The Philological Research On The Banquets Given By The Emperors In Northern Wei Dynasty

In Northern Wei Period, emperors organized the banquets frequently, and worked out some etiquette stipulations which showed ranks. What is more, emperors could uphold internal rule and created advantageous diplomatic environment through giving banquets. The paper draws on predecessors'research discoveries, and combines with excavated documents such as epitaph. This paper will do research on the banquets given by the emperors of Northern Wei Dynasty from the following aspects:The first part: Forms of the banquets given by the emperors. This part will explore the various forms of the banquets hosted by the emperors. The banquets given by the emperors could be classified into imperial banquets and official banquets according to different people participated in the banquets and different reasons for giving the banquets. The imperial banquets were the banquets through which the emperors could strengthen the feelings of the imperial members by giving banquets to the clan relatives of royal household. Because the imperial members and the emperors had close blood relationship, and played important parts in upholding the royal family, they were the essential factors by which the emperors could consolidate their rule.Therefore, the emperors kept up the feelings with the imperial members and strengthened the basis of the rule of their own. At the same time, the emperors achieved the strategies of declaring royal graciousness, winning people's support, and making diplomatic activities by giving official banquets, including potlatches, drink feasts, banquets for favor and state banquets. Furthermore, the emperors cultivated the concepts of ethics of the society and displayed the stability of their state power. And, distributions of forms of banquets in different periods reflected different political situation and administrative strategies of emperors.The second part: Dietary sources, order of seats of the banquets, and the officials who provided services to the banquets. This part will carry out investigation on dietary sources of the banquets, order of seats of the banquets, and the officials who gave services to the banquets. First of all, dietary sources took on the characteristic of diversity. During the course of foundation and consolidation of Northern Wei, the sufficient tax sources replenished the national treasury, then made the banquets hosted by the emperors have adequate ensured materials. In addition, domestic animals from national gardens enriched the diets of the banquets. And we could find out the condition of dietary culture communication according to the diets in the banquets given by the emperors in Northern Wei Dynasty. Order of seats of the banquets represented honorable or humble status, and arrangements of order of seats changed according to different people who participated in the banquets. Furthermore, clear division of work of different officials ensured that the banquets proceed with smooth progress. According to the records of historical materials, taiguanling and yezhe were the officials who provided services to the banquets in Northern Wei Period. And their duties were explicit.The third part: Recreational activities of the banquets given by the emperors. This part will make an in-depth analysis of various kinds of recreational activities of the banquets. The banquets were not the only simple courses in which emperors and ministers enjoyed the diets. Some recreational activities were arranged alternately by the emperors to regulate the atmosphere. These recreational activities included music and songs, dances, shooting arrows, riddles and offering birthday congratulations. And the people who participated in banquets could express their feelings through these different recreational activities. And ,some recreational activities reflected the emperors'customs of life.The fourth part: Social functions of the banquets given by the emperors. This part will do research on the pluralistic administrative strategies of the emperors shown by the banquets. The banquets hosted by the emperors in Northern Wei Dynasty were not only the course that emperors and the invited people enjoyed the delicious diets, but also the way through which the emperors achieved their strategies. For this reason, the banquets activities carried some corresponding social functions. The social functions of the banquets hosted by the emperors could be divided into domestic functions and external ones. The emperors could win ministers'support to strengthen the base of dominion, promulgate the written admonition and condescend to listen to the ministers'advices by giving banquets to ministers, strengthen the imperial union by hosting imperial banquets. In a word, the banquets given by the emperors played positive roles in harmonizing the relationships between monarchs and ministers, and maintaining the rule. The emperors made diplomatic activities by giving banquets to foreign monarchs and emissaries. Because of the diversified social functions, the banquets organized by the emperors were distinct from the ones hosted by the ordinary social stratums.