Researches On The Literature Of Family Chao In The Song Dynasty

Family Chao earned the great reputation for their family literature in the Song Dynasty.And from the early stage till the Southern Song Dynasty, Family Chao had their continual literary traditions ,thus bringing up a number of famous writers and cultural celebraties represented by Chao Jiong, Chao Bu-zhi, Chao Yue-zhi, Chao Chong-zhi ,Chao Duan-li,Chao Gong-wu,in view of the fact,the brilliant literary achievements of Family Chao are well worth researching and summarizing,furthermore,the research should be done from an angle of family literature because of its important theoretical value.Based on the researches of literature achievements of Family Chao, using academica circles' already-got research accomplishments for reference, the paper, In the double development courses of both the history of Family Chao and the literatural history of the Song Dynasty,outlines a comparatively complete literature developmental history of Family Chao for the first time, vividly disclosing the close relationship between the literature and the prosperous or declining state of Family Chao in both the evolutional course and mutul relationship of multiple elements, deeply explaining the great influence on the literature writing of Chaos' writers exerted by the family elements.At the same time .the paper shows that research of family literature is of powerful significance of methodology to that of literature of the Song Dynasty.Family Chao had brought up many literators ,but about whom,there are a lot of mistakes in many literatural and historic sources or research works,so the paper has to first solve those problems,for example, the "Three Ancestors "of Family Chao ,Chao Di,Chao Jiong and Chao Gou ,whose original family home was in Qingfeng,Chanzhou, moved to the capital city Kaifeng,during the period of Emperor Zhenzong Regime,afterwards,the lineal offspring of Chao Di, Chao Gou moved to Juye and Rencheng County of Jizhou,the lineal offspring of Chao Jiong.such as Chao Zhong-yan,Chao Duan-yan,Chao Yue-zhi,Chao Chong-zhi,had been living in the capital,Kai Feng,so they should not be regarded as the people of Ju Ye County, Chao Zai-zhi was not one of Chao Gou's offspring ,which should not be named 'the Western Branch of Family Chao'.Chao Yong-zhi was mistaken for Chao Yue-zhi on some occasions,and some of their poems were interfused in each other's collected works. It was not in Yangzhou that Chao Yong-zhi met Su Shi for the first time ,and it was impossible for Chao Yue-zhi to be a teacher in the school of the court.In all .there are about eighties of mistakes concerning literators of Family Chao in the existing literature and studies which has been identified and corrected in the paper.Chao Jiong (951-1034) was both the founder and soul of Family Chao in the Song Dynasty,whose thoughts, personality and behavours were continuously admired and learned by the offsprings of Family Chao,thus gradually forming the family traditions which became the important home regulations influencing life orientations of Chaos'literators,so in the 2th chapter,the basic connotation and the cultural meaning of the family traditions are discussed,concluding that Chaos ruled its family via feudal ethical codes which was also strictly obeyed in dealing with social intercourses ,thus showing strong feudal patriarchal conception. Family Chao had a tradition to compile clan genealogies to collect all the names of the family members which consisted the complete recording of the family system,and Chao Jiong, Chao Zong-que, Chao Zhong-yan, Chao Qian-zhi contributed a lot to help other family members. Chaos owed their success to each other's unity and help from the family.And through his eminent literary activities among the people or in theroyal court, Chao Jiong established Family Chao's tradition of professional literators .In comparison with other great families in the Song Dynasty, Chaos characterized its world-recognized family of literature which were also the unique reflect of rising feudal culture in the Song Dynasty. Family Chao had thin atmosphere of its own literary tradition of instruction from father or elder brothers,thus valuing family education .Chaos'literators were open-up in learning and they good at learning from others,in doing so they made many friends in the literary world. Chao Jiong's thoughts of compatibility of Confucianism,Taoism and Buddhism ,set a good example to the Chaos'ofTsprings to learn extensively from outside world. Family Chao's plentiful collection of books ,the prevailing customs of diligent-learning and the tradition of diligent-wrtingjed to Chao literators' broad and profound knowledge,which laid solid foundation for their success in literature. Also,Family Chao had good customs of mercy and fraternity,at the same time the good morals and reputations of Chao Jiong and his father Chao Zong-que set a good example to the Chaos'literators.Most of Chao Jiong's poems written in the early stage of the Song Dynasty, have been lost, however, by analyzing his existing literature and other materials about him, the author contend in the the 3rd chapter that Chao Jiong was a poet with many writing styles. In his early time, he learned to write poem with Bai Juyi's style, yet he didn't let himself be confined by that, his creating spirit was similar to Wang Yu-cheng.Chao Jiong was a close friend and colleague of Yang Yi, leader of the XiKun School, they both had the similar integrity. Chao Jiong's prose also changed.At the time that poems with Xikun style was prosperous, he was a qualified poet with that style, later, when he was exploring a new poetic style, he brought with him the influence of the Xikun style. He wrote concise prose as well as rhythmical prose, characterized by parallelism and oraateness. When XiKun style prose were prevailing, he, however, advocated to learn the ancient writing styles. Hence,Chao Jiong can not only be regarded as a member of certain literature school.His long literal activity stood for right developmental trend in literature in the early time ofSong Dynasty and his contributions to Literature in Song Dynasty lay in that he began the good tradition of the Chao Family, well-known for its terrific literary achievements.In the mid&late period of the Northern Song Dynasty,with a number of offsprings became officials via civil-service exam, Chao Family once again earned its revival after the prosperous period of Chao Jiong and Chao Zong-que times.At the same time, in the literary world of the Yuanyou Period , a large crowd of literators from Chao Family appeared,and they kept close friendship with the leading writers at that time,such as Su Shi,Huang Ting-jian and Chen Shi-dao,so the main Chao Family writers : Chao Bu-zhi, Chao Yue-zhi, Chao Yong-zhi, Chao Zai-zhi got courage and assistance in literary writing from Su Shi, the leading figure among men of letters then. Because of the close relationship and the exchanging-poem social intercourse activities with those leaders,the literary works of Chaos got instruction and recommendment from the famous writers then.Simultaneously,influenced by both the political and academic thoughts of the Yuan You Partizans, they shared the similar political attitudes,stand and fate with them during the party controversy in the Northern Song Dynasty. Prosperity of Chaos' literators owed a lot not only to the development of the family itself and its literary tradition,but also to the literary and cultural prosperity of the YuanYou Period.Besides,in the 4th Chapter,the literatural achievements of Chao Duan-you, Chao Duan-yan, Chao Duan-ren, Chao Duan-bing,and Chao Duan-zhong , whose anthologies got lost,are discussed and analyzed.Chao Bu-zhi (1053-1110) was one of the famous "Four Scholars in the Su Shi School",and his proses and Cis (poems composed to some tunes) were valued all the time ,but his poems were neglected,so in the 5th Chapter, Chao Bu-zhPs poems are discussed , concluding that Chao Bu-zhi's poems oiyuefu and gexing reflected many aspects of social life,i.e the hardship of farmers'labor,people's poor life,the difficult positions of lower-level persons, polarization of rich and poor,and so on ,showing a kind of creative spirit to care reality and current afFairs,and that ChaoBu-zhi's poems of yuefix , gexing and qigu had many narrating compositions,grandeur artistic vista,striking characteristics of the folk songs,rich emotional and contents.In the expressing way, Chao Bu-zhi had a tendency to refine artistic images from realistic life, not like to use literary quotation.All the above-mentioned characteristics helped him to earn the good reputation in the poetry world then.The whole Chaos literators'wrtings came to their high time in the late period of the Northern Song Dynasty .Suffering heavy strikes in the party controversy in the Northern Song Dynasty, Chaos literators widely experienced a very hard time,so,in those historic backgrounds,the 6th Chapter discloses the common characteristics of Chaos literators'wrtings during the period:showing both striking consciousness of declining distinguished family,and complex of missing their glorious ancestors, hoping family honour and customs to be publicized,displaying strong clan feelings and reality criticism spirit.AH those showed clearly that the in-depth family tradition and culture of Chao Family became the important contents and motive forces to arouse literary creation,and the literature was stamped with the brand of a family, which is also one of main purposes that the paper is trying to make clear.In addition to success in poem and prose, Chaos literators'also achieved a lot in writing Cis,so in the 7th Chapter, Chaos Ci writers'creating characteristics and achievements are discussed and summarized. Chao Duan-li (1046-1113) ,was always regarded as a member of "Dasheng School of Ci",but his main style came from Liu Yong's creative spirits,so his Ci liked to write love ,frankly and boldly to express love affairs,in this way,his Ci can not only embody Liu Yong's creative spirits in many aspects,but also showed obvious tendency of literary style,furthermore,got influenced from Su Shi's Ci writings. Chao Duan-li's writing of praisal Cis was only the end of his whole literary writing. Via singing idyllic life, founding peach-source world (Chinese way of paradise founding) ..expressing spouses affections,tracing self mind courses, Chao Bu-zhi's Ci writings fully displayed Su Shi's innovative spirits of Ci style through writing Cis with poems,together with the bold momentum andvast views ,those characteristics formed active echoes to Su Shi's Ci writing customs. Trying to avoid the slang words and expressing way in Liu Yong's Cis,and refusing to go along with Su Shi's innovative ways of Ci style, Chao Chong-zhi's Ci writings had characteristics of elegance and grace,showing the tendency returning to the traditional Ci styles represented by "School among Flowers".But his Cis also had a lot in common with Zhou Bang-yan's in emphasizing structure and rhymes of Cis,so Chao Chong-zhi was a person who practiced Li Qing-zhao's view that Ci was another kind of writing.In one word ,the three Ci writers individually represented one great developmental tendency,strikingly reflecting that Chaos' literators were not willing to limit themselves within their own family ,but tried to pursue independent literary spirits.During the Jingkang Incident, the main part of Family Chao had moved to the south,so in the Southern Song Dynasty,they individually settled in the east,middle and west area .The epilogue first briefly introduced the basic conditions of Family Chao in the early stage of the southern Song Dynasty,and then introduced creating conditions of the main literators in the literary world of the southern Song Dynasty ,such as Chao Gong-wu, Chao Gong-su,and Chao Gong-mai. Viewing the whole literary developmental courses of Family Chao,we can see that the high time of literary writing was in the northern Song Dynasty,because Family Chao's literary cause took roots into the deep family literay traditions, watered and nourished by the literary climax of the time.Then the loss of the conditions led to the decline of Family Chao's literature,so wen can say that the decline of literature is one of the important causes that made Family Chao declined completely.Appendixes are the annual tables for Chao Jiong, Chao Yue-zhi and Chao Duan-li,which provide prerequisite conditions for research of the concerned writers and their writings.