The Cultural Conflict And Power Compete Of Rites Controversies Between Chinese And Western In Kangxi And Qianlong Period

In the 18th century, the European community had drastic changes in the field of economic and cultural. At the same period China was in the Golden Age of Kangxi and Qianlong. The rulers of Ch'ing Dynasty continued to strengthen the restrictions on overseas trade. Western countries sent missions to China for trade privileges .Exception for Britain, all the other country's missions basically complied the Chinese etiquette to meet the Chinese emperor, which was"worship on bended knees three times and kowtow nine times". From the Ming dynasty medium-term Catholic missionaries began to enter China for missionary work. "Matteo Ricci rules" had become the basic form of missionary work for the Western missionaries in China.The focus of Chinese Rites Controversy was how to define Chinese traditional Confucian rite. Matteo Ricci considered that Chinese worship rituals for ancestry and sacrificial rituals for Confucius had secular nature not holy nature. The practical explanation led dispute about"Chinese rites"not only between the internal of Jesuit but also between Jesuit and others. At this time the Holy See dealt"Chinese rites"with caution. However, when 1700 AD Chinese Emperor Kangxi involved in the Chinese rites with a favor attitude of the traditional Chinese rituals, the dispute began to become a political confrontation between the divine right of Roman Catholic and the monarchial power of Chinese Emperor. In 1704 the Holy See issued the command to ban Chinese Rites and sent Cardinal De Yournon to China for conveying order and carrying China diocese under the direct control of the Holy See. December 17th, 1706, Emperor Kangxi issued the deportation order and votes-get order. In this case the"Rites Controversy"between Chinese and Western fully became a fight for the control of Chinese diocese. When Vatican diplomat Messabrba arrived China (in November 27th, 1720 to Beijing), reiterated its request; Kangxi Emperor adopted a tough attitude and measures to prohibit the Missionaries of the Westerners in China. It is an idea that "separation of church and state" in western but not in China. Therefore, the"Rites Controversy"between Chinese and Western is a battle between Roman Catholic theocracy and Chinese monarchial for power and right.When Macartney had arrived China he refused to comply the Chinese etiquette to meet the Chinese emperor, which was"worship on bended knees three times and kowtow nine times". It led"emperor-meeting etiquette controversy"between China and Britain. What behind this controversy are the different concepts of"diplomacy". At that time, Ch'ing Dynasty had his prosperous period and only one way for dealing with foreign relations, which was tributary system. Therefore, it was inevitable the Ch'ing Dynasty brought Britain in the tributary system subjectively. In contrast with china, the Britain has a concept which says"States are equal". So the Britain missions stressed this view by various methods. The essence of"emperor-meeting etiquette controversy"between China and Britain is how to construct the relationship between China and Britain. In other words, which rule should be adopted, the Tributary System with the principle of inferiority and superiority, or the Western diplomacy with equality, is the focus of contradiction. At the same time, there was other major conflict between China and Britain, the commercial duty of The Britain mission and the trade order of China.Then we should talk about the impact of these two controversies on the traditional Chinese society objectively. The behavior of the West is a collapse power to Chinese "Etiquette Order" .It would undermine Chinese existing political order. At that time the East-West cultural exchange has not brought the key elements of modernization. Even worse, after the controversies, west gradually formed a bad impression of China, which has provided a pretext for war against China.Dealing the relationship with the Holy See and Western countries, the Ch'ing dynasty rulers gradually had a growing recognition that the Western forces were threat to Chinese, they were on their guard. This is the demand for the maintenance of the rule, rather than "conservative and arrogant" attitude. In fact, China and the West recognized the custom different between them both; even the Westerners have different understanding about the two controversies. So cultural differences are not the only root, which cause the comfits between China and the West. Cultural conflicts are just barriers and pretexts to fight for the rights and powers. Therefore, not only the controversies but also the consequences should not be simple attributed to the Ch'ing dynasty rulers.