Northern Song Literati Local Enlightenment

Important changes happened in Tang and Song dynasties of ancient Chinese society: aristocracy transformed into bureaucracy in the political system,Imperiol Examination System gradually improved, literati class rised, tenancy system prevailed and so on. The development of science and technology of Song dynasty,the concerning of humanities and popularizing of knowledge make etiquette culture popular in all levels of society.They began to accept the Confucianism from Confucian classics. Local management system during the Tang and Song dynasty transformed from the village bureaucracy into zhiyi system, the scholar play more and more important role in the running of local community. Their social mission and social responsibility increased rapidly and they wanted to restructure the social order.They enlightened local people through various channels initiatively and consciously. Because of their teaching activities, they make the masses of the people accept the concept of Confucian and national adeology.From the reform of Imperial Examination system and literati's debate of Northern sung Dynasty we can see the government value officials'role of education. Scholar-bureaucrat themselves value their enlightenment behavior in maintaining social order.They think enlightenment can easily make local social customs clear and people live and work well. The following are their enlightenment activitiesFirst, official uphold education activity, commendation, advisory activities and inhibition activities, they presided over ceremonial activities and promote literary activities for enlightenment. Scholar-bureaucrat inheriting Confucian tradition, they take the school as the important place of promoting ethics and morality and think the rise and fall of the school is related to customs and moral.In order to promote Confucianism and the government advocacy mainstream,they set up many schools strongly. The content and training:loyalty, filial, respect, honesty and so on are taught in schools.The officials also focus on the education of students though a variety of ceremonies so that they accept the Confucian ethics and values and behavior patterns. Government publicized the behavior that consistent with the Confucian moral values and standard of behavior in family, decency and propriety through the Commendation, advisory activities and inhibition activities and banning violation of the value of Confucian ethics. They advised people to comply with Confucian ethics and make the local scociaty develop the social atmosphere of being courteous to each other and respecting elderly people. Forbidden activities eliminated the potential social unrest and reflects the government's authority the Government's initiative. The legalization of some local belief is a compromise between the people and the government. The purpose of local officials presiding over a variety of ceremony is spreading enlightenment to the people and make the people's behavior consistent with the mainstream of Confucian ethics and values, and there's no proceedings or prison defendants, no theft and better customs in local scociaty,which maintain social stability, demonstrate the government's authority. Local officials also wrote articles to promote their ideas and enlightenment thought. The similar acts to the acts that they advocated increased, enlightenment produced great effects.Second, In order to strengthen the cohesion of the family,the scholars cducate their children, families by letter, writing poetry etc, made them know basis and the Confucianism rule and the concept of government in the family. They encourage the children to study, and make effects on the family in their daily lives. The effectiveness of their behavior in the home education is significant, which produced a model in the local community.Third,the scholars in the local community also educated local people in various ways: promoting to formulate local rules or regulations, assisting or setting up various schools and to fulfilling the public's concept of charity extensively and other economic behavior in daily life,which fostering their own prestige in people.They set a good example for people in the local community and played a good role in education. Local belief system also reflect the concept and role of the literati's Enlightenment. There's interaction between elite and popular in the local belief systemOverall, from the enlightenment activities of Northern sung Dynasty,we can find:government emphasised on cultivation effects consciously, literati educate the people actively and consciously. That shows elite,the management of local social, is playing an increasingly important role, but people are not entirely passive, they always are interactive with the government and the literati.