A Study On Clan Gu Of Wu County In The Wei-jin And Southern Dynasties

The Gu family from Wu county is one of the famous indigenous literati in Wukuai Area of the Six Dynasties era.With a long history,the clan could be traced back to historical records of the the pre-Qin period.In terms of politics,the early Sunwu period when Gu Yong served as the chancellor and the early Eastern Jin Dynasty were known as two flourishing periods of the family.In terms of social relations,the narrow marriage circle and the extensive contacts formed a sharp contrast.Besides,the rise and fall of the clan had a close bearing on the clan culture.During the Eastern Han period,the Gu family from Wu county became a large cultural clan,whose rise benefited deeply from the regional culture of Wu Commandery.However,it declined during the Southern Qi and Liang Dynasty because of its ideas going against the social mores.In terms of politics,such ideas were reflected as fading enthusiasm of clan members for politics.The weakening of the economic power and the influence of wars after the Southern Dynasties were external causes of the decline of the clan.However,cultivation of loyalty,filial piety,kindness and morality emphasized by the clan's education,the education method of leading by example,and its cultural achievements were in line with the social mores at that time,and are worth further promotion,reference and reflection of the current scholars.