Chapter 5 Section 1 The Restoration of Nestorianism

Christianity entered China again in the Yuan Dynasty and flourished for a while. Christianity only reappeared in northern China in the second half of the 11th century with the permission of the Liao rulers.By the middle of the 13th century, the Mongols entered the Central Plains, and Christianity spread in the Central Plains.The Christianity that entered China in the Yuan Dynasty was divided into two branches. One branch was Nestorian Christianity, which continued to be popular in Central Asia and Mongolia, and it was called Nestorianism in the Tang Dynasty. The other branch was sent by the Roman Catholic Church. The monks of the Chinese Mission.The Mongols in the Yuan Dynasty collectively called it "Yeli Kewen". "Ye Li Ke Wen is also the Christian name." (Yuan Zhishun's "Zhenjiang Zhi·Da Xing Guo Temple Ji") its priests and believers are also called "Ye Li Ke Wen".Because both sects worship the cross, it is also called "Cross religion", and the church is called "Cross Temple".

The meaning of the Mongolian word "Ye Li Ke Wen" is still unknown.Before the Mongols entered the mainland of China, they called Christians "Dieza", which was derived from the Persian name for Christians.Since the time of Kublai Khan, Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty, the word "Dieshen" has been abandoned, and "Yelikewen" has been used instead in documents and inscriptions.Chen Yuan cited the "Imperial Explanation of Liao, Jin and Yuan History" in the Qing Dynasty, and believed that in Mongolian it should be called "Yilu Le Kun", "Yi Lu Le" means blessings; "Kun" means people. "Yili Kewen" means a person who is blessed or a person who believes in the Gospel.Most scholars now adopt this theory.Zhang Xinglang believes that the pronunciation of "Yilu Le Kun" and "Ye Li Ke Wen" are not similar at all, and the judgment is too arbitrary.In addition, Tu Ji's "Historical Records of Mughal Naiyan Biography" is also quoted as annotated by Li Kewen, which is intended to be the transliteration of "Aluohe" in the Nestorian stele.Arhat is a different translation of Arhat in the Buddhist scriptures. The Nestorians of the Tang Dynasty borrowed it as the transliteration of the Syriac "Eloh" (Eloh, that is, the Hebrew Elohim), meaning "God".Therefore, Li Kewen should refer to "God religion" or "people who believe in God".Judging from the historical records and inscriptions of the Yuan Dynasty, Yeli Kewen means "elder", originally a respectful title for priests and priests.

Before and after the rise of Mongolia, the Kere tribe distributed in the Tula and Orkhon River basins, the Naiman tribe near the Altai Mountains, and the Mierqi tribe in the Selenge River valley all believed in Nestorianism from the West.The Wanggu (or Yonggu) tribe, who lived in the north of Yinshan Mountain, also believed in Nestorianism.In addition, there are Uighurs who once believed in Manichaeism.In the sixth year of Taiping Xingguo (AD 981), Wang Yande went to Gaochang as an envoy, and the "Persian monks" he saw there were Nestorians.According to Western records, at the beginning of the 11th century, Nestorianism was prevalent among the Turks in Northwest my country. When Mongolia was strong in the 13th century, a large number of Uighurs converted to Nestorianism.The culture of the Uighur people is relatively developed and has a great influence on the tribes of Mongolia.The Naiman Ministry has long appointed Uyghur officials, using Uyghur language (Ter Saiwen) to record events, and worshiping Nestorianism.According to the records of Abu Frankis, a Syrian Christian author, between 1001 and 1012 AD, the chief of Kret led 200,000 people to convert to Christianity, and asked the Baghdad Eastern Church to send priests there.This incident happened in the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, when the Liao Kingdom ruled Mobei.Ma Zuchang, a famous Confucian scholar in the early Yuan Dynasty, belonged to the Wanggu tribe, and his ancestor He Luyu (mi fan) Si was originally a Nestorian aristocrat in the Western Regions.During the Xianyong period of Emperor Daozong of the Liao Dynasty (1065-1074 A.D.), he first moved to the mainland and settled in Lintao, Gansu.The great-grandfather Timur Yuege was the commander of the horse infantry in the Jin Dynasty, so he was named Ma.The Ma family have been Nestorians for generations.Zhao Shiyan, who is as famous as Ma Zuchang, also came from the Wanggu family, and was also a Nestorian family who moved to the interior during the Liao Dynasty.Therefore, when Yuan Dingzong Guiyou came to the throne, the Armenian king sent an envoy to congratulate Lin Chao. The envoy reported: "Before the ancestor of the Great Khan was born, Christians had already spread everywhere." The spread of Christianity in the grasslands of Northwest China, when Before the rise of Genghis Khan.

At about the same time, there was a legend about "King John the Elder" circulating in Europe.At that time, the Christian countries in the West hoped that there would be a powerful Christian country in the East, which would cooperate with the West in attacking Muslim countries and jointly recover the "Holy Land". In 1145, the local bishop of Gabera, Syria, was sent to the court of Pope Eugene III by the order of the King of Armenia, and took the opportunity to publicize that there was a "King John the Elder" in the Far East. Batana (now Hamadan, Iran), was about to march into Jerusalem, but returned because it was blocked by the Tigris River. More than 20 years later, the monarchs and popes of European countries suddenly received an official letter from "King John the Elder" himself, but the place and date were not specified.Therefore, there are rumors in Europe that there is a powerful "Elder John" in the east, and "King John", the "invisible apostle", will help Western Christian countries defeat Muslims in the future. "Elder John's Kingdom" referred to Xiliao in the 12th century, Kret's Ministry in the 13th century, and at the beginning of the 14th century, Wanggu was also called the Elder John's Kingdom.This legend reflects the powerful influence of Nestorianism in the East from the side.

After Genghis Khan unified the tribes in northern Mobei, he married the Kelie tribe and others. Among the concubines, noble relatives, generals and ministers, there were many Nestorians.The concubines of Prince Shuchi and Ruizong Tuolei are both from the Kelei tribe, and the birth mother of Meng Ge, Kublai Khan, Xu Liewu and others, the Holy Queen of Ruizong Zhuang Zhuang [jun Jun] Lu Heteni (Queen Dowager Beji) , is the niece of Wang Han of the Kelie tribe. After her death, her coffin was parked in the Cross Temple in Ganzhou (the seat of the government today in Zhangye, Gansu). "Yuan Shi" Volume 38 "Shun Emperor's Notes" contains: "In March of the first year of the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1264), the Minister of Zhongshu said that the Shizi Temple in Ganzhou Road, Gansu Province was enshrined in the Empress Dowager Bieji, the mother of Emperor An Shizu. Please set the sacrificial ceremony. Follow it." Volume 2 of "Ganzhou Chronicles" says: "The first ancestor decided Ganzhou, and the queen mother was in the army. After the death, the ancestors envoys worshiped it in the Cross Temple. Even after a long time, the sacrifices are not respected. , so it was agreed." "Yuan History" Volume 32 "Wen Zong Ben Ji" also contains: "In September of the first year of Tianli (AD 1328),...and also ordered Yeli to be warm in Xianyi Zhuangsheng Empress Shenyu Palace Do Buddhist things.” The so-called doing Buddhist things here should be the Christian Mass.There is also the queen of Taizong Wokuotai and the biological mother of Dingzong Guiyou, Tuo Liegona, who was originally the wife of the leader of the Mierqi tribe. Genghis Khan was captured after destroying the tribe and gave Wo Kuotai his wife.Noble relatives such as the family of Arawusi Tijikhuri, the leader of the Wanggu tribe, are all Nestorians.Arawusi's descendants have been married to the royal family for generations. His son Bo will marry Princess Arahaibeji, daughter of Genghis Khan, and his grandson Aibuhua will marry Princess Yuelie, daughter of Kublai Khan. The rumored King George of Europe.Famous Nestorians among ministers included Taizong and Prime Minister Zhongshu You of the Dingzong Dynasty, Zhenhai from the Kelei tribe (one said that he was afraid of Wuer), and Boluhuan who announced orders, was in charge of documents, and heard about everything inside and outside the court during the Emperor Xianzong.Marshal Yan Zhuer of the Taizong Dynasty, and Yue Henai, Minister of Rites of the Shizu Dynasty, were also Nestorians.According to Zhao Shiyan, the grandson of Zhu Er, Yuehe is the great-grandson of Ma Zuchang, who was also known as the two great writers in the Yuan Dynasty.

After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, Nestorianism entered the Central Plains with the Mongols and spread throughout the Central Plains.Since Genghis Khan, the rulers of the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties have adopted a policy of "treating all religions equally, all for my own use".Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan Dynasty, once said to Marco Polo: "Some people worship Jesus, some worship Buddha, and others respect Muhammad. I don't know which one is the greatest, so I respect them all and ask them to protect me." In the spring of 1235, in Orkhon Harahelin, which was built near the former site of the Uyghur Khanate's ancient city by the river, was the center of the early Mongol Empire.The residential area in the city is divided into two parts, one is the residence of Muslim merchants and envoys, which is also the location of the market, and the other is mainly the residence of Han artisans.In addition to mosques and Buddhist temples in the city, there is also a Nestorian temple (chapel) built near the Great Khan Palace Wan'an Palace.Most of the people who believed in Nestorianism were Mongolian nobles, servants of the kings, imperial doctors, officials and some Semu people.Nestorians, as Semu people, enjoy the superior treatment after the Mongols in politics and law.Nestorian priests, like monks and Taoist priests, are exempt from taxation and labor.In the Yuan Dynasty, despite the competition and exclusion of Buddhism and Taoism, Nestorianism still became a popular religion in the country with the support of the rulers.The relationship between the development of Nestorianism in the Yuan Dynasty and political power can be illustrated by the example of Ma Xueli Jisi.

Ma Xueregis is a native of Samarkand in present-day Uzbekistan.From Yuan to Shunyuan (1330 A.D.), "Zhenjiang Chronicles · Daxingguo Temple Records" records: Xue Mi Sixian (now Samarkand), more than 100,000 miles northwest of the Central Plains, is a place where Yeli can teach Wenxing.If I ask the so-called teachers, there are twelve cross temples in Yuntiandi. In one temple, the Buddhist hall has four pillars, forty feet high, all of which are huge trees; .Now Ma Xuelijisi is his disciple. At that time, Samarkand was the prevalent area of ​​Nestorianism and the residence of the archbishop of the Eastern Church. In 1220, it was surrendered to Genghis Khan.The patriarch Ma'er Yaliya was the archbishop of Samarkand, who died in 1501 in the Greek calendar (AD 1190), so it is called "more than five hundred years old".It is clearly stated here that Ma Xueli Jisi is a Nestorian, that is, what the Mongols call "Yeli Kewen". "Temple Records" said:

The eldest father of the public, Ke Lijisi, his father, Mieli, and his grandfather, Sabi, were imperial physicians.When the Taizu emperor first got his land, the prince could also suffer from the disease. The grandfather (medicine) and the disciples prayed and healed.Filling the imperial position, this place can also be warm.In the fifth year of the Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Shizu summoned Gong Chiyi to enter Sheliba, and the reward was very extravagant.It is made by decocting various fragrant fruits and spring honey.Sheri Bachi, the title of the post.The public is very good at its methods, and it has been proven, so it is a special job to give a gold medal to a full-time job.In the ninth year, Tong Saidian Chipingzhang went to Yunnan, and in the twelfth year, to Fujian and Zhejiang.

From this, we know that the Ma Xuelijisi family has practiced medicine for generations, and the grandfather Sa must be a famous doctor in Samarkand, who is good at making Xiangguo honey pills Sheliba.After Genghis Khan occupied Samarkand, his youngest son Tuo Lei (named Ye Ke Na Yan, translated as Ye Ke Na Yan, namely Dana Yan) fell ill, and Samarkand must enter the medicine house. The Nestorians prayed for him before he recovered. .As a result, Sabi became an imperial physician and obtained the status of "Tarahan". Not only was he exempted from personal affiliation and the burden of taxation and servants, but he also enjoyed various privileges and was actually promoted to the ruling class. In 1268, Tuo Leizi Kublai Khan summoned Ma Xuelijisi into the palace and became a full-time medical officer who prepared Sheliba.In the 14th year of Zhiyuan (1277 A.D.), he was named General Huaiyuan of Xuanming Hufu and Deputy Chief of Zhenjiangfu Road.In the name of "loyalty to the emperor and patriotism", Ma Xueregis began to build churches and "promote the teaching method". "Temple Records" said:

Although Ma Xuelijisi was honored and distinguished, he was very careful in teaching, and was always interested in promoting the teaching method.One night, in the dream, the gate of heaven opened seven times, and the two gods and men told the cloud: You should build seven temples.Give it as a gift.Feeling it and feeling it, he retired from office and built a temple. Ma Xuelijisi arrived in Zhenjiang in the first month of the fifteenth year of Zhiyuan (AD 1278), and was awarded General Mingwei in August.In the eighteenth year of the Yuan Dynasty, the Daxingguo Temple was built in the "Shezhai" in Jiadao Lane, Tiewenmen.Then Yunshan Temple and Jumingshan Temple were built in Shutu Mountain (according to "Zhenjiang Zhi", it was built in the 16th year of Yuan Dynasty).Marco Polo mentioned in his "Travel Notes" that there are three Nestorian Christian churches in Zhenjiang, which were built by the Nestorians in 1278 during his three-year tenure.And said that before that, there was no church there.The Dapuxing Temple in Hangzhou built by Ma Xueliji was also mentioned in "West Lake Tour".In addition, he also built Sidu'an Temple in Dantu, Gao'an Temple in Huangshan, Ganquan Temple next to Daxingguo Temple, and Yelikewen Cemetery under Yunshan Temple and Jumingshan Temple.Ma Xuelijisi also invited the most respected bishops (Malihaxiya, Hebisihuba) from the "Buddhist country" (the West) to teach teachings, distribute classics, and preside over ceremonies.It is worth noting that these activities were supported by Kublai Khan.After hearing from the Prime Minister Wanze, the official land and the private land were allocated as the property of the church.In this situation, the development of Nestorianism can be imagined.It is said that in Zhenjiang in 1331, one of the 167 overseas residents lived in Yeli Kewen, and in Hangzhou, there was a special district living in Ye Likewen.

After the founding of the Yuan Dynasty, Nestorianism soon became popular all over China. He arrived in Helin in 1253 and traveled in northern China.According to his records, Nestorians lived in 15 cities in Khitan (northern China), and the archbishop was resident in Datong, Xijing. In the middle of the 13th century, there were 25 dioceses listed in the Nestorian Diocesan Bishops’ Residence List, ranging from Armenia and the Persian Gulf in the west to Tangwu (Western Xia) and Khan Bali (meaning Khan City, today’s Beijing) in the east, all of which were Nestorian missionaries. scope.Among them, there are four dioceses in China: (1), in the 11th district, the cathedral is located in Datong, and the tribes of Wanggu and Kelei are all within its jurisdiction, and it is an area where Nestorianism is prevalent.Datong was Xijing in the Liao and Jin Dynasties, and it was changed to Datong Road in the 25th year of the Yuan Dynasty (1288 A.D.).Lu Bailuke said: "On the way to Khitan, there are Nestorians and believers. Although they are aliens, they live together with the natives. There are fifteen cities in Khitan, all of which are Nestorians. There is an archbishop stationed in Xijing City." According to "Yuan History·Shizu Benji", in June of the thirteenth year of the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1276), Xijing monks, Taoists, Yeli Kewen, Da Shiman, etc. had families Those who lose their Fu together with the people.To the west of Xijing, it was the pastureland of Wanggubu in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties, and it was the pasture land in the Tang Dynasty.According to Marco Polo, the ruler of the area, King Korrigis (George) of Gaotang, was the great-grandson of King John the Elder, and most of the residents believed in Christianity.According to Meng Govino, who was sent by the Pope to China as a missionary in 1292, Quorigis originally believed in Nestorianism, but converted to Catholicism because of his persuasion, and let his son be baptized and named Shu'an (John).Korikis led his fief subjects to break away from Nestorianism, and donated money to build a magnificent church, which was titled "Roman Church" by himself.But after the death of Kolijisi, his younger brothers returned to Nestorianism with their followers.It shows the prosperity of Nestorianism in this place. (2) Kashgar, the 19th district, located in Kashgar (now Kashgar).Lu Bailuke once passed through the suburban area of ​​Karashar north of Lop Nur, visited a Nestorian village, entered the church and sang "Praying to Our Lady" with the believers.He said that the Nestorians used the Fearful script in their churches.Marco Polo attests that the Nestorians of Kashgar "lived according to their own canons and worshiped in their own churches".Prince Chagatai of Yarkand converted to Nestorianism and helped the local Nestorians build a church in memory of John the Baptist.There are also Nestorians in Shache, Chinchi Talas and other places. (3) Khan Bali, the 23rd District, is located in Yuandadu. When Marco Polo came to China in 1275, Dadu (Beijing) was the residence of Nestorian Metropolitan Maniestoli.Bar Saoma, a famous Nestorian in Khan Bali at the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty and a Uighur, his father was Spanish who came to Khan Bali as an itinerant observer of the Nestorian Church in the early 13th century.Barsauma was baptized by Maguiwaguis, the Metropolitan of Khan Bali, since he was a child, and entered a monastery at the age of 30.His friend Marcus was a Uighur from Huoshan, Shanxi. Marcus' father, Pei Nier, was a Nestorian archbishop.Marcus also aspired to become a hermit. He entered Beijing to be baptized by the Metropolitan Maniestoli, and became friends with Barsauma. In 1278, the two traveled west together to Jerusalem to worship the Holy Land. In 1280, Nestorian Patriarch Matunha appointed Marcus as Archbishop of Khitan, changed his name to Yabalaha, and appointed Bar Saoma as inspector general. Matunha died in 1281, and Jabalah was elected as the Nestorian Patriarch, stationed in Baghdad, and concurrently in charge of Seleucia and the two cities. In 1287, Barsauma was sent to Europe by the order of Aruhun, the monarch of the Ilkhanate.He successively met with Emperor Andronix II of the Eastern Roman Empire, Philip IV of France and Edward I of England, and went to Rome to meet Pope Nicholas IV.The Pope invited him to take communion according to the Nestorian rite, and he also attended the Pope's mass.These are two famous Chinese Nestorians in West Asia and Europe.In Fangshan County, in 1919, a Nestorian cross temple relic was discovered. There is an inscription on the cross bestowed by Emperor Yuan Shun, and there are ancient Syriac characters on the stele.In the mountains near the Liuli River in Zhuoxian County, Hebei Province, two engraved cross steles were found. The four corners of the cross have Syriac words "believe it" and "respect it".According to textual research, this is the Cross Temple first built in the Tang Dynasty (960 A.D.), built in the Liao Dynasty, and rebuilt in the Yuan Dynasty (1365 A.D.).Three tombstones with Nestorian crosses were also found in Shizhuziliang in the northwest of Zhangjiakou.In the Northeast, Zongwang Naiyan (a descendant of Genghis Khan's younger brother Wochijin) who rebelled against Emperor Shizu of the Yuan Dynasty (1289 AD) was a baptized Nestorian.His banner is marked by the cross, and his followers are 100,000, so there should be many believers.Throughout the Yangtze River Basin, a number of Nestorian temples were successively built in the early Yuan Dynasty.The most famous are the seven temples built by Ma Xueli Jisi in Zhenjiang, Dantu and Hangzhou.Yangzhou had no churches when Marco Polo was an official, but three Nestorian churches were built more than 30 years later.There were also Nestorians in Wenzhou, Quanzhou, Kunming and other places. (4), the 24th District, governs the old Xixia areas such as Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia, and is based in Ganzhou.According to Marco Polo, the Nestorians built three magnificent churches in the city.After the death of the grandmother of the Yuan Dynasty, the Empress Dowager Bieji, she stayed in the Cross Temple in Ganzhou.Suzhou (where the government is now Jiuquan), Shazhou (where the government is now Dunhuang), Liangzhou (where the government is now Wuwei), and Shenzhou (where the government is now Xining) all have some Nestorians.There are three Nestorian churches in Halashan (Yulin) in Shaanxi. The establishment of the above four dioceses shows that Nestorianism spread almost all over the country in the Yuan Dynasty.From Khan Bali to the west, through Shanxi, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Gansu, out of Xinjiang to Central Asia; or down the canal, across the Yangtze River Basin to the southeast coast, the Nestorian activities are particularly active.According to the "Dayuan Tongzhi", the officials of the Chongfu Division said, "Nowadays the world is so big, there are many crimes committed by Ye Li Kewen, even if there are a hundred officials, they can't control it."The "Great Khan Kingdom" (1330 A.D.) estimated that the Nestorians "lived in the territory of Khitan, and there were more than 30,000 people in total."The actual number of Nestorians naturally exceeds this figure. The religious life of the Nestorians in the Yuan Dynasty has not been recorded in Chinese literature, but the Europeans who traveled eastward were all Catholics and spared no effort to attack Nestorianism, so their records cannot be fully believed.According to Luberouk: Chinese Nestorians are stupid and ignorant.Their Bibles are all in Syriac, and they can be recited when they pray, but they don't understand their meaning.The monks in our country do not know grammar.All of them are extremely corrupt, like lending money to collect usury, and indulging in wine and sex.Those who mixed with Tatars were contaminated with Tatar customs, and even had one husband and several wives.Entering the church also imitates what Muslims do and washes their lower body.On Friday, a consecration is held, and they eat meat and meat, and everything follows the Muslims...the monks they send not only marry wives, but also bigamy.If his wife dies, he can remarry.Monks and officials are all bought and sold.Do not perform the sacraments for others without compensation.All of them love their wives, are greedy for money and goods, and are passionate about religious beliefs. (Chapter 26 of Journey East) More than 70 years later, John Cora's assessment is different.He said that the Nestorians in China are all rich in wealth, but they are very afraid of decent Christians.The churches of this school are all neat and gorgeous, with crosses and statues to worship God and ancient sages.He performed various prayers on behalf of the emperor, so he often enjoyed privileges. ("Great Khan Kingdom") However, the trend of corruption and decadence among the Nestorians in the Yuan Dynasty did exist. There are many records in "Yuan History" that "Ye Li Kewen has a family and does not abide by the precepts" is exempted from the privilege of not losing rent and taxes.Nestorianism was originally the religion of merchants in Syria and Persia. Priests could do business, and merchants could also serve as priests. Missionaryism and business could go hand in hand.Therefore, Nestorians "love to lend money and collect high interest", and "love money and goods" are inevitable.According to the records of the Syriac hymn manuscripts (approximately 10th-13th centuries AD) found in the Meridian Gate Tower of the Forbidden City in Beijing, the martyrs who spread Nestorianism were Nestorians engaged in business.The article said: "O martyrs! You who are engaged in merchants! You have crossed rivers and seas, crossed mountains and plains, traversed all countries, and finally shed your blood and died." "Upright martyrs! You who are engaged in merchants Look, isn’t your treasure hidden in heaven?” Here, commerce almost has a religious meaning, and religion must rise and fall with commerce.In addition, Nestorianism lost its momentum at the end of the Yuan Dynasty due to the decline of its political status through the spread of its political power.In the 16th year of the Yuan Dynasty (1279 A.D.), when Ma Xuelijisi was appointed as the deputy Dalu Huachi of Zhenjiangfu Road, he seized the land of Jinshan Temple, an ancient Buddhist temple, and built two "cross temples".In the fourth year of Zhida (1311 A.D.), it was changed to the lower court of Jinshan Temple and named "Prajna Temple".This shows that by the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Nestorians had lost political power, were excluded religiously by Buddhism and Taoism, and were competing economically with Islamic businessmen. The status of Nestorianism in China had plummeted.

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