The Banquets,Assemblies And Political Culture In Northern Wei Dynasty

The Sinicization and Barbarization have long been the core issues of studies in the history of the Northern Wei.Concerning this period,the revolution of Emperor Xiaowen has always been the most crucial turning point in aspects like the progression of political history,reforms of institutions as well as etiquette and also the transformation in its social cultures.It is beyond all doubt that the revolution has profoundly affected the history of the Northern Dynasties and its impact has lasted to the latter periods of Sui and Tang.But on the other hand,as a regime stemmed from Northern nomads,the political-social pattern of the early Northern Wei has indeed incredible distinctions from traditional Chinese Dynasties.Before the revolution of Emperor Xiaowen,the politics and society of Northern Wei have already gone through a long evolving process.While contacting with various cultures and groups,the word"sinicization" could simply not generalize every aspect of progression in Northern Wei’s political culture.Through this study,I try to investigate this delicate process from the perspective of Banquets and Assemblies back then.My dissertation will be centering on two core topics and be divided into four major chapters.The first two chapters are concerned with those banquets and assemblies in the Emperor’s tours of inspection.I will discuss the changes in the rituals of military reviews.These rituals which took place in July 7th were established under the reign of Emperor Zhaocheng.After the founding of Northern Wei,they were revived by Emperor Daowu and inherited by latter emperors.Nevertheless,this tradition began to change in the period of emperor Wencheng,and were developed into a new phase at the time of emperor Xianwen and Xiaowen.Through our analysis,this ritual is indeed relevant to the autumn sacrifices of Xianbei.The military review in July converting to its counterpart in September indicates a particular process of early Northern Wei’s political culture as how the tribal traditions gradually fit into national ritual.The second chapter majorly focuses on the banquets held by emperor Wencheng at Xindu while his southern tour in the second year of Heping reign title.As the chief material for this chapter,the Stele of Southern Tour shows us important information about this inspective journey,and combining other related materials,I try to reexamine the banquets’ political significance by restoring its space and landscape.In the early stages of Northern Wei,the emphasis turning from inspection tours to capital cities is also an important aspect of its political culOture.After the reign of emperor Wencheng,inspection tours of massive time and distance diminished rapidly,political activities centering on emperors took more places in capitals and their surrounding areas.In the third chapter "the banquets,anthems and poems",I am focusing on the musical and literary events taking place in the capital palaces of this period.Particular political functions,impacts on group relations and the expansion of civic spaces and lifes concerning such events will also be discussed in this section.The final also the fourth chapter argues about interrelations between disasters,rituals and capital city.Droughts with frequent occurrences in the late Northern Wei had deep influences on its political and social stability.From the perspective of ritual changes,oyers and prison-checking as auspicious rituals answering to droughts had moved from inside to outside the palace city.This transition reflected the expansion of political space in its capital as well as the adaption of political culture to real social and governing needs.The national rituals in capital reveals the publicity of the political cultures in the Northern Dynasties and also profoundly effected the Sui-Tang dynasties in the same manner.The ritualization,centralization as well as publicity demonstrated by the inspection tours and assemblies display the rich contents of "sinicization" in Northern Wei and also the significance of studies into banquets and assemblies.