The Study On The Mingtang Ritual Of Song Dynasty

Mingtang ritual was one of the most important ritual to sacrifice the god in ancient China, which holded in Mingtang on september.As an apotheosis in confucian classics, Zhou gong Mingtang ritual was highly worshiped by rulers in ancient China. Zhou gong Mingtang ritual was firstly recorded In Xiaojing, Zhouli, Lü's commentaries of History, Liji, however, these records were short and without details.Through the hard work of textual research, discuss and notes by scholars from Qin to Jin dynasty, the records of Zhou gong Mingtang ritual became rich, meanwhile, different opinions developed. Before Sui dynasty, Mingtang ritual seldom host,until Sui and Tang dynasty, Mingtang ritual got its prosperous, Tang rulers clarified the relationship between god and emperor, admitted Five emperors as god, Mingtang ritual became one ritual to sacrifice the god. In Tang dynasty, the system of sacrifice the god was established,which hold four times a year and divided into Da-li and conventional ceremonial. Every three years' Qinjiao system was established in Tang dynasty, that developed into detail sacrificial rirual. Wu zetian self-created and built Mingtang. In the late Tang dynasty, the system of the man with the right to match god been the died father was formed in the practice of Mingtang ritual.Song dynasty was the prosperous period on Mingtang ritual. From the end of Song renzong, the every three years'Qinjiao system was perfected and fixed, the emperors host Southern suburb ritual or Mingtang ritual. Mingtang ritual was host forty eight times in Song dynasty, which was an unique phenomenon in ancient history. Mingtang which built in Song huizong dynasty was most conforms to Confucianism, however, Mingtang was not the essential content of Mingtang ritual.In Southern Song dynasty, Mingtang ritual was mostly host in Daqing palace,the same as the period before Song huizong.In Northern Song dynasty, the father,who had been died, had the right to match god in Mingtang Da-li and conventional ceremonial. In southern Song dynasty, when holding Mingtang ritual, ancestors had the right to match god, before Song guangzong dynasty, Song taizong had the right to match god, than, replaced by Song gaozong. The system of Mingtang ritual Peixiang often changes in Northern Song dynasty. It appeared three hot debates about Mingtang ritual Peixiang system in Song dynasty, then established the system of the man with the right been the died father , or the ancestors, or the ancestors and the died father. The differences reflected the inheritance and development trace of Mingtang ritual system in Chinese ancient history.In Song dynasty, when hosting Mingtang ritual, amnesty and reward system accompanied. The prominence of Mingtang rituals' secular function was an important change in Song dynasty, which brought an extensive influence to the society of Song dynasty.The reason of Mingtang ritual's prosperous in Song dynasty lies in: First: as a solemn ritual to sacrifice the god, it offered an opportunity to declare the legitimacy of ruling; Second: its timely change adapt to the demands of Song society; Third: in Song dynasty, the theory on Mingtang ritual was rich, which Provides a theoretical basis for practice; Fourth, lies in Mingtang rituals' feasible and operable.No matter in theory, or in practice, Mingtang ritual reached its prosperous period in Song dynaty. The implimentation of amnesty and reward system was in favour of alleviate conflicts between different status and maintaining the stability of regime. However, the frequency host of Mingtang ritual increased the burden on people, aggravated redundant officials and redundancy costs, brought many adverse social effects. Comparing with previous dynasties, Mingtang ritual's ritual function weaken, the secular function became prominent.