Shrines to Living Men in the Ming Political Cosmos

Description

Shrines to Living Men in the Ming Political Cosmos, the first book focusing on premortem shrines in any era of Chinese history, places the institution at the intersection of politics and religion. When a local official left his post, grateful subjects housed an image of him in a temple, requiting his grace: that was the ideal model. By Ming times, the "living shrine" was legal, old, and justified by readings of the classics. Sarah Schneewind argues that the institution could invite and pressure officials to serve local interests; the policies that had earned a man commemoration were carved into stone beside the shrine. Since everyone recognized that elite men might honor living officials just to further their own careers, premortem shrine rhetoric stressed the role of commoners, who embraced the opportunity by initiating many living shrines. This legitimate, institutionalized political voice for commoners expands a scholarly understanding of "public opinion" in late imperial China, aligning it with the efficacy of deities to create a nascent political conception Schneewind calls the "minor Mandate of Heaven." Her exploration of premortem shrine theory and practice illuminates Ming thought and politics, including the Donglin Party's battle with eunuch dictator Wei Zhongxian and Gu Yanwu's theories. Shrines to Living Men in the Ming Political Cosmos: Sarah Schneewind Contents List of Illustrations and Tables Acknowledgments Abbreviations Chronology Introduction PART I: FOUNDATION AND FLOOR 1. An Ordinary Institution 2. Parentalism 3. Worship PART II: PILLARS AND BEAMS 4. Political Work 5. From Flattery to Participation 6. Commoners Part III: Walls and Roof 7. A Political Investment 8. Complications 9. The Minor Mandate Conclusion Glossary of Chinese Terms Bibliography Steles and Other Primary Texts Cited by English Title Gazetteers Cited Other Works Cited Index Harvard- Yenching Institute Monograph Series