A Study Of The Ming And Qing Dynasties Writers

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a large number of writings written in Chinese by the literati in Ningxia came into being. The literati presented a familial state. Among those, there were more than 100 writers with works handed down for generations. Zhu Zhan, Hu Ruli, Hu Shi, Zhao Liangdong, Yu Yimo etc. were typical representatives, whose writings were far more in number than the total amount of works of all literati in previous dynasties before Ming. They wrote or compiled 61 collected works with 13, which consisted of 136 rolls, were handed down. They compiled or co-compiled 31 local chronicles with 27 handed down. The literati and their works were influential nation-wide, making great contributions to enrich the historical and cultural heritage in western area by leaving such an indelible mark in the culture of Ningxia and its literature history and increasing precious fortune for the growth of humanity in Ningxia. The study on the literati and their writings during the Ming and Qing Dynasties is of great value and use. The significance of the study is quite obvious. It will present the overall condition of writings of historical figures in Ningxia during the Ming and Qing Dynasties to historians, lay a solid documentary foundation for the study on Ningxia local literature and history and culture, and pave the way for composing history of ancient Ningxia in future, which will make some contribution to the study of history of ancient Chinese literature. In addition, the study will give academic and intellectual support to the development of local tourism and economy.The object of this research is the writings of the literati in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Ningxia refers to the present administrative division of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in geography, which includes 5 cities (Yinchuan, Shizuishan, Wuzhong, Guyuan and Zhongwei), 9 municipal districts, 2 county-level cities, and 11 counties. The Ming and Qing Dynasties refers to the time span of 543 years from the establishment of the Ming Dynasty in 1368 to the perishing of the Qing Dynasty in 1911. The writings of the literati in Ningxia during the Ming and Qing Dynasties refers to writings of those born locally during that period of time (like Hu Shi), or those who were not born locally but spent most of their life there and whose later generations were born and lived in Ningxia, like Zhu Zhan. Ningxia people for short hereinafter. Their writings were composed in Chinese while the oral folk literature like ballad and nursery rhyme were excluded. The writings of Ningxia people were mainly divided into three types:poems and essays written solo, local chronicles, and writings scattered in various literature.The three tasks of the research are:(1) To comprehensively collect and clarify the general information of Ningxia people and their writings during the Ming and Qing Dynasties through the way of seeking old Ningxia local chronicles, consulting various reference books and related literature materials. To introduce writers and their background by means of collecting their writings; (2) To do a deep research on collections, versions, main contents, writing features, value evaluation and influences on later generations of the extant writings by means of basic theories and methods of philology; (3) To find out connections the writings of the Ningxia people, generalize their growing features and rules so as to guide practical work.The paper includes four parts, introduction, the first part, the second part and conclusion. The introduction is mainly about the significance of this thesis, research situation at present, the contents, tasks and methods of the research. The first part is about study on writings of the Ningxia people in the Ming Dynasty, which consists of 5 chapters. They are Zhu Zhan and his later generations and their writings; Hu Ruli and his clansmen and their writings; Guan Lv and his writings; Hu Shi and his writings; and the others and their writings. The second part is about writings of the Ningxia people in the Qing Dynasty, which covers four chapters. They are:Zhao Liangdong and his later generations and their writings; Yu Yimo and his clansmen and their writings; Xie Wangchong, Yu Deyuan and their writings; and the others and their writings. Each chapter is to contain current research status, life of writers, personality assessment, family situation, textual research on writings, research on poems and essays and their profound impact. Their later generations and other people will be analyzed in the same pattern in a detailed or non-detailed way. The focus of the research is the basic information, especially on people’s life stages and comments on them; their writings and document descriptions, versions of their writings, the content, and the artistic features. The author of the paper has been trying to present a comprehensive discussion and a penetrating analysis towards the above aspects. The innovation of the paper is the solo written poems, essays, and the various compiled and editted ones, on which only a few achievements has been made. The author collected, read, extracted and concluded literature materials all by himself. Though previous scholars have achieved a lot on the research of the local chronicles, the paper aims at correcting errors and remedying defects, studying the chronicles from a new angle, version research and inherited connection are the main focuses. Writings scattered in different literature are studied and analyzed in terms of various literature materials collected by the author himself. In the conclusion part, a general analysis and research on writings of Ningxia people during the Ming and Qing Dynasties will be contained. Features will be dissected, causes will be analyzed, values will be evaluated, and an accurate historical orientation will be given.