Guisso, "Wu Tse-Tien"

When I went to the library last week the copy of Wu Tse-T'ien and the Politics of Legitimisation in T'ang China by R.W.L. Guisso was waiting for me at the circulation desk. I think I genuinely surprised the librarian working behind the desk with my enthusiasm for getting the book. It's a large (hideously yellow) hardback and I felt like Bastian in THe Never-ending Story when he took the book from the book shop. I just wanted to take it somewhere and devour it all in one go. Alas it was a bit too scholarly for that. It was very detailed and I found I had to read it only a chapter or two at a time. But well worth the wait.

The book's structure is mostly chronological but diverges into other areas, where more detailed is required such as the elite structure, military conquest and the examination system. The book gives a great overview of the history of the time as well as detailed analysis of what different things meant and revealed. Guisso seemed to have a good grasp of the sources he used, as well as having an understanding of the different biases included in each.

The chapter that was most interesting for me was on Wu Zetian's use of state ideology to further her influence. It was interesting to see in particular her use of traditional Confucian ideology. The fact that she was able to participate in the Feng and Shan sacrifices as Empress was most interesting . These were a high Confucian ritual that no other woman ever participated in. She argued from the position of gender roles within Confucianism itself, rather than as opposed to it's teachings, and therefore was able to do something totally unprecedented. Guisso included translations of the petition that she wrote to justify her role in the rites. Her patronage of Confucianism is obviously one of the things that helped gain her favour with the elite of her time. This was also illustrated in the chapter on the examination system. This challenged the previously held views that she turned to Buddhism to support her claim to legitimisation which would have been impossible under Confucianism. Which has always been a little puzzling as it was the least respected of the three teachings during the Tang.

Another important role of her support came from the clan system. I believe that not enough has been written on the importance of clan and lineage systems among historians in the West. I think that by looking at the clan structure of Imperial China you can a totally different perspective of the social and economic history of the time. Guisso in his look at the role of the different elite's in power was able to demonstrate the importance of the clans, and how this power was changed and transformed.

Guisso has the rather controversial opinion that Wu Zetian never intended for her dynasty, the Zhou, to be a permanent replacement for the Tang, he argues that she saw it as an emergency measure, a place holder, rather than a separate dynasty to be continued. His arguments were logical, but a little weak. But did make for the interesting conclusion that Wu Zetian should be viewed as a great widow, and very much a woman of her times. It was interesting to put her in the perspective of the orthodox rather than the exception.

I think the one consideration that Guisso did not take into account was the fact that they dynasty was still very new, a unified China was still a fragile and unique entity. Many of the imperial factors that became entrenched in later times were still in formation during the early Tang. People were holding to the ideal of the Han dynasty, and trying to emulate it, and no one wished to fall back into the chaos of a divided world. I think this political climate was what made it possible for Wu to succeed where no other woman had.

All in all a most interesting book about an interesting ruler.

(no subject)

这个星期没有意思。星期一我看书也学习中文了。星期二我看书也练习中文了。今天我又看书也又学习中文了。我看了中国电视“射雕英雄传”很好玩儿。我连一个块都没有。所以我不能出去。