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Evolution And Comparison Of The Pre - Qin Figurines From People Martyrdom To Martyrdom Practices

Posted on:2014-07-28Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:Y C WangFull Text:PDF
GTID:2265330425953790Subject:History of Ancient China
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Confucius once said that the person who first uses figurines might have no offspring; Mencius claims that it was thus used because of its man-like figures, which reveals that figurines are made to substitute human sacrifices. Human sacrifice was so popular in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period and it evidently presented the phenomenon of feudal hierarchy. According to the historical records, the generals and senior officials in feudal China has the priority to kill tens of people for martyrdom; while the emperor and the feudal princes can kill tens to hundreds of people for it. However, the overall trend turns out that figurines are taking the place of human sacrifices, which is the symbol that man has a higher status and also is the result of culture revolution and opening of the mind. Since there is little attention paid on the evolution process from human sacrifice to figurine in academics, only a few researchers have ever referred to it, and it is rare to find a research which focuses on the comparative study on human sacrifice and figurine, this thesis seeks to open up a new field of vision of studying the two burial customs and hopes to make people have a clear understanding of the relationship between human sacrifice and figurine.The comparative study is conducted from the following three aspects. Firstly, in studying of its evolution process, the custom of human sacrifice has its ups and downs. It starts from the prehistoric times, and it comes to the golden state during Yin Ruins period when people are subjected to the ideology that people are commanded first to pay tribute to the god, the ghost and then pay attention to ritual. People in Zhou dynasty don’t have the custom of human sacrifice. Thanks to the culture revolution, from which man has gotten a higher statue since it is believed that man is the integral part of nature, and they can keep its people as long as they worship morality, which is a symbol that human sacrifice sinks into a decline. When it comes to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the ritual system of Western Zhou dynasty has disintegrated gradually, during which human sacrifice comes back to the historic stage and becomes so popular as in Yin Ruins period. But figurine revives at the same time and it seems to replace the custom of human sacrifice. The Qin and Han dynasty has witnessed the change in the custom of figurine taking place of human sacrifice completely. It is obvious that figurine becomes very influential; while human sacrifice declines even disappears in the historic period. However, figurine also declines or even disappears afterwards. Secondly, in studying of the personal statues presented by those figurines and human sacrifices, the author finds that they are almost the same. The statues of human sacrifices are wives, feudal officials, servants, singing-girls and dancing-girls and young children, etc; while the statues of figurines are those presented as soldiers, courtiers, attendants, kabuki and entertainers, etc. Thirdly, studying from the settings of figurines and human sacrifices, the author claims that the placement of them is in the similar position. It has been proved that there are nine kinds of placement in human sacrifices:they are outside the tomb, near the body or in the inner and outer coffin, the second stage, lateral recess, inside the box, the lateral or ear chambers, the waist and bottom tomb pit, tomb passage, the mouth filling of the tomb and the aisle leading to the coffin chamber. Similar placement of figurines found are tombs of servants outside the main tombs, near the coffin, the second stage, the lateral recesses, inside the box of the coffin and the waist and bottom tomb pit, ect. The comparative study on the settings of figurines and human sacrifices also infers that the status of the tomb owners has similar features, which is another proof that figurines are made to replace human sacrifices.From the comparative studies, we can conclude that human sacrifice is a savage habit developed under the influence that people have idea after death, and human sacrifices are used as servants, which is a sign of low civilization. At the same time, as the custom of burial, figurine takes the place of human sacrifice, which symbolizes that man has higher status. In addition, dying for love or morality and justice is a kind of sacrifices influenced by the custom of human sacrifice. Another kind of burial custom is paper-man, which is developed by the custom of figurine. Through the evolution process, we can see that the status of man is improved gradually.
Keywords/Search Tags:human sacrifice, figurine, burial custom, comparative study
PDF Full Text Request
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