In the patriarchal milieu of sixteenth-century China, women demonstrated agency in their families and communities through their religious practices. Male family members typically performed Confucian rites related to ancestor veneration; yet there were many opportunities for women to participate in practices associated with other religious traditions. In this study, I will elucidate the religious roles of women during the late Ming dynasty (1368—1644 CE). Using the cultural-historical method, I will demonstrate the ways in which women gained agency and freedom from social conventions through their religious practices. By comparing literary sources with historical documents, I will validate the use of my major literary source, Jin ping mei, to study the religious practices in sixteenth-century China. This study will provide scholars with a nuanced understanding of gender roles within upper-class families in early modern China. Women were not simply passive, submissive members of a Confucian society; rather, they often gained authority and autonomy within their families and communities. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

published_or_final_version / Chinese / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Chinese / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Chinese / Master / Master of Philosophy

During a long and distinguished career, Hung Ch'eng-ch'ou (1593-1665) occupied a place of pivotal importance in events attending the collapse of native Ming rule and the founding of the Manchu (Ch'ing) conquest dynasty. His contributions to both regimes as a senior civil and military leader, hitherto virtually unstudied, merits close examination as a barometer of critical developments in that vital transitional era. Following several minor posts in the civil bureaucracy, Hung was sent to northwest China, then suffering from famine and spreading social disorder. There he became involved in anti-rebel campaigns, where his talents in civil and military affairs received due notice, subsequently leading to the command of the vital northeastern frontier district at a time of growing Manchu power. The corrupt, faction-ridden Ming government, unable to provide him with adequate support because of its own ineptitude and inertia, insisted over his objections that he take the offensive. Thus, in a decisive encounter at Sung-shan, Hung's armies were routed and he was captured by the victorious Manchus. Abahai, valuing him as a potential ally, induced him to switch sides, and thereafter Hung served his new master well and faithfully: as a trusted advisor in the early conquest phase, a knowledgeable expert in the forming of a Chinese-style central government, and the senior field commander in the conquest of south China. One of his most significant achievements during these years was the championing of traditional Chinese values. Another was his success in destroying the last vestiges of Ming imperial rule on the continent, in reinstituting the mechanisms of government, and in implementing rehabilitation programs in the conquered territories. And throughout, he enjoyed the consistent backing of his Manchu overlord. Because he served the Manchus, Ming loyalists regarded Hung as a traitor, as did later Confucian-minded Ch'ing emperors in their rewriting of history. A dispassionate examiniation of the historical record reveals, however, that Hung was a shrewd, vigorous, honest, and skillful administrator. Moreover, he was dedicated to the preservation of traditional cultural values and institutions, thus helping speed the process of Manchu sinification.

The Ming maritime prohibition policy (1371-1568) reversed the maritime policies of the preceeding Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties. It was maintained for two centuries at considerable costs, but in 1568 was eventually abolished. There has not yet been a satisfactory analysis of this policy, which addresses the issues of why it was introduced, why it was maintained for so long, and why, eventually, it was overturned. This thesis takes a new approach to understanding these issues. Instead of focusing solely on external factors, such as the need for defence against Japanese piracy, it focuses on the internal situation of Ming society, and instead of focusing on the policy as an epiphenomenon it considers the social foundation for Ming foreign trade policy. In this thesis, the maritime policy is treated as a product of the social, economic and political configurations of Ming China. It argues that the establishment of the policy, its maintenance and abolition reflect two different socio-economic structures, hence two different political bases. The suppression of commerce during the early Ming reflected the interests of the political elite that came to power with the establishment of the new dynasty. The abolition of the maritime prohibition reflected the way the commercialisation of the socio-economic landscape brought a new political élite to power, in which many more officials with merchant-family backgrounds participated in the policymaking process. Commercialisation drove the social re-configuration and reshaped the political landscape, and this resulted in the late Ming years in an overturn of many of the policies that had been introduced at the beginning of the dynasty. Such a structural approach allows us to gain a richer understanding of the maritime prohibition policy.

published_or_final_version / Chinese Historical Studies / Master / Master of Arts

The development of the xiao pin in the late Ming period (ca.1573-1644) could be explained by four reasons: the political background, the development of economy in the south, the new literary theories advocated and the social background changed. There are different forms of the xiao pin in the late Ming period, such as diaries, biographies, travel accounts, essays, etc.. Mostly they are short compositions, yet they can express the genuine feelings of the writers. The subject matters of the xiao pin in the late Ming period are mainly on natural scenery, interesting daily life, meaningless talking, the art of calligraphy and painting etc. in which the writers express their points of will different from the common people. The xiao pin in the late Ming period has a characteristic of “genuine”(真), “Charm”(韻), “Interesting”(趣) which calls for an interesting reading and thinking. Though scholars or readers have different assessments on the xiao pin in the late Ming period, yet, it unquestionably holds a place in the history of Chinese literature. To let readers understand the different contents and characteristic of xiao pin in the late Ming period, nine compositions concerned are selected and attached at the end of the thesis. / published_or_final_version / Chinese Language and Literature / Master / Master of Arts

The research topic of this thesis is “A Study of Li Panlong’s Mimetic Poems”. Mimetic Poems are poems that imitate classical poems. Generally speaking, writers of Mimetic Poems tend to mimic poets who lived in earlier dynasties and had great achievements in poetry, in a way that the original outer language styles and inner spiritual essences are usually inherited. This thesis focused on the study of Li Panlong’s theory on poetry and his Mimetic Poems. From both the theoretical and practical points of view, the imitating situations of his poems were evaluated. This Paper analyzed Li Panlong’s Mimetic Poems from the perspectives of linguistics and psychology. The phenomenon of Li PanLong’s language usage in his Mimetic Poems was grasped through the theory of language as medium. Li Panlong’s state of mind when creating his Mimetic Poems was studied through the theory of literature psychology. Aiding with the method of “Close Reading”, Li Panlong’s Mimetic Poems were analyzed in details. Also, using the way of “Zhiren Lunshi”, the relationship between Li Panlong’s behavior of imitating and the social context in his times were discussed. After throughout study of Li Panlong’s theory on poetry and his Mimetic Poems, it was discovered that his theory on poetry was applicable in his Mimetic Poems. There were some “Niguyuefu” of Li Panlong which preserved the original outer language styles, some which inherited the inner spiritual essences, and some in which new elements of language were created. As for his “Nigushi”, the requirements of “Shu”, “He” and “Li” in his theory on poetry were fulfilled in the following sense. First, Li Panlong was familiar (“Shu”) with the works of Previous dynasties. Then either he ensured that the outer language styles of his “Nigushi” were similar (“He”) to the original works or he got rid of (“Li”) the influence of language in the original works, shifted to the standpoint of a critic, as well as supplemented and commented works of previous dynasties by the way of poetry imitating. Therefore, his theory and practice on poetry formed a mutual supporting system. 本論文的研究題目是〈李攀龍的摹擬詩研究〉。所謂“摹擬詩”，是通過摹擬古代詩歌而建構出來的詩歌模式。一般而言，摹擬詩具有明確的摹擬對象，而摹擬對象又是前朝有成就的詩人詩作，以追求所擬詩的外在詩學語言形式與內在精神意趣為要旨。本論文就是針對李攀龍的詩學理論及摹擬詩進行研究，從理論和實踐兩方面觀照李攀龍的詩歌摹擬情況。 　　本論文從語言、心理兩個角度進行研究，運用文學語言中介理論來把握李攀龍摹擬詩的語言面貌；利用文藝心理學理論來分析李攀龍的摹擬心理。並輔以“文本細讀”的方法，細緻分析李攀龍的摹擬詩； 同時以“知人論世”的方式，探討李攀龍的摹擬行為與其身處時代的關係。 筆者研究李攀龍的詩學理論與摹擬詩後，發現李攀龍的摹擬詩大體能貫徹其詩學理論。其擬古樂府既有“胡寬營新豐” 式的形似摹擬，也有“伯樂論天下馬”式的神似摹擬，更有做到“日新富有”的李氏新樂府。其擬古詩，則謹遵其詩學理論中“熟”、“合”、“離”的要求，先“熟”讀前人作品，進而在摹擬時，或力求擬作語言風貌“合”於原作；或儘量遠“離”原作的語言影響，站在評論者的立場，通過擬作補足、評論前人作品。其詩學理論與實踐因此形成了一個相互印證的嚴謹系統。 / published_or_final_version / Chinese / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Chinese / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy