On The Prose Style Of The Shang Dynasty And Thewesternzhou Dynasty

This paper is a study of the origin of the ancient Chinese prose style. Based on the investigation of the unearthed documents which includes inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells and bronzes and the handed literatures such as Jinwen Shangshu, Zhouyi and Yizhoushu, the paper systematically traces the evolution course of the ancient Chinese prose style in the Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty.This paper includes two parts, with eight chapters. According to the real evolution course of the Chinese prose style from the Shang Dynasty to the Western Zhou Dynasty, this paper declares that it is embryonic period of the ancient Chinese prose style in the Shang Dynasty and it is the growth period in the Western Zhou Dynasty. PartⅠ(chapters 1-3) discusses the prose style of the Shang Dynasty. The object of research includes scriptions on bones or tortoise shells, inscriptions on bronzes and the Shang part of Shangshu. PartⅡ(chapters 4-8) discusses the prose style of the Western Zhou Dynasty. The objects of research includes inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells, inscriptions on bronzes, hexagram judgment and line judgment of Zhouyi, the Western Zhou part of Jinwen Shangshu and the Western Zhou part of Yizhoushu.After systematically organizing and analyzing certain specific texts, this paper suggests that the prose style of the Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty can be classified into eleven types in terms of the function:Zhan(占),Gao(告),Ming(命),Bu(卜),Biao(表),Ji(记),Yue(约),Dian(典),Xun((训),Shi(誓)and Lun(论)For simplicity, we discuss them separately, one by one.Zhan(占), refers to the prose style which recorded divination for kings and aristocracy. It can commonly be found in inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells in the Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty. It was used frequently and covered most fields of the life of the Shang Dynasty. It was rich in content and frequently adopted, while its use was significantly reduced in the early Western Zhou Dynasty.Gao(告/诰),refers to the style which recorded the communications for kings and aristocracy to their ancestors, the warnings between the kings and ministers or the notices among the ministers. This style can commonly be found in inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells in the Shang Dynasty, inscriptions on bronzes of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Shang and Western Zhou part of Jinwen Shangshu and Yizhoushu. Although there are only two articles found in inscriptions on bronzes of the Western Zhou Dynasty, which recorded the king communicated to his ancestors by performing rites, the exquisite language arts and rich rhyme words show that Gao(告/诰)for communicating to ancestors had been well developed in the late Western Zhou Dynasty. In addition, the king's warnings to ministers in on bones or tortoise shells in the Shang Dynasty were very similar to those in the late Western Zhou Dynasty. Therefore, we declare that the prose style of Gac(诰)appeared in the Shang Dynasty or before. The eight Gao(诰)of the early Western Zhou in Zhoushu represented the mature of Gao(诰)in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. Compared with Gao(告)for communicating to ancestors, the content and style of the ministers' reports to the kings are richer and more flexible. It can be seen that the later official documents to address one's superiors were in their elementary stages.Ming(命),refers to the style which recorded the commands from superiors to their inferiors. This style can be seen in inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells in the Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty, inscriptions on bronzes of the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Western Zhou part of Jinwen Shangshu and Yizhoushu. On the whole, this style was used by courts and matured along with its application during the Shang and the Western Zhou Dynasty."Bu"(卜),can be found in inscriptions on the bonzes or tortoise shells which were not belong to Zhan(占),Gao(告)or Ming(命)It was rich in content and large in amount. We emphatically studied the five long-term used kinds of inscriptions which including offering sacrifices to gods or ancestors, inspecting their ministers, hunting, warring and making ten days'divination to discover the special style characteristics and evolution course of the inscriptions on bonzes or tortoise shells in the Shang Dynasty. hexagram judgment and line judgment of Zhouyi, the words of which judge things good or bad, was very similar to Bu(卜).Biao(表),is a written-record inscription which recorded the tables of the heavenly stems and earthly branches, the tables of the lineage of the kings and aristocracy of the Shang Dynasty. Compared with other styles, Biao(表)has a relatively simple structure and was applied in a narrow scope. With the destruction of the Sang dynasty, this style disappeared.Ji((记),refers to a narrative style. This style has been found in the inscriptions on bonzes or tortoise shells in the Shang Dynasty and became matured along with the application during the Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty. It also established a good foundation for the development of the narrative literature.Yue((约),refers to the style which recorded the legal documents. This style can be found in inscriptions on bronzes of the middle and late Western Zhou Dynasty. According to the content, it could be classified into three categories:agreements about land disputes, agreements about slaves and affiliated persons, agreements about laws.Dian(典),refers to the style which recorded the kings and ministers' speeches that could become the law or code. There are two extant canons in the Western Zhou part of Jinwen Shangshu. One is Hongfan and the other is Lvxing. The former one elaborates a good measure to rule the whole country. This measure was considered as the best way to govern ministers and widely used by the empires after the Western Han Dynasty. The later one is the earliest and systemic code in our country, which brings up the concrete article of the criminal law and the principles how to perform them and records the criminal law systems of the Western Zhou Dynasty."Xun"(训),refers to the style which recorded the instruction and persuasion. There are two extant instructions in the Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty. One is Gaozongrongri which is found in the Shang part of Jinwen Shangshu. It is an instruction to the King Zugeng by Zuji when Zugeng perform Rongji to the King Wuding. Another is Shuquanfuyou, which is found in the bronze inscriptions of the early Western Zhou Dynasty. It is an instruction to You by Shuquanfu. The words are sincere and the emotion is deep."Shi"(誓),refers to the style which recorded the speeches before the battle. There is one "speech" named Tangshi in the Shang part of Jinwen Shangshu and the other two speeches named Mushi and Bishi in the Western Zhou part of Jinwen Shangshu. Tangshi is the speech of the King Tang's army when they prepared to annihilate the King Jie's army. Mushi is the speech of the King Wu of the Western Zhou Dynasty in Muye before his army went to debeat the King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty. Bishi is a speech to his army by Boqin who is the son of Zhougong before he went on a punitive expedition to his enemies Huaiyi and Xurong."Lun"(论),refers to an argumentative style. This style can be found in hexagram judgment and line judgment of Zhouyi. It can be classified into two types according to whether having divine statements:one has the divine statements and is fewer in quantity, the divine statement of which is often situated at the mid of two augment statements, sometimes behind or before them, and a second type which does not contain divine statements but is greater in quantity and more brief. However, the second type potentially bears the essence of the "Lun," and thereby marked the beginning of "Lun.'...