The Formation Of The Medieval Nobility Circle And The Study Of The Marginal Nobility

The formation and activity of the gentry(scholarly clans/aristocratic families)is the most prominent historical phenomenon in the Middle Ages of China.The traditional study of the gentry mainly focuses on the large families(the core roles in the circle of gentry)clearly recorded in the historical materials,summarizes various objective characteristics,and defines the essence of the gentry in this way.while it is difficult to give a complete explanation when dealing with some cases located on the edge of the circle of gentry.This kind of marginal gentry is most sensitive to the boundary of the gentry circle.The study of their marginal circumstances and mentality may deepen the understanding of the middle ancient gentry.The Wang Zhongde(???)and the Wang Huilong(???)of Wang family in Taiyuan,with suspicious Jun Wang(??)Surname Place of Origin/Choronym)in the process of moving between the north and the south,presented different development vein in the north-south society.Wang Huilong was recognized by Cui Hao and Li Chong,the first-class gentry,and eventually became the member of the"four surnames"in Taihe Dynasty.While Wang Zhongde formed a mutual assistance relationship with The Guo family in Taiyuan,and tried their best to get close to The Cui family circle.However,because they could not be recognized by the first-class gentry in the south,they finally gave up the Taiyuan Jun Wang and realized the localization.The Guo family in Taiyuan,a local indigenous powerhouse since the Wei and Jin dynasties,showed a strong desire for advancement after entering the Northern Wei Dynasty,First,they tried to squeeze into the Cui family circle in Qinghe(??).After the disaster of Cui Hao(??),they quickly withdrew and turned to express their goodwill to the Gao and Feng family circle in Bohai(??).In this process,on the one hand,the Guo family ignored the suspicion of Wang Yi's Jun Wang,and maintained a long-term relationship of marriage and mutual assistance.On the other hand,they showed strong rejection and suspicion to Wang Huilong's grandson Wang Qiong's Jun Wang.From this contradictory attitude,we can see that the Guo family,who was on the edge of the first-class family,was not afraid to make use of or violate the general rules of the aristocratic society for the sake of the continuation and rise of the family.The Tao family in Xunyang,as the remnant of the fallen state of Sun Wu,was at the edge of society and politics for a long time in the Jin Dynasty,and was regarded as"Humble status"(??)by the first-class gentry.After Tao Kan(??)gained power,the Tao family was once free from the political margins,but still not really recognized by the high class.After Tao Kan's death,the Tao family reverted to the inferior family.Growing up in such a marginal environment,Tao Yuanming(???),in order to gain the recognition of the first-class gentry,actively studied and imitated the style of his imaginary first-class family.His fierce rejection to the Du You(??)is due to the identity crisis of marginal people,and thus increasingly showed the cultural characteristics of the first-class family and avoided things related to his humble origin.Through the investigation of the above three kinds of marginal conditions,this paper reveals some marginal,unusual,individual and changing phenomena in the middle ancient literati society,and presents the logic and characteristics of the times behind the actions of the marginal literati.