Early Chinese History

Many of the important ideas that would be transmitted and repeated throughout Chinese history began early in that history, as early as the Chou dynasty and before. Some of these conceptions are reflected in the literature of the era and would reappear in later literature. These ideas can be seen in early historical writings such as "The Downfall of Prince Shen-sheng," and a variety of cultural and social elements of the time can be discerned in this story.

An important theme in Chinese literature is the responsibilities that devolve to the ruler, and this theme is clearly important in the story under discussion. It was a theme that developed early in Chinese history:

For unexplainable reasons the Chinese, as early as the first millennium before Christ, during the Zhou (Chou) dynasty, developed an awareness of government and began to ask what the ideal form of the state should be. Early in history thinkers articulated a sense of social malaise and proposed tactical and strategic ways for altering conditions, making the Chinese unique among ancient peoples (Pye 31).

The question of what is the right way to rule infuses the story of Prince Shen-sheng. At this time, leadership was still primarily a matter of heredity. The Prince is designated crown prince because he is the eldest son of Duke Hsien, but the birth of Hsi-ch'i causes the duke to change his mind and alter the succession. Even at this early period, it is seen as right to question wrong decisions by the rul

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ous rituals, including elaborate mourning rites and the wearing of mourning garments for long periods of time. Proper conduct based on family lineage are known as li, which includes everything from the most weighty religious ceremonies to the trivialities of daily etiquette. Li means ritually proper deportment in all social circumstances. The reason for the development of the system of li was to serve as the means for emphasizing status in society, and the code of behavior rested on an ideal called hsiao, commonly referred to as filial piety. (Does the name of the Lady Li refer to this meaning? It is not clear whether it does or not, though the idea of proper comportment does have much to do with this individual, though it is a requirement she violates.) Filiality means the elevation of the parents to a high position, with the son emulating the father and revering him at the same time. Confucius would later call for three years of mourning for the death of a parent, and this was based on the fact that the child does not leave the parents' arms until three years old. Hsiao is the basis for the family's government, and different aspects of life have been adapted to the rule of hsiao and to the role of ancestor worship. Mar

Category: Foreign - E