Research On The Old Population In Tang Dynasty

The old people is an important part of human society. Research on the old population of historical period is profoundly helpful in understanding the social characteristics and development status at that time, and also is an important window to look into the national situation. Moreover,respecting and providing for the aged is the precious spiritual wealth which is inherited from the older generations, the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation, the essence of traditional culture,and powerful cohesive force and concrete embodiment of the Chinese nation's affinity.So this article selects the old population in Tang Dynasty as research object and discusses comprehensively and systematically on the old's definition, daily living conditions, structure and conditions of marriage and family, status and social value, vocational structure, religious belief and leisure life, policies, the old population of all sectors and their relations with family members,and so on.In ancient Chinese society, the old's starting age had no unified regulation and the standard division. The general provisions of Tang Dynasty made 60 as a starting point for the elderly population age. But during that time, the starting point for the old population age was 58 from Shenlong first year of Emperor Tang Zhongzong to Jingyuan first year period of Emperor Tang Ruizong and 55 from Guangde first year of Emperor Tang Daizong. Generally speaking, the standard starting point still appeared a little higher compared with the average life at that time.the rulers of Tang Dynasty defined the standard starting point of the aged in principle for the physiological characteristics and for the interest of themselves, containing larger subjectivity. The standard starting point of aged who can enjoy rewards and reliefing the punishment of the crimed even higher.The person's idea of Tang Dynasty thought grandparents, parents and other elders as old people,and different from the provisions of policies. The appellation of the aged were complicated, need to judgment through context sometimes.Basic necessities of the old population were different from other age as their special status and physical condition were different.The Tang Dynasty sympathized with the old man, also mainly from food and clothing. And the family of Tang Dynasty could try their best to meet the old people's life needs and provide them with a comfortable old age. But there were many old people living in poverty and sickness due to no children to care about them or due to the wrong policies, wars and other reasons.We could not study the elderly population quantity and structure as a whole due to a lack of comprehensive and systematic material. This article discusssed the old population of Shazhou and Xizhou in the Tang Dynasty through Dunhuang Turfan literature. The research showed that the aged population and the families which had the aged both showed increasing tendency that the social burden coefficient were heavy.Among the aged population, the rate losing one's spouse of the female was higher than the male, the family types which the aged lived changed in accordance with the time. These kinds of conditions were both related to the general development trend of the national population and closely linked to the area where situated at the western border region, which situation to be in the turbulence frequently.The aged frequently were both honorable people, the guardian and the head of household in the Tang Dynasty. They had the high authority in the family, the society and the political life. The aged were respected by the younger generation at home. They have the rights of presiding marriage for the younger generation, controlling family economic and teaching the younger generation. As parents and householder, the aged had the responsibilities and obligations to pay state taxes on time and ensure their family members abide to the state law. Otherwise, they would be punished by the law. The old's status was irreplaceable beause they were the younger generation's life and production experience advisor, moral models, the transmission of cultural knowledge. The aged especially the old person who had noble character and high prestige played a more extensive role in Tang Dynasty's social stage.Respecting and providing for the aged were one of the mainstream value system in ancient China. The etiquette system and legal system of respecting and providing for the aged were perfect. A series of policies providing for the aged were implemented in Tang Dynasty. It mainly included rewarded the aged, reliefed and exempted taxes and corvee of the aged, provided the aged with people who waited on them, the providing for the aged problem of the people who did not have children, Jingbiao Xiaomen, set up Bingfang and other acts of respecting for the aged.The policies which to relief and exempt taxes and corvee of the aged and the people who waited on them were indeed implemented in Tang Dynasty.Sometimes the age of reliefing and exempting taxes and corvee even earlier than the statutory into old age. On the other hand, the execution of these policies was not standard, nor strict. In some cases,the affairs that the aged were commandeered were of common occurrence.Provided the 80 year-old aged with people who waited on them,not only had the descendants holds the post "Qinshi", but also had no genetic relationship "Waishi", which was the early practice of respecting and providing for the aged socialization.The Tang Dynasty's Jingbiao system from application,to appraise system after the approval of the supervision, and the punishment of fraud were very specific and strict, had formed a complete and strict procedures, the government of the Tang Dynasty stipulate that the widowed elderly who can not save themselves adopted by the close relative or township officials.Some widowed elderly achieved family pension through adoption of children. Bingfang was an important symbol and stage of pension institutions development in our country.One of the objects who Bingfang relieved were the aged who could not save themselves,the part of the funds paid by the State,so the Bingfang had the nature of home for the aged,but was not special, it also had functions of orphanage and so on.The Tang Dynasty riched and perfected the relevant measures and system of respecting and providing for the aged,which was beneficial to form the custom of respecting the aged in the whole society.The Tang Dynasty also had completed register policies regarding the old person's household,gave the land to the aged, which guaranteed such as giving the aged's basic food and clothing needs, assigning to some the old garment and grain.The old population of all sectors have different model together with their family members. The aged in imperial family were not completely joyful and arbitrary. The aged in the family of bureaucratic scholar-bureaucrat were generally got excellent care and had a comfortable old age. The Tang Dynasty civilians cared for their parents wholeheartedly through plowing or engaging in commercial activity. The fate of the aged in common family were closely linked to national policy.If the policy wrong,theywould lose their homeland.Plowing the fields priority to other occupations in the elderly's career, presented diversity, which reflected one aspect of economic development in the Tang Dynasty. The aged had freedom of religion, they could believe Buddhism, Taoism or both Buddhism and Taoism. The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty created good conditions for people's leisure life. The aged of bureaucratic scholar-bureaucrat had many leisure activities projects. Common old person also sang songs,or drank with neighbors, or enjoyed family happiness. On festivals or ritual the poor aged had real leisure time, but they chose leisure projects at the lowest consumption as a precondition.The core of the elderly population policy was respecting and providing for the aged, which was facilitated by a variety of resultant force. Self-sufficient natural economy was its economic foundation. The ruler's knowledge of the aged and Governance policies were its political factors. The cultivation of family and school was its education factors.The Confucianism, Buddhism,and Taoism vigorously publicized the filial piety was its ideological basis. Respecting and providing for the aged of Tang Dynasty had a profound influence on the later dynasties,ethnic minorities,and East Asian countries, and also can provide useful and practical historical reference and a lot of beneficial inspiration for building a harmonious socialism society and achieving the target " providing for all the aged" which was brought forward in 17th National Congress of the CPC.