascular, anticancer, hepatoprotective, etc. This work comprehensively reviews ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemistry, biological activities, clinical evidence, and the toxicology of licorice, which will serve as a resource for future clinical and fundamental studies. An attempt has been made to establish the pharmacological effect of licorice in different diseases. In addition, the focus of this review article is on the molecular mechanism of licorice extracts and their four flavonoids (isoliquiritigenin, liquiritigenin, lichalocone, and glabridin) pharmacologic activities. Licorice could be a natural alternative for current therapy to exterminate new emerging disorders with mild side effects. This review will provide systematic insights into this ancient drug for further development and clinical use.

ОБ ЭВОЛЮЦИИ ФОРМ КОМПОЗИЦИИ КАМЕННЫХ РЕЛЬЕФОВ ЭПОХИ ХАНЬ ПРОВИНЦИИ ШАНЬДУН

The stone reliefs of the Han era (206 BC – 220 AD) are a special type of funerary art with its own specific set of plots and art forms. Shandong Province takes the first place in China in terms of number of founding relief images. The peculiarity of the compositional construction of the Han's reliefs is that it isn’t based on the spatial principle of image transmission, but on the plastic-planar pictorial principle of a two-dimensional composition, which, with its thoughtful use, can carry the maximum emotional charge [Moshkov, Kuznetsov 1994]. Based on that, author’s own typology of the compositions of Han reliefs was built. Article the object of the study are stone reliefs of the Han Dynasty, Shandong Province, represented on stone sarcophagi, in stone tombs, temples of ancestors and steles, and passed the past two stages of its heyday. The purpose and objective of the study is to identify and study the laws of evolution of the composition of the stone reliefs of the Han Dynasty, Shandong Province, based on V.M. Moshkova’s principles of composition, using systemic and iconological research methods. Images on the stone reliefs of the Han tombs are distinguished by the peculiarity of the forms of compositional constructions, the process of development and evolution of which occurs in accordance with certain laws. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the starting point for the development of relief compositions of stone sarcophagi were two forms – symmetrical and nested (including several levels following the outlines and forms of stone material), which during the heyday of the Western Han Dynasty supplemented the “V”-shaped composition. Their further development is associated with the use of dispersed, zoned, irregular composition techniques, which spread around in turn of the CE. At the same time, a variety of compositional forms is also observed in the reliefs of tombs, temples of ancestors and stelae, in the reliefs of which during the period of the Eastern Han (25–220 CE) many different forms of compositional organization appear: for example, asymmetric, segmented, shingles wrong etc. The composition of combinations of geometric shapes, consisting, as a rule, of squares and circles, is also distributed. A variety of compositional forms is associated, on the one hand, with the complication of the architecture of burial structures and an increase in their scale. On the other hand, with the enrichment of the content and plots of reliefs, which is becoming more diverse and includes not only the image of Confucian’s symbols, but also narratives that reflect episodes from the lives of those buried. This indicates not only the process of improving art forms during the Han era, but also reflects a certain evolution of religious and philosophical thought, changes that took place in this period in the social structure of ancient Chinese society, and also, possibly, some external influences on the development of Chinese art.

James Legge on the Lun Yu’s text history

The article examines the views of the outstanding British Sinologist James Legge (1815–1897) on the textual history of the Lun Yu’. Based on the methodological approach as adapted in the textual historical studies the author, Lidia Golovacheva studies the views by J. Legg on the phenomena as follows. 1. The Qing views on the destruction of books and the killing of scholars, which took place during the Qin dynasty and on the targeted collection of ancient books in the Han era. 2. The compilation process of Lun Yu’s text by the Han dynasty scholars. 3. When and by whom the Lun Yu was written. 4. Who left comments on Lun Yu. 5. Variant readings in Lun Yu. The views on Lun Yu by Legge to a significant part are influenced by those of traditional Chinese scholars. They reflect the general height, reached by the Lun yu’ textology in the 19th cent. This builds a solid basis for future research on the development of Lun Yu studies in the Sinological studies in China, Western Europe and worldwide.

The Concept of “Educational Transformation” and its Relationship to Civilizing Missions in Early China

AbstractThis article examines the early history and evolution of the concept ofjiaohua(教化 “educational transformation”) as a reference to civilizing missions in China. It explores Ru (Confucian) concepts advocating the widespread education of the masses, showing how such concepts were linked to notions of ethnicity and moral attainment. Then it contextualizes the first uses of educational transformation in writings concerning statecraft. Xunzi emerges as a pivotal figure who helped adapt the statecraft rhetoric on educational transformation to the largely Ru goal of spreading a morally superior Huaxia culture among the masses and to peoples of other cultures. I then move beyond this conceptual history to examine a few civilizing missions in the Han era. My purpose is to link large-scale, civilizing missions in Chinese history with the early philosophical rhetoric and show how history was shaped by these underlying conceptual orientations.

Trade Flux’s Influence Upon Southeast Asian Economical Backwardness During 17th Century

Southeast Asia as a region of exotic lands located between China and India countries on Indian Oceanic passageway of which little was known. Southeast’s Asian earliest center’s of power emerged between the first and fifteenth centuries CE, as their leaders faced issues relative to rulling their domains, which were mainly moving form highly localized tribal and clan-based societies. In the predominant world, the Southeast Asian region was illustrated in international sources as wealth land. The story of economic development in early Southeast Asia begins long before the Christian Era. Southeast Asia had already been for centuries a region with unique cultural identity. Trade has been important facet for Southeast Asia, since it obtained numerous commodities as clove, sandalwood, camphor, pepper that had been traded since Rome and Han era. As time passed, many trade activities faced failures which indicated economical backwardness. This article tries to emphasize the trade flux’s impact upon Southeast Asian economical backwardness in 14th century.

Confucian concept of “transmission of the Way” in the works by Han Yu

This article is an attempt to find out how one of the leaders of the revival of Antiquity movement in China, the philosopher Han Yu (768–824), saw the place of the Han era philosopher Yang Xiong (53 BCE – 18 CE) in the history of Confucianism and Chinese culture. The author argues that the works by Yang Xiong influenced the ideas by Han Yu especially those regarding the lineage of the transmission of the Path. She also suggests that because the Neo-Confucianists had interpreted these features in a specific way the connection, which contributed to the fact that the relationship as mentioned above was ignored.The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

Наследственная аристократия и ее владения в структуре и политике царства Цинь в IV–III веках до н. э.

The paper discusses the question of existence of hereditary aristocracy in the ancient Chinese state of Qin during the period of 4th – 3rd BC, as well as the question of its role in the domestic political process. The paper shows the dynamic of political change on the materials of received sources as well as on that of the paleographic texts. It also shows that the traditional perception of Shang Yang’s reforms is false. This perception is based on the sources, composed largely during the Han era, which predetermined their bias towards the history of Qin. Based on these sources the research to date usually depicts the reforms of Shang Yang as an act of dismantling the order based on hereditary aristocracy and transforming Qin into a bureaucratic state, divided uniformly into counties and commanderies. However the reality, as shown in the sources contradicts this view, as the hereditary aristocracy after the reforms of Shang Yang neither ceased to exist, nor lost the decisive grip over the political process in the state of Qin. The research shows a dependence of the power transition stability and the ability of the hereditary aristocracy to align with the monarch and also shows that the process of imperial formation put this model of stability in jeopardy. It has also become clear that the very process of reproducing conflict between the aristocratic and bureaucratic groups within Qin’s elites was driven by the changing interest of the monarch, who, in his different period of reign aimed at different goals, thus being the variable that propelled the political change within a framework of constants. This change led inevitably to the transformation of connection between the ruler and the hereditary aristocracy, the initial type of which being that of a hereditary lineage system of ties, and the final being that of an imperial state system, where the groups of hereditary aristocracy within the imperial court no longer needed to have kinship with the ruler, but played the role of agents for the local elites, influencing imperial politics.

The Administration of the Outlying Territories of the Western Regions of the Chinese Empire under the Early Han Dynasty

By means of the two principal sources for the study of the Western Regions during the Former Han era (202 BCE–9 CE) – the Records of the Historian (Shiji 史痨) and the History of the Former Han (Qian Hanshu 前漢書) - the author analyses toponyms, official names, administrative and military organisations and other terminology. The article also scrutinises the changing perception of the “Western Regions” throughout China's imperial history, up to present-day Xinjiang. For this purpose, also the research of the Russian sinologist Nikita Y. Bichurin/Никита Яковлевич Бичурин (alias Hyacinth/Иакинф 1777–1853) is evoked.

По музеям Северо-Восточного Китая

The review contains information about the performances of employees of the Department of Oriental Studies of the Institute for Humanities of Novosibirsk State University and the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the SB RAS at international conferences, during which they also visited several important historical museums in northeast China. The review also touches on the famous Lamaist complexes of Inner Mongolia – Dalelinsi and Wudanzhao, the Hamin Archaeological Park with Neolithic burials, the Museum of Inner Mongolia in Baotou with its ethnographic collections, archaeological and historical materials from the Neolithic and Han eras to the New Age, as well as the Dafu Private Museum in Chaoyang (Liaoning Province), where the main local cultures of the Neolithic and Paleometal era are represented, many of which have been given the status of national Cultural Heritage of various levels.