Study On Superstitions Of Yihetuan And Its Social Reaction

The Yihetuan Movement is marked with strong superstitions, which was determined by both the objective social environment and the complicate social psychological factors. In terms of the objective social environment, it was deeply related with the folk custom in the late Qing Dynasty. As for the social psychological factors, the psychological hint, which is produced by the incantation of Xiang Shen Fu Ti (Make the ghost combine with the physical body by magics), did usher the people into a supernormal state, resulting in a special and obvious spiritual effect, which deeply convinced Yihetuan members of the magic power that they could use to resist guns of the Westerners. In addition, their constantly-made superstitious excuses were directly related with their psychological motives for self-explanation, which, in fact, was a self-protection to reduce the unbalanced cognition.Yihetuan made use of the superstitions for propaganda and mobilization, which was rather effective and played an active role in motivating and developing the Movement. But their propaganda and superstitious excuses were mostly untrue, thus with an obvious negative effect.Considering different interests and needs, the relevant social groups and classes made different reactions to Yihetuan's superstitions.When the Yihetuan Movement was at the prime period, the reaction by the non-members was featured by worship and blind submission. When the Movement was declining, they realized that Yihetuan had no fearful magic, so their worship and submission turned into doubt and unbelieving. But for the conservatives headed by Cixi, mother of former emperor of royal court, they showed the attitude of acceptance and utilization. Considering the political needs, they accepted the magic power of Yihetuan and dreamed of driving the Westerners by Yihetuan's hand. And they also tried to utilize the shortcomings of Yihetuan's superstitions to restrict Yihetuan Movement. The common officials' reactions were mainly featured by catering and opposing. In terms of catering, some held the affirmitave attitudes towards Yihetuan' s actions to drive the westerners by use of the legend of ghosts due to their hatred to the exteriors while some just believed in the Yihetuan Superstitions due to their catering psychology. In terms of opposing, all of them opposed the legend, regarding it as evil heathendom, in which an obvious political intention was hidden. Certainly some held a negative attitude towards Yihutuan Superstitions only form the view of absolute culture, indicating a political incline of opposing-vulgar-by-tites which was greatly influenced by the Confucian ideology.The media in 1900 and early 20th century denied Yihetuan's superstitions without exception. And through reconsidering Yihetuan's superstition, they called for educations for the people and getting rid of superstitions. These public opinions became the harbinger and prelude of the enlightening movement in early 20th century, indicating the deep reflection on the Chines by the Yihetuan Movement.