Research On The Funeral System Of Nobility In The Liao Dynasty

The Liao Dynasty，as a northern minority regime established by the Khitan in China’sancient time, enjoys the same time span of the Five Dynasties Period and theNorthern Song Dynasty and coexists with the Song regime in a long term. As withincreasingly close contact between the Han people and Khitan, especially after thepolicy of "ruling Khitan by the national system, treating Han in Chinese way", theLiao regime began to conduct a central-plains-oriented political system construction.With its strong national and regional features, the funeral system of the Liao Dynastyenjoys the double characteristics of diversification and nationalization, becoming animportant part of traditional custom culture of ancient China.The funeral system should include two parts, that is, the mortuary practices and burialsystem. Currently, most researchers focus on burial system in stead of mortuarypractices, letting alone the systematic and comprehensive research. Taking thesefactors into consideration, the author selects the funeral system of nobility in the LiaoDynasty as the research object, hoping to become a beneficial supplement of thefuneral system. One of the distinguishing features of this thesis is taking epitaphs andinscriptions excavated from Liao tombs as main and basic material. Using doubletextual research method, combining folklore, geomancy theory and historical research,the author summarizes the noble funeral system of the Liao Dynasty comprehensively,trying to draw a relatively scientific conclusion as a result.Basing on the systematic analysis of the discovery process and research status ofZuling Mausoleum and Qingling Mausoleum among the five Mausoleums of the LiaoDynasty, the author believes that the mausoleum system of Liao follows some customof the Tang Dynasty, learns from that of Song Dynasty and creates some new factorswhich greatly contributing to the abundance of the mausoleum system of ancientChina and having an great impact on that of the Jin Dysnaty and the following MingDynasty, such as the special-setup organizations for the guard of the mausoleums，theworship to the mountains which were looked as holy area by the Khitan people and where the Khitan should be buried after their death.As far as the study of burial system is concerned, taking the Great Wall as a boundary,the author divides the tombs of Liao Dynasty found in Inner Mongolia AutonomousRegion, Liaoning, Beijing, Shanxi and Hebei Provinces into northern and southerndistricts. Taking different nationality-belongings of the occupants into consideration,the thesis divides the tombs of Liao Dynasty into early, middle and late three phasesand seven sections and discusses the development of burial system of the LiaoDynasty from the four aspects of shape of tomb, burial ware, mural and tombfurniture, with the innovation factors being discussed.Based on the records of historical data and characters on carved stone about themortuary practices of the Liao Dynasty, the author believes that in the progress ofdevelopment and growth of Khitan nationality, especially after the found of theregime, the mortuary practices not only increasing complete itself under the influenceof the funeral custom of Han culture,but consolidate its traditional custom at thesame time, which is the result of the multiple cultural integration, reflecting thedevelopment progress of the Khitan mortuary practices. The author also fullydiscusses the fusion factors in the noble funeral system of the Liao Dynasty and itsfunction in promoting the formation of diversity in unity of the Chinese nation.With its sharp regional and national characteristics, the Liao culture is so outstandingfrom the10th to the11th century of ancient China that it can even share an equalposition with the Song culture. More attention should be paid instead of neglecting,ignoring or understatement as far as the deep research of the Liao culture isconcerned.