Computer-Aided Analysis And Comprehensive Research Of The Calendrical Astronomy Systems In Ming China

Based on a number of newly discovered astronomical works from the Ming Dynasty(AD 1 368一AD 1644),this thesis is a new exploration of the history of the calendrical astronomy in this dynasty with a combination of computer simulation with historicaI criticism.The whole thesis consists ln three major pads.The first part attempts to give a hitherto most comprehensive survey and analysis of the ancient works on the Chinese and Chinese—Islamic systems of calendrical astronomy officially prepared and adopted by the Ming government Except the works already known and used by previous schoIars,this paper casts light on a number of newly discovered or Iess studied works such as the Gateway to the Grand Union System of Calendrical Astronomy by Yuan Tong, the Grand Union System of Calendrical Astronomy of the Great Ming Dynasty and the Chinese.Islamic System of Calendrica/Astronomy edited by Bei Lin and Republished by Zhou Xiang.A very interesting result of this survey and analysis is the discovery of the existence of various traditions formed and developed over the long history of the Ming dynasty in the study of both the Grand Union and the Chinese—Islamic systems within and without the officiaI circles As a fact unnoticed by previous studies.this is very impo rtant in our understanding of the history of calendricaI astronomy in the Ming dynasty in pa rticular,in the whole late imperial China in general.In the second part of this thesis,based on the computer program imitating the entire functions of both the Grand Union and Chinese—Islamic systems of calendrical astronomy precision of the both systems in the eclipse prediction and positional calculation of the sun。the moon and the five major planets is analyzed against the results obtained with modern ephemerides,giving us a direct concept of the leveI of the both systems ln treating lhese practical problems.Some interesting results have been reached.For example,it is discovered that the real official version of the Grand Union actually applied at the Ming Bureau of Astronomy is nol the one contained in the Mst0ry 0f the Ming Dynasty officially compiled in the early Qing dynasty as most previous scholars believed,but Yuan Tong's Gateway to the Grand Union System which has been said to be put in oblivion ever since it completion.What we previously believed to be lhe most severe failures of Yuan Tong in adapted Guo Shoujing's Season Granting System of Calendrical Astronomy into the Grand Union System were actually the ways that Yuan T0ng used in an attempt to reduce the systematic errors of Guo's system with the long lapse of time.a series of make—shift measures applied by a number of Iate Ming astronomers in their effo~s to suggest new and better systems for calendar reform.1t is also found that the Chinese—Islamic System was not as precise in practical calculations as compared with the Grand Union System.although its theoreticaI basis seems to be better than that Of the Iatter.The only advantage was seen in the prediction of the magnitudes of fhe eclipses probably due to its much more exact power in the Iatitudinal calculation of the moon. On the basis of both technica{analyses and newly discovered materials. the third part of the thesis concentrates on the sociaI histo ry of officiaI astronomy in the Ming Dynasty.in order to show the special milieus for the development of calendrical astronomy in Ihe said dynasty Three episodes of this history are used as case studies.The first one concerns the attitude toward and the actually appealing to the knowledge of heavens of Zhu Yuanzhang,the founding emperor of the dynasty in question,who apparently set up an example for his successors in paying great attention to celestial studies.Jn lhe second case.an attempted calendar revision was fatally crippled by an emergent milita ry conflict between China and Oyrad in the year AO 1 449.a good example for the subtle relationship between calendrical astronomy and socio—politics events in the Ming Dynasty In the third and last case.a number of problems in the administration of the Bureau of Astronomy, such as the official corruption,the inappropriate promotion directly by the emperor negative impacts of the civil examination and the intentionaI frauds in hiding erroneous predictions frOm the throne.are discussed to show that the Bureau of Astronomy was not an effective and congenial institute for the development of astronomyFinally the thesis discusses severaI issues concerning lhe astronomical reform in the Ming Dynasty in order to answer the questions of when a refOrm should be initiated.who the task should be commissioned to,how the reform should be carried out and what kinds of occasions and circumstances are conductive to a successfuI reform.