Chapter 9 Chapter Four: The Officialization of Academy in Yuan Dynasty

The Mongolian nation, which was basically in the development stage of a slavery society, after unifying the country, faced the Central Plains where the Han nationality was concentrated. It has a history of developing the feudal system for thousands of years, with a developed economy, and a leading position in culture, education, science and technology.How to speed up the feudalization process of the nation and fully maintain the traditional advantages and characteristics of the nation is a very urgent and extremely complicated social problem faced by the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty.Accelerating feudalization must take the road of "Sinicization".The cultural and educational policy of promoting "Sinicization" was determined by and served the basic national policy of accelerating feudalization in the Yuan Dynasty.

Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan Dynasty, was the founder of the "Sinicization" cultural and educational policy in the Yuan Dynasty.He made a correct analysis of the history and current situation of the Mongolian nation, pointing out: "The ancestors built the district, there are four directions, the martial arts are flourishing, and the cultural governance is lacking." "Deficiency" is the embodiment of the insufficient degree of feudalization in politics, economy and cultural education. The implementation of the "Sinicization" cultural and educational policy in the Yuan Dynasty was first manifested in advocating respect for Confucius and Confucianism.The Confucian school founded by Confucius has been the orthodox thought of Chinese feudal society since the Han Dynasty. Respecting Confucius and Confucianism is the core of the general policy of culture and education of the feudal rulers of all dynasties.In the first month of the fourth year of Emperor Shizu Zhiyuan (AD 1267), "the Xuansheng Temple in Qufu was repaired", and in May, "the Confucian Temple was rebuilt at the top of the imperial order", and the Confucian "officials" who were "looted and sold" during the war were redeemed. civil".Then he ordered, "All Confucian households will be exempted from corvee service."There was a Confucian student who "asked Shizu to be the great master of Confucianism, and Shizu accepted it with pleasure." This shows Yuan Shizu's positive attitude towards respecting Confucius and Confucianism.As early as when Taizong Wo Kuotai was in power in the Yuan Dynasty, Yelu Chucai, a Khitan who had served as Zhongshu Ling, suggested that Confucian officials should be reused.In 1232 AD, the Yuan army conquered Bianliang, and Yelu Chucai "please send people into the city. After begging Confucius, he got 50 generations of Sun Yuancuo, who attacked Fengyan Shenggong and paid him the land of Linmiao. Ordered to receive Taichang Rites and Music Sheng, and called Confucian scholars Liang Zhi, Wang Wanqing, Zhao Yu, etc., to make literal translation of the Nine Classics and lectures in the East Palace. He also enlisted the descendants of ministers to explain the meaning of the scriptures, so as to know the way of saints. The editing and revision office was located in Yanjing, and the scriptures were located in In Pingyang, it is the prosperity of Wenzhi." ("Yuan Shi Yelu Chucai Biography") In 1237 AD, Yelu Chucai said: "Those who make utensils must use good craftsmanship, and those who keep success must use Confucian officials. The career of Confucian officials is not accumulated. It has been decades, and it is not easy to achieve." Emperor Taizong of the Yuan Dynasty agreed, "He ordered Liu Zhong, the propaganda envoy of Xuandezhou, to take the examination with the county, and divided them into three subjects based on the meaning of the classics, the poems, and theories. Confucianists were captured as slaves , It was also ordered to try, and the master 慝 (te special) sent to die. The four thousand and thirty people who got the scholars were exempted from one of the four who were slaves."At that time, Lu Zhen, the transshipment envoy of Taiyuan Road, and Liu Zizhen, the deputy transshipment envoy, were both Confucian scholars of Han nationality and had committed the crime of embezzling. Cai replied: "The ruler and his ministers do not want to make them fall into injustice. The three cardinal guides and the five constant principles are taught by the name of a sage. Those who have a country can't help it, just like the sun and the moon in the sky. How can one lose one's husband so that the world will always follow it?" The only way to see this is that our dynasty will be abolished!" Taizong felt that it made sense, so he firmly believed in it.Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty inherited Taizong's legacy, continued to implement the "Sinicization" cultural and educational policy, further advocated respect for Confucius and Confucianism, ordered local governors to restore or build Confucian temples, and ordered local governors to conduct Confucian ethics and moral education through offering sacrifices to Confucius, and strengthen the restoration and construction of schools. Carry out various social education.

In the Yuan Dynasty, under the impetus of respecting Confucius and Confucianism, Confucius' status also rose sharply. In the Wuzong Dynasty, Confucius was even named "Dacheng Zhisheng Wenxuan King", which was the highest in all dynasties. Confucian classics were widely disseminated in the Yuan Dynasty.Yuan Shizu took the lead in studying Confucian classics, and ordered Congguan Tuhusi and others to compile "Mao Shi", "Mencius", etc. for his study.The works of Neo-Confucianists received special attention. The "Four Books", "Five Classics", "Book of Filial Piety", and "Primary School" all became must-read books for scholars, and were included in the imperial examination program, marking the northward shift of Neo-Confucianism Favorable conditions have been created.

Reusing Confucian scholars was an important content and measure of the Yuan Dynasty's implementation of the "Sinicization" cultural and educational policy, and it was also an important guarantee for the Yuan Dynasty's implementation of the "Sinicization" cultural and educational policy. As early as the era of Genghis Khan and Wo Kuotai, a large number of Confucian scholars and bureaucrats who lost money were recruited, such as: Yelu Chucai, Wang Ji, Li Zao, Guo Baoyu, Li Guochang, Yuan Haowen, Hao Jing, Yao Shu, Yang Weizhong, etc. It laid the foundation for the "Sinicization" cultural and educational policy in the Yuan Dynasty, and played an important role in promoting the establishment of the "Sinicization" cultural and educational policy in the Yuan Dynasty.

When Yuan Shizu Kublai Khan marched into the Southern Song Dynasty, Yang Weizhong and Yao Shu accompanied the army and captured Zhao Fu, a senior Confucianist Confucianist in Hubei, who treated him favorably and invited him to teach Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism northward.Yao Shu, Liu Yin, Xu Heng, Dou Mo, Hao Jing and other Confucian officials in the north learned the profound meaning of Neo-Confucianism through Zhao Fu. In particular, Xu Heng made outstanding contributions to the spread and development of Neo-Confucianism in the north. A large number of Confucian scholars and officials were highly valued in the Yuan Dynasty, some engaged in politics, some set up schools and established teaching, and more devoted themselves to learning and writing, which played an important role in the construction and development of politics, economy, culture, and education in the Yuan Dynasty .

In the Yuan Dynasty, the policy of "sinicization" of culture and education was carried out, which was full of fierce debates and struggles within the ruling class.The stubborn Mongolian nobles often objected to "obeying the Han law" on the grounds that "the old customs of the dynasty are different from the Han law", especially against the reuse of Confucian scholars, and even more opposed to the reuse of Han and southern Confucian scholars.They insisted on dividing relatives and distances according to the strict ethnic discrimination standards of Mongols, Semu people, Han people, and Nan people.However, the transition from slavery to feudalism is the law and trend of historical development, and it is also the only way for the Yuan Dynasty to unify China and consolidate its rule.To realize feudalization, "Sinicization" must be carried out, and the promotion of "Sinicization" must obey Confucianism and respect Confucian scholars.The actual contribution made by a large number of Confucian scholars to the development of the Yuan Dynasty also proved the significance of reusing Confucian scholars, fought back the opposition who promoted "Sinicization", and strengthened the determination and confidence of the rulers to promote "Sinicization".

The academy policy of the Yuan Dynasty was subordinate to and served the "Sinicization" culture and education policy of the Yuan Dynasty.Therefore, the academy policy in the Yuan Dynasty was an important part of the "Sinicization" cultural and educational policy, and it was also the concrete manifestation and actual content of the "Sinicization" cultural and educational policy, and it was also the institutional guarantee for the smooth and continuous implementation of the "Sinicization" cultural and educational policy. The formulation, establishment and development of academy policies in the Yuan Dynasty went through a process from unconscious to more conscious, from immature and unstable to relatively mature and stable.In general, it can be said that the Yuan Dynasty adopted a policy of focusing on protection to encouraging development, and from actively establishing to strengthening control of academies.

When the Yuan Dynasty first entered the Central Plains, it adopted a policy of paying attention to the protection of the academies.In June of the second year of Zhongtong (AD 1261), Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty ordered the protection of all cultural and educational facilities. Harassment and blasphemy, and offenders will be punished." At that time, it was mainly for political considerations, to establish the image of "benevolence and government", to ease the resistance of the soldiers and civilians in the occupied areas as much as possible, and to take measures to appease the Confucian scholars and literati, the purpose of which was to express " Respond to God's will, and form the hearts of the people", "The country educates talents and waits for employment to move the beauty of the world".This measure achieved positive results and laid the foundation for the development of academies in the Yuan Dynasty.

As early as the eighth year of Emperor Taizong of the Yuan Dynasty (1236 A.D.), Yang Weizhong, the secretary of the Central Committee, followed the prince Ku Chun to conquer the Song Dynasty. He paid attention to collecting a large number of classics and books written by Song Confucians and sent them to Yanjing. Zhao Fu, a Confucian whose name was extended, lectured on it.This is the first academy built by itself in the Yuan Dynasty, and it is also the beginning of the establishment of academies in northern China.However, since the main energy at that time was still on military conquest, and most of the academies were originally located in the south, many scholars in the north were not familiar with it, so there was little response.

With the progress of consolidating the Central Plains and unifying the south of the Yangtze River, the construction of culture and education has become increasingly urgent.The rulers of the Yuan Dynasty adopted a policy of actively establishing and encouraging the development of academies. In the 28th year of the Yuan Dynasty (1291 A.D.), it was clearly stipulated: "The place where Confucianism has been over-converted, the place where famous sages practice, and the home of good deeds Qian Su supported scholars and established it as an academy." Since then, the academy has been fully developed.

The Yuan Dynasty adopted a policy of actively establishing and encouraging the development of academies, not letting them go, but gradually strengthening control.On the one hand, it reflects the importance attached by the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty to the academies, and strengthened management provided a reliable guarantee for the development of the academies;This was a contradiction difficult for feudal rulers to overcome. Encouraging development worried about the threat of out-of-control, but strengthening management would lead to death and lose the characteristics of the academy.Especially among the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty, the policy of protecting and encouraging the development of academies was full of contradictions and struggles. Some bureaucrats and aristocrats did not agree with the protection and development of academies.According to records, after the death of the famous scholar Xu Youren's father, his disciples built Donggang Academy to commemorate him as a place for cultivating talents.Nantai's supervisory censor, Mubala, was critical and made things difficult. He said that the academy should not be established, and made false claims and framed it. Xu Youwang was forced to return home as ill.Whether the academy should be established or not, still reflects the attitude towards the "Sinicization" policy.Encouraging development and strengthening control are also to some extent the product of conflicts and struggles within the rulers.