Confucian Scholars In Yuan Dynasty And Cultural Inheritance

The Yuan Dynasty was the first united empire established by ethnic minorities. The Mongolian dominators, the same as other dominators from ethnic minorities, choose the "Chinesization" as one of ruling strategies through adopting the traditional Confucianism and civil administration. The Yuan Confucian scholars, under the background of cultural integration, make contribution to cultural innovation and inheritance by insisting on the responsibilities of cultural inheritance.Four chapters are included in the article. The first chapter is an introduction to previous study, research method and the general situation about the Yuan social culture and Confucian scholars. The collision and fusion of the Yuan social culture was the theme of the times. Confucian scholars, facing this situation, began to differ greatly in status of social environment and mentality.The second chapter analyzes the Yuan Confucian scholars and academic inheritance. Studying, carrying forward and spread Confucianism are always regarded as primary tasks of traditional Confucian scholars. The main performances of the cultural inheritance of the Yuan Confucian scholars are related to spreading Confucianism to the north and blending of Chu with Lu. Zhao Fu, on the recommendation of Yao Shu, chose to spread in the north, so that the Li-Xue (a Confucian school of idealist philosophy of the Song and Ming Dynasties) began to be learned nationwide. Xu Heng, through studying Neo-Confucianism, created a new school. And Cheng Jufu sought talents in the south, which made southern Confucian scholars proceed northward to participate in government and political affairs. Due to these efforts made by Confucian scholars, the cultural isolation from the north to the south had been gradually vanished; the Neo-Confucianism, by being spread on the national scale, had been developed into the official school, influencing every aspect of the Yuan society. Based on "disputes between Chu and Lu" of the Southern Song Dynasty, pragmatic thoughts and the tendency of blending Chu with Lu had emerged between Confucian scholars, which made the Yuan Neo-Confucianism play a transitional role between the Song and the Ming Neo-Confuciani sm.The third chapter is related to practices made by the Yuan Confucian scholars. Traditional Confucian scholars not only inherit the Confucianism, but also fulfill the traditional Confucian concept—caring about the whole society. The Yuan Confucian scholars, facing the complicated social cultural environment, still persuade dominators to adopt Han means from aspects of self-cultivation, promoting Confucianism and governing a country. And some Confucian scholars choose to be public officials, making efforts to promoting agriculture, keeping justice and educating the public. And some other Confucian scholars highlight the positive development of the local official school and academy, which makes the development of academy in Yuan Dynasty, has reached a summit in the history. All kinds of practices made by Confucian scholars contribute to the stability of the Yuan society and the further spread of culture.The last chapter discusses the cultural inheritance of the Yuan Confucian scholars from aspects of literature, history, art and technology. Besides promoting Confucianism and making practices, Confucian scholars also play an important role in the development of literature, arts and technology. Yuan poetic drama, under the common efforts of Confucian scholars, has become a representative of the Yuan literature. The Yuan historical science, breaking through the traditional national concepts, has a characteristic of ethnic fusion. Confucian scholars are more familiar with the art of painting and calligraphy. Because of the difficulty of being public officials, the landscape painting of the Yuan Confucian scholars are of more seclusion consciousness, which influences the later development of the art of painting and calligraphy greatly. At the same time, the Yuan Confucian scholars also make great contribution to the traditional medical science, agriculture science, astronomy and calendar.The conclusion of this article, based on the summary of historical merits of the Yuan Confucian scholars, further points out that cultural inheritance is the instinct of traditional Confucian scholars, whose efforts make the Chinese culture spread without any break.