Management Of Religion From Legal Angle Of View In Song Dynasty

Ancient China was absolute monarchy, politics and religions were seperated. All previous dynastie rulers made use of religion in religious management. Repressive regime did his best to control the religion.In the Eastern Han Dynasty,Buddhism was introduced into China and went invariably from strength to strength as times went by.At the end of Han Dynasty,native Taoism appeared. With two religions'strength increasing,religion management structure appeared in Wei Jin times,as well as the corresponding system of management. Developed to the Tang Dynasty religion enters a heyday, the religion control system also tended to the consummation. The great Song dynasty that was established after the five dynasties chaos by war was faced with troubles at home and aggression from abroad, its legislation strengthened the centralization. The religious management system, followd Tang Dynasty, carried on five dynasties, and had its own innovation.The religious management entered the stable time in Song Dynasty,.Its consummation system had imitated for later generations. The settings of the Buddhist monks and Daoist priests official carried out two departments that monks and Daoist attached his own institution.Two departments were administered by unitive secular institution.There were different regimes between central government and location in appointment.Even in the central monk official's appointment, the Northern Song Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty also had the difference.Song Dynasty firmly controled the autonomy organ through two ways .One way is secular regime interfered religious affairs,another is secular officials were planted in religious institution. Two Song rulers strictly limited the foundation of monastery and forbid the monastery to buy the field. But it was contrary to what expected. The Song Dynasty law's instability, as well as the economical development tide's impetus, implemented of the agrarian policy had lead to this result.Compared to previous generations,there were many achievments in the reprimand of religious crime.Its legal system and institutions was more and more careful and perfect.Each link about monks and Daoist was established and linked up.Both criminal law and the administrative method were used to manage them. The consummation system had avoided the large-scale religious disturbance,two religions developed stably.However,this dynasty was also a royal authority society with strict ranks, emperor could draw up law and abolish law according to his own wishes. The privileged background enjoyed special privileges.Folk religions growed difficultly compared with the former religions.They were repressed by the office at their early beginning because they were secretive. Peasant revolts always made use of folk religions,so government established law with a lash of scorpions and repressed them. So many failures resulted in the completely opposite situation. The law to manage religion reflected that politics and religions were separated in Song dynasty. Different religions were existed in its system, in which they were controled by the government and managed by other religions. It was a system of communion limited autonomy.