The Jin Dynasty was in power for more than 100 years, and at that time, on the throne of Khan, he commanded a strong Jurchen army. This army, under the leadership of Jin Taizu Wanyan Aguta, gradually pacified the remnants of the two previous dynasties of Liao and Song. During the war years, many important ministers served the Jin Dynasty and established immortal feats for the expansion of the territory. And in order to praise these meritorious old ministries, how could the emperor be stingy with pen and ink? So the epitaphs were sketched out, recording their exploits and temperament. However, what is the deep meaning behind the reason why the emperor wrote the epitaph?
The power of a piece of text
Founded in 1115, the Dajin Kingdom went through more than 100 years of ups and downs before being destroyed by the Mongols in 1234. In the past 100 years, Chinese epitaphs have become an important carrier for court literati to record the exploits of the Jin people. On the one hand, the epitaph praises the heroic deeds of the deceased in beautiful words, outlines the demeanor and image of the tomb owner during his lifetime, and conveys the grief of the deceased's family; On the other hand, the epitaph also carries the purpose and intention of the compiler, either to reward meritorious people or to promote the glory of the nouveau riche family.
Although the Jin Dynasty was a minority regime that conquered the Central Plains, in order to strengthen the identity of the Central Plains culture, the Jurchen aristocracy generally attached great importance to the study and absorption of Han culture. At the beginning of Jin Taizu's accession to the throne, there was a clear arrangement to record history in Chinese, highlighting the heroic image of the Jurchen nation in the past. Subsequently, after Jin Shizong succeeded to the throne, he ordered Wenchen to compile the "History of Jin", which systematically recorded the history of the Jin Dynasty, and a large number of excerpts from the content of the epitaph. It can be seen that the epitaph is not only a carrier to commend the merits of the deceased, but also an important form for the court literati of the Jin Dynasty to publicize the achievements of the dynasty and establish the orthodox status of the regime.
It was precisely because of such a heavy responsibility that the Jurchen nobles and Han humanities of the Jin Dynasty attached so much importance to the writing of epitaphs. In order to gain the emperor's appreciation and gifts, meritorious ministers must hope that their former exploits will be remembered; In order to maintain his dominance and the prestige of the dynasty, the emperor also aspired to use epitaphs to promote merit and education, and to show his rule of benevolence. As a result, under such demand, a large number of Jinshi masterpieces written by Feng Yi emerged during the Jin Dynasty, recording the great achievements of the Jin people in expanding their territory and conquering the Quartet.
The upstarts and heroes of the Jin Dynasty wrote the beginning and the end
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, Jin Taejo has realized the importance of absorbing Han Chinese culture in ruling the Central Plains. He not only recruited a large number of Han ministers to enter the court as officials, but also specially issued an edict ordering his ministers to record the heroic deeds of the Jin people in Chinese. In this context, the activity of writing epitaphs of heroes and nobles gradually arose in the upper echelons of the Jin Dynasty.
In the middle of the Song Dynasty, the famous Wenchen Yuwen Xuzhong abandoned the Song Dynasty and invested in gold, and soon got the respect of Jin Xizong. Xizong even said to Yuwen Xuzhong: "It is better to be happy when you get Bianliang than to be happy when you are happy." It can be seen how much the Jin Dynasty attaches importance to this person.
Soon after Xizong ascended the throne, Shi Liai, an important minister of the Jin Dynasty, died of old age and illness. Shi Liai was originally a famous minister of the Liao Dynasty, and later returned to the Jin Dynasty, and made outstanding contributions to the peaceful and prosperous era in the early Jin Dynasty. In order to commend Shi Liai's merits, Xizong specially ordered Yu Wenxu to write an epitaph for him.
Yuwen Xuzhong was once praised as "extremely high political status and cultural literacy should not be underestimated". This person not only played a pivotal role in the construction of the system in the early Jin Dynasty, but was respected as a "national teacher" by the Jin people, and his literary brilliance was brilliant, and Zhao Bingwen once praised him as one of the "famous people for his articles in the more than 100 years of this dynasty". It can be seen that Yu Wenxuzhong wrote Shi Liai's epitaph, which is Jin Xizong's highest honor for this Liaohua hero.
In addition to the imperial decree that Han ministers write epitaphs for Han heroes, Jin Shizong also ordered the writers to write inscriptions for Jurchen generals such as Wanyan Xiyin and Wanyan Lou Room, who were the founding heroes of the country.
Wanyan Hee-yin was originally the founding father of the country under the command of Kim Taejo, but he was given death by Xizong due to a temporary rumor, and it was not until 37 years later that Kim Sejong rehabilitated him. Therefore, Sejong issued an edict ordering Wang Yanqian to establish a biography for Xiyin, in order to extend his reward and stabilize the people's hearts. Wang Yanqian also wrote an epitaph for another famous Jurchen general, Wanyan Lou, who was killed in the same year.
Wanyan Lou's military achievements are impressive, since the founding of the Jin Dynasty, he has followed Taizu to fight in the north and south, and can be described as a "victorious general". Sejong's appointment of someone to write an inscription for him is undoubtedly the highest affirmation of his exploits in fighting horses, and it also has the profound meaning of setting an example and stabilizing the morale of the army.
In addition to the meritorious heroes of the dynasty, the royal relatives of the Jin Dynasty were also repeatedly given epitaphs. For example, Pucha Husa is a relative of Sejong, and his wife is the third daughter of Sejong. After his death, Zhang Zong had "specially appointed important ministers to make sacrifices" and asked his grandson to write inscriptions. This undoubtedly highlights the important position of Puchahusha in the Golden Chamber.
Another example is Liu Yu, the ruler of the puppet Qi regime of the Jin Dynasty. After the death of his sister Liu and brother-in-law Fu Liang, he ordered his adviser Luo Lu to write an epitaph for the two to pay tribute. This not only reflects the Jin family's respect for the emperor's relatives, but also the ruler's dedication to important relatives.
The deep meaning of the emperor's order to write an epitaph
Looking at the examples of emperors of the Jin Dynasty who wrote epitaphs by edicts, in addition to ostensibly praising meritorious officials and appeasing relatives and friends, in fact, they also concealed the deeper motives and intentions of the emperors.
Writing an epitaph often means the merit of the deceased and the prestige of the family increases. Therefore, in the environment of fierce fighting between the government and the opposition, whether or not an epitaph can be given has become a focus of the royal family fighting.
Ruxizong issued an edict to complete the biography of Yan Xiyin, in order to sweep away the stigma of being framed and given death in his early years, and Zhaoxue was unjustly convicted of the previous dynasty. Sejong's re-writing of the epitaphs for Hee-yun and Wanyan Lou was more out of political needs to appease the morale of the military and stabilize the foundation.
Another prime example is the epitaph of Puchahusha. Although he was only a relative of the emperor, Zhang Zong ordered the "special ministers" to write an article to commemorate it, undoubtedly to win over the support of his relatives' family.
In dynastic societies in the Middle Ages, written records were extremely authoritative and influential. Mastering the right to write is equivalent to mastering the right to speak and the power of ideology. Thus, by asking their ministers to write epitaphs for their deceased ministers, the emperors were effectively exercising their control over the written word.
This is not only reflected in the specific object of writing, but also in the careful control of the identity of the writer. Jin Xizong's appointment of Yuwen Xuzhong to write an inscription for Shi Liai is out of full trust in Yuwen Xuzhong; Jin Shizong sent Wang Yanqian to establish a biography for the Jurchen generals, which undoubtedly recognized his literary talent and political stance.
As rulers, emperors naturally wanted to consolidate their dynastic legitimacy through various means. And writing an epitaph is one of the powerful means by which they can achieve this goal.
On the one hand, the epitaph can write about the great achievements of the heroes, thus highlighting the glory of the Jin Dynasty's martial arts; On the other hand, through the epitaph to remember the old loyal ministers, it can also convey the image of the Jin Dynasty as precarious, politically and harmonious, and inject orthodox genes into the imperial power.
In general, although the epitaph of the Jin Dynasty emperor seems to be a superficial act of glory, reward, and appeasement, there are many shadows of royal power struggles behind it, and it is also an important way for him to exercise monarchical power and shape orthodoxy.
The phenomenon of the "Trinity" in epitaph writing
During the Jin Dynasty, when the emperor ordered his ministers to write epitaphs for the deceased, there was actually a unique pattern of "trinity": the interests and needs of the emperor, the writer and the tomb owner were intertwined, checked and balanced each other, and finally formed a dynamic equilibrium.
For the emperor, compiling an epitaph was an important way to demonstrate imperial power and establish orthodoxy, as well as a means to win over powerful ministers; For the author's ministers, it is undoubtedly a great honor to be ordered to write an inscription, and it is also a good opportunity to show his literary talents to the emperor; For the owner of the tomb and his family, it is the highest royal honor, and the family's prestige is thus demonstrated.
Take the "Yuan Xun Xi Yin Mu Tablet" written by Wang Yanqian during the reign of Jin Shizong as an example. The reason why Jin Shizong made Wang Yanqian hate Xi Yin was precisely to win the support of Han ministers; And Wang Yanqian was exceptionally promoted by virtue of this article, which can be regarded as the emperor's grace; As for Xi Yin, the earliest father of the Jin Dynasty, his children and grandchildren are naturally extremely glorious. The interests of the three converge here, reflecting the pattern of "trinity".
In the process of writing epitaphs, there are also obvious differences in the degree of control of the power of writing by the emperor, the writer and the tomb owner.
The emperor, as the supreme ruler, has the greatest ability to control the power of writing. Not only can the writer be selected, but the content of the epitaph can also be reviewed and checked to ensure that the written expression is in line with its own interests. If the writer disobeys the will of the emperor, he is likely to be punished.
Although the writer was a real writer, his writing power was often subject to the will of the emperor. They had to find a balance between obedience to the emperor and the use of their talents. However, writers often take the opportunity to break through the limitations and show off their literary talents as much as possible on the basis of style.
As for the tomb owner himself, in the process of writing the epitaph, he was basically the object of passive acceptance, and did not enjoy substantive power over the text. However, his life story and influence largely determine the direction of the writer's pen.
From a more macro perspective, the epitaph writing activity during the Jin Dynasty was not only a written record, but also carried the function of dynastic political declaration and cultural dissemination.
Through the epitaph, the Jin people not only declared their royal merits and achievements to their subjects, but also spread Han culture and values, and created a sense of cultural identity. For example, the "Epitaph of Shi Liai" written by Yu Wenxu is full of the elaboration of Confucianism, which is undoubtedly injecting cultural nourishment into the legitimization of the Jin Dynasty.
Therefore, the fact that the Jin dynasty and the opposition attached so much importance to the writing of epitaphs was not only due to the consideration of personal interests, but also closely related to the legitimacy of the dynasty's rule. Through this "trinity" writing pattern, the upper echelons of the Jin dynasty successfully elevated the epitaph from a mere mourning activity to an important way of political declaration and cultural dissemination.
The epitome of the process of sinicization of the Jin people
In general, the popular activity of writing epitaphs during the Jin Dynasty is actually a vivid portrayal of the process of sinicization of this minority regime. Through the epitaphs, we can not only get a glimpse of the Jin people's enthusiasm and integration of Han culture, but also appreciate their urgent need for cultural identity after ruling the Central Plains.
At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Jin Taizu realized the importance of the Chinese script for the unification of the Central Plains, so he vigorously recruited Han ministers into the dynasty and designated Han as the official language of the Jin Dynasty. In the next hundred years, generations of Jin emperors have consciously or unintentionally promoted this process of sinicization.
And the common writing of epitaphs for the deceased is a microcosm of the Sinicization ideas of the upper echelons of the Jin Dynasty. On the one hand, this is a kind of cultural obedience of the Jin people to the Han people to respect their ancestors and advocate cultural and educational traditions; On the other hand, this behavior itself reflects the Jin Dynasty's royal family's admiration for the Han Chinese language.
The prevalence of writing epitaphs also reflects the social and cultural atmosphere of the time. As the founding hero, the Jurchen warrior will be posthumously presented with a Chinese epitaph, which shows that the status of Han culture in the upper echelons of the Jin Dynasty is gradually improving; The Han scholars wrote inscriptions for the Jin people, which highlights the achievements of cultural integration.
As a dynasty founded by nomadic peoples, the Jin people have become the dominant force in China politically, but there are still some psychological barriers to cultural identity and ethnic identity. The search for cultural identity can be said to be the basic appeal of every ruler.
The writing of the Chinese epitaph was an important attempt by the Jin royal family to seek cultural identity. Through this form, although the Jin people have lived in the upper echelons of the government and the opposition, they have invisibly strengthened their "Han culture" identity with the help of the beautiful language and unique cultural symbols of the Chinese language.
From this point of view, the enthusiasm of the upper echelons of the Jin people to write epitaphs actually contained a strong desire for cultural identity, in addition to political interests. In the context of that time, the epitaph was not only a mourning for deceased relatives and friends, but also a way for the Jin people to strive for "sinicization".
However, while absorbing Han culture, the upper class of the Jin people did not completely abandon their national identity after all. In fact, some phenomena that retain the characteristics of Jurchen culture can also be seen in the epitaph culture of the Jin Dynasty.
For example, many inscriptions will praise the tomb owner for having a national temperament of "martial customs", such as "the poor and the fierce", "no grudges", "the world has bravery" and other words are not uncommon. This is completely different from the "etiquette and obedience" that embodies Han culture, and reflects the strong national character retained by the Jin people.
In addition, in the penmanship of some writers, there are also cases where allusions to Turkic and Mongolian nomadic cultures are borrowed from time to time. These characteristics are undoubtedly a kind of cultural consciousness of the Jin ruling group's national origins.
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In summary, the epitaph writing activities that prevailed during the Jin Dynasty reflect the ambivalence of the minority regime on the issue of cultural identity. On the one hand, they actively absorb Han culture in order to seek identity, but on the other hand, it is difficult to completely get rid of the confinement of national culture. This complex state of mind is an inevitable stage in the process of the transformation of nomads into an agrarian civilization.