The Four Highest Clans of the Eastern Jin Era
The article shows the history of the heyday and decline of the four highest clans of the Southern Chinese Eastern Jin dynasty (Wang, Xie, Yu and Huan clans), which alternately with varying degrees of success acted as the second most powerful clan in the entire Eastern Jin Empire when the central p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Russian |
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Transbaikal State University
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Гуманитарный вектор |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://zabvektor.com/wp-content/uploads/221220011219-Cyrenov.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819240362892328960 |
|---|---|
| author | Chingis Ts. Tsyrenov |
| author_facet | Chingis Ts. Tsyrenov |
| author_sort | Chingis Ts. Tsyrenov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article shows the history of the heyday and decline of the four highest clans of the Southern Chinese
Eastern Jin dynasty (Wang, Xie, Yu and Huan clans), which alternately with varying degrees of success acted as
the second most powerful clan in the entire Eastern Jin Empire when the central power ceased to be a self-sufficient force and badly needed the support of noble clans (strong houses). The purpose of the study is to identify
the main factors of the political longevity of the highest clans of the period under review. The methodology of
this study includes the method of prosopographic and historical-genetic analysis of the four highest clans of the
Eastern Jin era, between which there was a continuous and merciless political struggle for the highest civil and
military posts in the Eastern Jin Empire. The perspective of clan issues and inter-clan relations in Jin history lies
in the possibility of a detailed reconstruction of the specific historical context of the most important events in the
history of China in the 4th‒5th centuries AD and will contribute to the development of elitology of early medieval
China. As a result of the analysis of the history of the development of the four clans, it was concluded that the
Wang clan achieved the greatest success during the Eastern Jin period, which was able to move from the local
level of politics to the level of the Eastern Jin Empire. The very factor of the clan structures of Chinese society
had a significant double impact on the historical and political process of the period of the Jin Empire, as well as
the era of the Southern and Northern dynasties in general. The duality lies in the fact that, on the one hand, the
continuous strife between the regional branches of the Sima clan (the revolt of the eight princes) undermined the
basis of the power of the all-Chinese empire of Western Jin from the inside, and on the other hand, the same clan
structures in combination with rather strong compatriot ties (the alliance of the regional branch of the ruling Clan
Sima and the local noble clan Wang) allowed the ruling house of Sima to retain supreme power and minimized
the loss of the Chinese ethnos in a troubled and turbulent era. The system of the highest clans of the Jin era, in fact, developed as a result of the abandonment of the Han institute of examinations for officials, which prevented
the highest clans from distributing among themselves the most important posts in the empire. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T14:06:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4c2923c88c1e4c0da00a93218f79ad8c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-7853 2542-0038 |
| language | Russian |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T14:06:49Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | Transbaikal State University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Гуманитарный вектор |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c2923c88c1e4c0da00a93218f79ad8c2022-12-21T17:44:09ZrusTransbaikal State UniversityГуманитарный вектор1996-78532542-00382020-12-0115618919710.21209/1996-7853-2020-15-6-189-197The Four Highest Clans of the Eastern Jin EraChingis Ts. Tsyrenov0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1088-0625Institute for Mongolian Buddhist and Tibetan Studies, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of SciencesThe article shows the history of the heyday and decline of the four highest clans of the Southern Chinese Eastern Jin dynasty (Wang, Xie, Yu and Huan clans), which alternately with varying degrees of success acted as the second most powerful clan in the entire Eastern Jin Empire when the central power ceased to be a self-sufficient force and badly needed the support of noble clans (strong houses). The purpose of the study is to identify the main factors of the political longevity of the highest clans of the period under review. The methodology of this study includes the method of prosopographic and historical-genetic analysis of the four highest clans of the Eastern Jin era, between which there was a continuous and merciless political struggle for the highest civil and military posts in the Eastern Jin Empire. The perspective of clan issues and inter-clan relations in Jin history lies in the possibility of a detailed reconstruction of the specific historical context of the most important events in the history of China in the 4th‒5th centuries AD and will contribute to the development of elitology of early medieval China. As a result of the analysis of the history of the development of the four clans, it was concluded that the Wang clan achieved the greatest success during the Eastern Jin period, which was able to move from the local level of politics to the level of the Eastern Jin Empire. The very factor of the clan structures of Chinese society had a significant double impact on the historical and political process of the period of the Jin Empire, as well as the era of the Southern and Northern dynasties in general. The duality lies in the fact that, on the one hand, the continuous strife between the regional branches of the Sima clan (the revolt of the eight princes) undermined the basis of the power of the all-Chinese empire of Western Jin from the inside, and on the other hand, the same clan structures in combination with rather strong compatriot ties (the alliance of the regional branch of the ruling Clan Sima and the local noble clan Wang) allowed the ruling house of Sima to retain supreme power and minimized the loss of the Chinese ethnos in a troubled and turbulent era. The system of the highest clans of the Jin era, in fact, developed as a result of the abandonment of the Han institute of examinations for officials, which prevented the highest clans from distributing among themselves the most important posts in the empire.http://zabvektor.com/wp-content/uploads/221220011219-Cyrenov.pdfwestern jineastern jinsouth chinahigher clansexamination institutenine-rank report cardprosopographic analysis |
| spellingShingle | Chingis Ts. Tsyrenov The Four Highest Clans of the Eastern Jin Era Гуманитарный вектор western jin eastern jin south china higher clans examination institute nine-rank report card prosopographic analysis |
| title | The Four Highest Clans of the Eastern Jin Era |
| title_full | The Four Highest Clans of the Eastern Jin Era |
| title_fullStr | The Four Highest Clans of the Eastern Jin Era |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Four Highest Clans of the Eastern Jin Era |
| title_short | The Four Highest Clans of the Eastern Jin Era |
| title_sort | four highest clans of the eastern jin era |
| topic | western jin eastern jin south china higher clans examination institute nine-rank report card prosopographic analysis |
| url | http://zabvektor.com/wp-content/uploads/221220011219-Cyrenov.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chingiststsyrenov thefourhighestclansoftheeasternjinera AT chingiststsyrenov fourhighestclansoftheeasternjinera |