Study On History Of Na-xi Studies (1867-1972)

The Naxi is an ethnic minority in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province in China, near the borders of Tibet and Burma. Naxi was called么些. in Chinese history book, which was translated Mo-so by westerner. In late nineteenth century, a large number of western missionary, explorers and government officials came to southwest of China, who missionized Christian and investigated geographical features of a place. The actual story of the Dongba manuscripts began way back in1867when the French missionary, Pere Desgodins, sent an11pages copy of Dongba manuscripts to Paris. Subsequently, more Dongba manuscripts were brought back to Europe or America by travelers in Yunnan and they were discussed in terms of the development of writing. With time. they formed a branch of knowledge. Naxi Study.This dissertation take works and papers concerned Naxi as the research object. This dissertation will take works and papers concerned Naxi as the research object, expect the course that westerner know, understand and study Naxi, evaluate the accomplish-ment and shortage of western Naxi study, explore the method of western Naxi studyThis dissertation is consisted of seven chapters. Chapter One is an introduction. Chapter Two. Three, Four and Five are the main part of this study. The focal part is Chapter Six. Chapter Seven is a conclusion.Chapter One is an introduction. Firstly, it presents the causes of topic selection, research purpose and significance. Secondly, comprehensive literature review on the relevant studies is given. Thirdly, it introduces this study’s methods and steps. Finally, it gives an explanation of relevant materials and quotation’s formats.Chapter Two is the recapitulation of western Naxi study between late nineteen century and early twenty century, Firstly, it teases the records of the Naxi culture and geography in western travels, comprehends the process of the westerner understand Naxi. Secondly, it introduces Naxi Dongba manuscripts’ spread in the western world. Finally, it comments on study of Naxi language, hieroglyph and literature in this time.Chapter Three is the Naxi study of J. Bacot. Les Mo-so is the first work in history of Naxi study. Firstly, it sums the life of J. Bacot. the content of Les Mo-so. value and shortage of Les Mo-so.Chapter Four details the study of Naxi language, hieroglyph and literature, judges the value and significance of J. Bacot’s Naxi study, and corrects the mistake of Les Mo-so.Chapter Five is the Naxi study of J. Rock. American scholar J. Rock spends the27years on Naxi study and publishes more than a dozen related treatises. Firstly, it sums the related treatises of J. Rock’s Naxi study. Secondly, it comments on study of the Dongba manuscripts’ translation, Dongba religion rite, and Naxi language and writing.Chapter Six is the study of Dongba manuscripts collected by J. Rock. Firstly, it introduces the Dongba manuscripts collection in European and American Libraries and Museums. Secondly, it elaborates the value and significance of American Harvard-Yenching Library. Finally, it is a monographic study of Dongzhi and Hehong’s Dongba manuscripts in Harvard-Yenching Library.Chapter seven is study methods of western Naxi study. It generalizes the method of fieldwork, literature translation and historical contrastive study of language.Chapter eight draws the conclusion of this study. It concludes the main viewpoints in this dissertation.Appendix:the list of works and papers’western Naxi study.In short, the innovation of the dissertation lies in the following:1. This research, guided by the historical materialism of Marxism, seeks to explain Westwen Naxi Study by focusing on the related original works and extensive reading of these works. Also, from an interdisciplinary perspective, it analyzes Western Naxi Study in light of comparative religious study and the theory of imageology.2. It summarizes the works related human geography, language, writing, religion and costoms of Naxi comprehensively and systematically for the first time.3. It compares and contrasts Western Naxi Study with lastest research, recognizes their achievement, and corrects mistakes.4. It rearranges the Dongba manuscripts collected by westerner in between late nineteen century and early twenty century, and carry out special studies of Dongba manuscripts which already published.