Xu Has Nonyl Research

Xu Youren (1287-1364), who styled himself as Guitang, was born in Tangyin, Hennen province. He was a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations in Yuan era. Henceforward, through seven dynasties, he, serving as Jixian Grand Secretary, Head of the Secretariat, the Left Prime Minister and so on, was one of the Han Chinese in prominent position in the late-Yuan Dynasty. In this paper, on the basis of the results of previous studies and the handed down documents, by applying the empirical research methods, the life story of Xu Youren will be under a comprehensive textual research. And taking Xu Youren, a Han person who was in prominent position in Yuan imperial government as typical example, the thesis is to specify Han Chinese group’s study tour, officialdom from different perspectives, and explore the impact of the resumption of the Imperial Examination System upon the education and officialdom for Han Chinese and Han Chinese’s contributions in the late Yuan period. This dissertation consists of six parts including introduction:In the first chapter, Xu Youren’s family background is under discussion mainly focusing on his ancestors, family members and family marriages. This paper holds that, Xu Youren’s Confucian ideological and political theory, especially the filial piety aspect, is related to the family education environment. The research on the members of his family and marriages clarifies the basic situation of the family members, and finds out that the people the family members married are mainly from the lower and middle bureaucratic family, which does not show much influence from Yuan Dynasty’s succession marriage and ethnic marriage.The second chapter explores the early experiences of Xu Youren, including his birth year, names, birthplace, study tour, officialdom, etc.. This paper holds that Xu Youren’s being in the scholars’circle, but without detailed written school origin, is mainly because of his itinerant boyhood. The conditions, before the restoration of the Imperial Examination System, for the Yuan scholars to enter political stratum is analyzed by narrating his officialdom tour to the capital, and being recommended as Xuezheng and Scribe. At the same tome, with the biography of Chang Shiwen and other historical materials the paper verifies the issue of Chang Shiwen’s recommendation is inconsistent with the facts.The third chapter discusses the relation between Xu Youren and the Yuan Dynasty’s Imperial Examination System in terms of attending, holding and maintenance of the Imperial Examinations. This paper holds that, the life journey of Xu Youren’s being from a top examinee in the highest imperial examinations to an appointed examiner and finally to a vindicator of the imperial examinations witnessed the rise and fall of the imperial examinations. Through the interpretation of Xu Youren’s intuitive cognition upon the Imperial Examination System, the deep-seated reasons for the vicissitude of the System can be further explored and analysed. And his guardian behavior upon the abolition of the Imperial Examination System and the subsequent negative influence he suffered from show the close relationship between the scholars personal circumstance and the historical times.The fourth chapter mainly covers Xu Youren’s moral excellence and practical contributions in light of his extraordinary political achievements in Liaozhou, uprightness as Supervisory Censor, dedication as a prime minister. This paper holds that, during his three-year term of office in Liaozhou, Xu Youren played a positive role in the areas of public welfare, education, public security, judicial system, administrative efficiency, anti-corruption, advocating filial piety ethics, presenting his outstanding political competencies. While, political struggle, Han-exclusion policy and internal strife lead to his mediocre performance when he was a prime minister.The fifth chapter mainly gives an account of Xu Youren’s friendship with the Han Confucian scholars, Taoists and Mongolia Semu(west ethnic minority people) intellectuals. The paper holds that his friendship with Ouyang Xuan and Ma Xi highlights his undulatory living state in political circle, and under the Confucianism-and-Taoism-blending social climate, his friendship with Wu Quanjie and Zhu Siben embodies the Taoism influence on him. Especially, his friendship with the Mongolian Wan Jialv, Semu ethnics Ma Zuchang and Xun Kailin shows that the individual intercourse is not a result of ethnic identity but common aspiration and interests. The analysis of these above people facilitates further and profound understanding of Xu Youren’s life and thought.