Qin Ancestral Research System

The Spirit Tablet(神主),which usually be wood or stone pillar or tablet, mostly be inscribed or carved name on its surface, and generally has particular shape and etiquettes system accompanied, is the represent symbol of the object of enshrine and worship to sacrifice to in the ancient Oriental society, especially in regions which are influenced by Confucian culture. In early times, the Spirit Tablet was be named "Zhu(主)”,"Zhu(宔)”,"Shi (祏)","Shi (尸)", and so on. In later, the implications of "Spirit Tablet" and "Memorial Tablet" is not equal or the same. In the language environment of modern Chinese,"Spirit Table" and "Memorial Tablets which are non Spirit Tables" are all the constituent parts of "the Memorial Tablet (牌位)”,The concept of generalized of“神主制度”in Chinese,corresponding to the multipleconcepts of "神主", containing several kinds of narrow sense concepts of’“神主制度”In this thesis, the narrow sense concept of’“神主制度(the Spirit Tablet System)" which is discussed is system of the Spirit Table in China or Asia which are influenced by Chinese culture from ancient times to modern, that is a system with a series of ceremonies of the origin, evolution, shape, ritual of the Spirit Table and a series of ceremonies of the Spirit Table in concerned research fields like primitive religious worship, funeral ritual, sacrifice ritual, worship of god of Sh(社神,the earliest land god of ancient China), patriarchal clan system, ancestral temple system (宗庙制度), ancestral hall system(祠堂制度),bright temple system(明堂制度),etc.The Spirit Tablet originated from primitive religious worships such as ancient totem worship, natural worship, reproduction worship, the ancestor god worship, etc. In the stage before Shang Dynasty, the shapes of primitive forms of the Spirit Tablet are not consistent in different areas, mainly include the sacred tree, the sacred stone, stump, torch, scarecrow, and other forms. So we named them "the Previous Pattern of Spirit Tablet(前神主形态)”, and the stage is "the Previous Phase of Spirit Tablet(前神主阶段)”In which time, the development of its origin had experienced about three lines, respectively,"hollow type symbol of sacrificial object","sharp bottom type symbol of sacrificial object" and the traditional of fire worship and sacrifice."Hollow type symbol of sacrificial object" developed from the ancestors image pottery and scarecrow in Yangshao(仰韶)culture period,whose images are the sources of the Chinese character“且(祖)”,and whose hollow form followed by the shape of the Spirit Tablet which was described that "a cube with a hollow in the central and the hollow cut through hollows of four directions" in Zhou Dynasty, which concentrated with scared tree, tree stump, torch and other wooden materials in early times."Sharp bottom type symbol of sacrificial object" developed from sharp bottom type symbol of ancestors statues or totem poles, whose sharp bottom type perhaps be influenced by statues of the female reproductive worship. Which were recorded in ancient books that "Sangfeng (桑封)”,"four faces of yellow emperor (黄帝四面)”or "Fangming (方明)”should be these sharp bottom type symbols, and be the source of the Chinese character "示", then concentrated with sacred stone worship and became the sharp of Handle-Shaped Aritifacts(柄形器)with Red handwritings on it in Yin Dynasty tombs of Hougang(后冈)in Anyang(安阳)The traditional of fire worship and sacrifice developed from ancient worship of fire and taking torches be the symbol of god. The image of the flame and the torch are respectively the source of the Chinese character "(?)" and“主”,which are the ancestors of the name "主(宔)”in Zhou Dynasty, instead of the Chinese character’“示”in Shang Dynasty to be the fixed name of the Spirit Tablet.Shang Dynasty is the budding phase of the Spirit Tablet System, taking its Shi-Name (示名), sacrifice system and fixed place storing the Spirit Tablet for characteristics. Zhou Dynasty is the established phase of the Spirit Tablet System, in which time, the shape and rite of the Spirit Tablet, which were influenced by the rites of Zhou Dynasty, and became an important part of the rites of Zhou Dynasty meantime, formed a set of etiquettes system with a series of ceremonies, and had differences in different social hierarchies. The Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period are the decline phase of the Spirit Tablet System, accompanied by the collapse of etiquette and music, although there were some reservations in some Ducal states.The Spirit Tablet System of Pre-Qin military etiquettes is mainly reflected in Dashi etiquette(大师礼),one part of the whole five parts of Pre-Qin military etiquettes, and could be embodied in nine parts which relevant the Spirit Tablet System that, declaring a good reason for waging a war, solemnly reporting the ancestral temple and discussing the strategic, accepting appointment and the Shen(脤,a kind of sacrifice meat), blooding the Spirit Tablets and weapons, carrying the Spirit Tablets of ancestors and god of She(社神)on the chariots, pledging, carrying the Spirit Tablets back to the capital, triumphing and contributing the captives, Yinzhi(饮至,a kind of party like celebrate cocktail party), etc. The significances of the Spirit Tablet in military etiquettes are mainly reflected in three parts:first, sending the army into battle in the name of the late king; second, wishing for win in the bless of ancestors and god of She(社神)；third, strengthening the courage with the help of the divine power of ancestors. All three interrelate and influence each other, the fundamental purpose in which is still that strengthening the courage to win the war.The Spirit Tablet System in Pre-Qin period is the unique reflection of the early stage of the Chinese patriarchal clan system religion(中国宗法制宗教)and traditional religious beliefs, and is closely related with the ancestral temple system and Confucianism culture. The unique forms of its belief and worship that attaching great importance to setting the Spirit Tablet than portraits of ancestor, believing that "the soul attaching to the wooden Spirit Tablet not the grave", writing the red point of the Chinese character’“主”on the Spirit Tablet with cinnabar, etc, deeply influenced the religious philosophy of Chinese and even Asian the Confucianism culture region, and became the root cause of many religious, ideological and cultural phenomenon in the later time.