A Study Of The Northern Wei Er Zhu Family

This paper is a monographic study of Er Zhu family. Er Zhu family was galloping in the north remote area from the Dai Dynasty which was the predecessor of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It made a lot of contributions for the foundation and Consolidation of the grand empire--- the Northern Wei Dynasty by opening territory and guarding it. This family enforced its state through a series of political acts by the Northern Wei Dynasty’s return. Zhu Errong became a powerful minister in the late of the Northern Wei Dynasty and this family got an amazing payback after generations’ management. The power of this family got weaker and weaker with Er Zhurong’s death by assassinating and the captured of its followers. This family never made waves after that. However, it still had some brilliant person appeared from the late of the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Sui and Tang Dynasty. The unsteady boom or decline of this family which borned in Qi Hu species was not only a bright color in the political history of the late period of the Northern Wei Dynasty but also the dark background color of a dynasty’s decline.The first part of this paper tries to regard the early period political management of the Er Zhu family as the episode of the opening of Er Zhurong’s achievements in the late period of the Northern Wei Dynasty. We will discuss some influence factors to the early political state of this family such as the regional character of Xiu Rongchuan, Qi Hu species, the leader role station and so on at the beginning. Then we will analyze the methods that some ancestors of this family like Dai Qin and Xin Xing to improve their right of discourse in the imperial court and local place by using their economic and military resources, marriage and showing loyalty. Thirdly, we will explore the arrangements that Er Zhurong applied for monopolizing power. At last, we will analyze the inner power structure of this family and its contradiction generating. We are going to looking for the reasons of the failure of Er Zhu’s business from the point of family power and political net.In the second part, we will clarify the relationship between the orthodoxy of the Northern Wei Dynasty and the rise and fall of the Zhu Er family. Firstly, we will make clear the definition of "orthodoxy" and the way of the Northern Wei Dynasty as a regime built by the Hu people to make the great dream of "unified the central Plains" come true step by step. Secondly, we will analyze how does the "orthodoxy" join in politic neatly and as the "orthodoxy", why the Northern Wei Dynasty had an absolutely impact on the political situation among the Nan dynasty, the gentry in the north and common people. All above are making bedding for the third chapter. We will hold the key political cases in the late period of the Northern Wei Dynasty to make further discussion form the point of "orthodoxy".Witchcraft ballad augury was very popular in the social of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was easily taken used by ulterior motive political attempt for its mystery. It also can detect people’s attitude toward to political affairs on account of its state in people’s deep concept. The political life was deeply influenced and controlled by Witchcraft ballad augury in the Northern Wei Dynasty. Movements of Er Zhu family showed in all kinds of Witchcraft ballad augury unclearly and it included prophesies to political situation, comments on special political events and family members" fate. The third part could make a detail and deep research probably through facing to the witchcraft ballad augury related to this family.To make clear the historical changing between the generational family power of Er Zhu family and the political net and give the answer of the rise and fall of this family from the point of "orthodoxy" is the original intention and creative point of this paper. Besides, this paper is tries to renew the estimation about the value of the handed down literatures. It will take advantage of "historical scraps "like witchcraft ballad augury which abandoned all the time by famous scholars, grab fragments and details to study the weird historical writings and the "theological history view" that behind it form the official history toward to Er Zhu family.