| This paper takes Zhou Gong recorded in the documents of the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties as the research object,comprehensively and systematically combs and expounds the categories of Zhou Gong’s image in the period,scientifically examines the diachronic evolution trend of its image,carefully explores the reasons for the shaping and evolution of its image,and studies the interactive relationship between the shaping of Zhou Gong’s image and the national governance.This paper is mainly divided into four chapters.Chapter one,“The image of Zhou Gong in the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties”.During the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties,Zhou Gong’s image can be divided into five main categories: the moral model,the important minister,the king,the wizard and the sage.This chapter focuses on the detailed discussion of the five types of images,forming the basis of the later research,and screen the negative descriptions of the image of Zhou Gong.Chapter two,“The diachronic evolution of Zhou Gong’s image in the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties”.This paper dates the documents related to Zhou Gong and divides them into different historical periods.The research method of combining qualitative analysis and quantitative statistics is used to explore the major trend and small details of the diachronic evolution of Zhou Gong’s image.In general,the diachronic evolution of Zhou Gong’s image is non-linear,with each image independent and parallel,and each has its own specific evolution track.The major trend is that the images of moral model,important minister and wizard had already existed in the Western Zhou Dynasty while the images of king and sage were added in the Warring States Period.In the Western Han Dynasty,these five kinds of images were increased significantly.In the Eastern Han Dynasty,except for the continued improvement of the image of sage,the other four images declined.There are also many small details.Many people said “virtue” in the Western Zhou Dynasty and the early Warring States Period while many people said “benevolence” in the late Warring States Period and the Western Han Dynasty.People talked more about the military achievements of Zhou Gong in the Western Han Dynasty while talked more about rites and music of Zhou Gong in the Eastern Han Dynasty and so on.All of which were discussed and given rational explanations.Chapter three,“The causes of the shaping and evolution of Zhou Gong’s image in the pre-Qin and Han Dynasties”.Due to the non-linear nature of the diachronic evolution of Zhou Gong’s image,the causes of its shaping and evolution are also complex and varied,and the five major images are discussed in detail in turn.As for the moral model image,the documents of the Western Zhou Dynasty formed the basis of shaping.The pursuit of virtue by the scholars of the Warring States Period drove the shaping to completion.In the Western Han Dynasty,Han Shi Wai Zhuan and Huai Nan Zi inherited and developed the image.Sima Tan and Sima Qian admired Zhou Gong very much and made a comprehensive exposition in Shi Ji.The ruling class in the Eastern Han Dynasty recognized this image and made an official stereotype in Han Shu.As for the important minister image,the documents of the Western Zhou Dynasty had completed the building of the image.The pursuit of loyalty by the scholars of the Warring States Period promoted the shaping deepen.In the Western Han Dynasty,the event that Emperor Wu entrusted his youngest son promoted the image falling into a pattern.In the Eastern Han Dynasty,because of the influence of Wang Mang incident,the image had been transformed and strengthened.As for the king image,the theories of “Emperor Cheng is young” and “return power to Emperor Cheng” provided clues for shaping.In the Warring States Period,Xun Zi finished the shaping firstly and Han Fei Zi compromised it.In the Western Han Dynasty,in order to seek a reasonable explanation,the theory of “Emperor Cheng is a baby in its infancy” was initiated.Meanwhile,the theory of “Zhou Gong boards the throne of the emperor” was widely spread.In order to realize his political ambition,Wang Mang completely imitated this image.This behavior promoted the image alienation.In the Eastern Han Dynasty,because of the influence of Wang Mang incident,the image had been transformed and weakened.As for the wizard image,the documents of the Western Zhou Dynasty and Warring States Period had completed the building of the image.In the Western Han Dynasty,Shi Ji and Jiao Shi Yi Lin inherited and developed the image.In the Eastern Han Dynasty,because of the decline of the status of wizard and the restoration of rational spirit,the image fell into silence.As for the sage image,the trend of worshipping saints was high during the Warring States Period,and Confucianism and Mohism jointly promoted image-building.The Western Han Dynasty adopted the national policy of exclusive respect for Confucianism,and Confucian scholars highly praised Zhou Gong.In addition to this,the ruling class monarchs and ministers such as Emperor Wu,Huo Guang and Wang Mang highly praised Zhou Gong too.In the Eastern Han Dynasty,because of the influence of Wang Mang incident,the image was shaped as a pattern.Chapter four,“Study on the interactive relationship between the shaping of Zhou Gong’s image and the national governance”.This paper mainly chooses three typical periods of time,one horizontal and two vertical,comparing the governing images of Tai Gong and Zhou Gong horizontally,and sorting out the diachronic evolution of Zhou Gong’s image in “the time from Emperor Wu to Emperor Zhao” and “the change from Han Dynasty to New Dynasty”vertically,and has a preliminary understanding.With regard to the governing images of Tai Gong and Zhou Gong,this paper focuses on the different ideas of governing the country,such as Tai Gong’s “kill all the enemies” and Zhou Gong’s “be benevolence to the enemy”,Tai Gong’s “respect sages and meritorious deeds” and Zhou Gong’s “close to relatives and respect kindness”,Tai Gong’s “choose to establish the country in Ying Qiu” and Zhou Gong’s “choose to establish the country in Qu Fu”.Tai Gong chose hegemony and pursued utilitarianism,which was quick and practical;Zhou Gong chose benevolence and pursued morality,which was slow but long-term effective.Different images actually represented different routes of governing the country.Zhou Gong’s ideas of national governance not only had a great influence at that time,but were more widely accepted by later rulers.With regard to the interaction between the image-building of Zhou Gong and national governance in the time from Emperor Wu to Emperor Zhao,this paper discusses the worship of Zhou Gong,the image-building of loyal minister by Emperor Wu’s entrustment orphans,the image-building of regent minister by Huo Guang’s regency practice.Under the different political demands of different rulers,in the historical practice of Emperor Wu’s trusteeship and Huo Guang’s regency,Zhou Gong was correspondingly shaped as a loyal minister or a regent minister,which played an important role in the national governance activities at that time and became a symbol of power used by later emperors or powerful officials.With regard to the interaction between the image-building of Zhou Gong and national governance in the change from Han Dynasty to New Dynasty,this paper discusses Wang Mang’s worship and imitation of Zhou Gong,admiration and criticism of Wang Mang by ministers,and Emperor Guangwu’s recognition and transformation of Zhou Gong.Influenced by major historical events,the image of Zhou Gong was adjusted with the change of national governance policies,from loyal minister to regent minister to king and then back to loyal minister again,becoming a political symbol that always warns the powerful ministers. |
